"Box of aluminum nails. Used for lots of blueprints. Also suitable for hanging portraits." In-game description

Nails are an important crafting ingredients in Dying Light. They are used in various weapon modifications as well as arrows, bolts, and shrapnel based explosives.

Blueprints

Weapon modifications

These following weapon modifications require nails to craft

Base game

Blueprint	Requirements		Effects
Bad hangover	Metal parts (1) String (1) Nails (1) Blade (2) Aerosol (2) Electronics (1)	Hammer Hatchet Pickaxe Pick Wrench	Bleeding - Small Toxic - Medium
Cattle stamp	Metal parts (1) Duct tape (1) Nails (1) Blade (2) Gauze (1)	Hammer	Bleeding - Medium
Electrician	Metal parts (1) Nails (1) Plastic (1) Batteries (2) Power cable (1)	Hammer Wrench	Electricity - Medium
Exorcist	Metal parts (2) Duct tape (2) Nails (1) Blade (2) Batteries (2) Electronics (1)	Blade Cleaver Hammer Handsaw Hatchet Military shovel Pickaxe Pick Short sword Sickle Wrench	Bleeding - Small Electricity - Small
Filthy blade	Metal parts (1) Herb (4) Nails (1) Blade (2) Aerosol (2) Electronics (1)	Long knife Short knife	Bleeding - Medium Toxic - Small
Home run	Metal parts (1) Duct tape (1) Nails (1) Chemicals (2) Power cable (1)	Bat Crowbar Hammer Hatchet Military shovel Pickaxe Pick Pipe Police baton Wrench	Impact - Medium
Industrial-grade leech	Metal parts (1) Nails (1) Blade (1)	Any melee weapon	Bleeding - Small
Poison blast	Metal parts (2) Alcohol (1) Nails (1) Blade (2) Aerosol (2) Electronics (1)	Axe Pickaxe Sledgehammer	Bleeding - Medium Toxic - Medium
Poison pen	Metal parts (1) Nails (1) Herb (4) Toxic lichen (4) Gauze (1)	Police baton	Toxic - Medium
Puff puff pass	Metal parts (1) Nails (1) Underwater algae (4) Toxic lichen (4) Gauze (1)	Hammer Pickaxe Pick Wrench	Toxic - Medium
Rooster	Metal parts (3) Duct tape (2) Nails (2) Blade (2) Gauze (1)	Sledgehammer	Bleeding - Medium
Spiked collar	String (1) Herb (4) Nails (1) Blade (2) Gauze (1)	Bat Pipe	Bleeding - Medium
Thorn crown	Metal parts (1) String (1) Nails (2) Blade (1) Batteries (2) Electronics (1)	Bat Pipe	Bleeding - Small Electricity - Small
Toxic reaper	Metal parts (2) Duct tape (1) Nails (1) Blade (2) Aerosol (2) Electronics (1)	Blade Cleaver Handsaw Khopesh Long sword Machete Scythe Short sword Sickle	Bleeding - Medium Toxic - Medium
Tru-action electric baseball	Metal parts (1) Nails (2) Plastic (1) Batteries (2) Power cable (1)	Bat	Electricity - Medium
Welder	Metal parts (1) Duct tape (1) Nails (1) Aerosol (2) Gauze (1)	Cleaver Hammer Hatchet Pickaxe Pick Wrench	Burning - Medium
Zazhigalka	Metal parts (1) String (1) Nails (1) Aerosol (2) Gauze (1)	Bat Crowbar Police baton	Burning - Medium

The Following

Blueprint	Requirements		Effects
Big thunder	Metal parts (1) Nails (2) Chemicals (2) Power cable (1)	Axe Pick Pickaxe Sledgehammer	Electricity - Medium Impact - Small
Countryside bane	Metal parts (1) Nails (2) Herb (4) Toxic lichen (4) Gauze (2)	Blade Cleaver Hatchet Sickle	Toxic - Strong
Depleter	Metal parts (3) Duct tape (2) Nails (2) Blade (2) Gauze (1)	Hammer Sledgehammer	Bleeding - Strong
Dripping edge	Metal parts (1) Nails (2) Underwater algae (4) Toxic lichen (4) Gauze (2)	Handsaw Machete Short sword	Toxic - Strong
Nailer	String (1) Herb (4) Nails (1) Blade (2) Gauze (1)	Baseball bat	Bleeding - Strong

Other

Other blueprints which require nails to craft

Blueprint	Requirements	Effects/Usage
Arrows	Metal parts (1) Nails (1)	Standard ammunition for the bow.
Impact bolt	Nails (1) Plastic (1) Chemicals (1)	Alternate ammunition for the compound crossbow / upgraded crossbow. This variant causes nearby infected to be knocked back.
Kurt's bombs	Nails (1) Chemicals (1) Household supplies (1) Tin can (1)	Firecrackers combined with a better shrapnel explosive. Explodes after firecrackers end, causing heavy bleeding for any infected/human that it explodes near. Explosion draws virals/volatiles.
Regular bolt	Nails (1) Plastic (1)	Standard ammunition for the compound crossbow / upgraded crossbow.
Shrapnel grenades	Nails (1) Chemicals (1) Household supplies (1) Tin can (1)	Causes bleeding for any infected/human that it explodes near. Explosion will draw virals/volatiles.
Shrapnel trap bombs	Plastic (1) Nails (1) Household supplies (1) Chemicals (1)	Firecrackers combined with a better shrapnel explosive. Explodes after firecrackers end, causing heavy bleeding for any infected/human that it explodes near. Explosion draws virals/volatiles.
Stun bolt	Nails (1) Plastic (1) Aerosol (1)	Alternate ammunition for the compound crossbow / upgraded crossbow. This variant causes nearby infected to be stunned.
Toxic bolt	Nails (1) Plastic (1) Herb (2)	Alternate ammunition for the compound crossbow / upgraded crossbow. This variant causes nearby infected to fall over.

DLC

These following DLC items require nails to craft

Blueprint	Requirements		Effects
Bozak bow	Metal parts (3) Duct tape (2) Nails (2) String (1)
Buzz killer	Metal parts (2) Blade (2) Nails (2) Duct tape (2) Herb (1)	Sledgehammer	Bleeding - Medium
Lacerator	Metal parts (2) Blade (2) Nails (1) Duct tape (1)	Floor plank Nailed plank Plain plank Table leg	Bleeding - Medium
Ranger bow	Metal parts (3) Duct tape (2) Nails (2) String (1)
Ranger's arrows	Metal parts (1) Nails (1)		Standard ammunition for the ranger bow.

Trivia

• Dismantling wooden weapons grants nails instead of metal parts