Convert Nail to Mil
Convert nails to mils instantly. 1 nail = 2250 mil — use the live calculator, the exact formula, a conversion table and worked examples. Also check the Mil to Nail converter for the reverse conversion.
Units explained
Nail
A nail is an Imperial unit of length equal to 2.25 inches (about 57.15 mm). It was historically used in the English cloth trade.
The nail derives from an English cloth-measure tradition dating to medieval times. Standardised at 2.25 inches (or 1/16 of a yard) through English customary practice and ratified by the 1959 International Yard and Pound Agreement.
Nails were historically used to measure cloth, particularly small pieces and ribbons. Rare in modern commerce but appears in historical textile literature and reproduction crafts.
Medieval English cloth-trade origin; standardised at 1/16 yard; fixed exactly at 0.05715 m via the 1959 International Yard and Pound Agreement.
Mil
A mil (also called a thou) is an Imperial unit of length equal to one thousandth of an inch (1/1000 in = 0.0254 mm = 25.4 μm exactly). It is used in engineering, manufacturing, and materials specifications.
The mil is derived from the Latin mille, "thousand," denoting one-thousandth of an inch. Standardized in industrial use during the 19th-century rise of precision engineering.
Mils are used to specify thicknesses of plastic films, foils, paper, copper traces on printed circuit boards (PCBs), wire insulation, and paint coatings. A standard sheet of paper is about 4 mils thick.
Adopted in 19th-century engineering practice; the value (1/1000 in) became exact in 1959 when the inch was fixed at 25.4 mm via the International Yard and Pound Agreement. The British term is "thou"; American term is "mil".
Nail to Mil conversion formula
The relationship between nails and mils:
To convert nails to mils, multiply the value in nails by 2250. To reverse, multiply mils by 0.0004444444.
How to use this converter
Type a value into the calculator. The result in mils updates as you type. Tap a quick value, copy the result with one click, or use the swap arrow to jump straight to the Mil to Nail converter for the reverse direction.
Step-by-step: convert nails to mils
- Write down the value in nails (nail).
- Multiply that value by the factor 2250.
- The product is the equivalent value in mils (mil).
- To reverse, multiply the mil value by 0.0004444444.
Worked examples
Example 1 — Convert 1 nail to mil:
1 × 2250 = 2250 mil
Example 2 — Convert 100 nail to mil:
100 × 2250 = 225000 mil
Real-world example — Adjacent small-scale precision
One nail equals 1,000 mils — the standard sub-millimeter precision conversion that materials engineers use whenever they switch between bulk material thickness specs (larger unit) and surface-finish characteristics (smaller unit).
1 nail × 2250 = 2250 mil
Real-world example — Adjacent metric sub-units
One nail equals 1,000 mils. Engineers move between these scales constantly: PCB feature sizes in the larger unit, wire-bond diameters in the smaller.
1 nail × 2250 = 2250 mil
Nail to Mil conversion table
Standard reference values for converting nails to mils:
| Nail [nail] | Mil [mil] |
|---|---|
| 0.01 | 22.5 |
| 0.1 | 225 |
| 1 | 2250 |
| 2 | 4500 |
| 3 | 6750 |
| 4 | 9000 |
| 5 | 11250 |
| 10 | 22500 |
| 20 | 45000 |
| 30 | 67500 |
| 40 | 90000 |
| 50 | 112500 |
| 100 | 225000 |
| 500 | 1125000 |
| 1000 | 2250000 |
Frequently asked questions
How many mils is 1 nail?
How do I convert nails to mils?
How do I convert mils back to nails?
How many mils is 100 nails?
Popular length unit conversions
Convert Nail to other length units
Show all Nail conversions
Metric / SI (4 units)
Imperial / US Customary (26 units)
Sources & references
Conversion factor (1 nail = 2250 mil) verified against the following authoritative sources:
- BIPM — The International System of Units (SI Brochure 9th ed.)
Official BIPM publication defining the seven SI base units (including the meter) and the rules for their use. The global authority on units of measurement.
- NIST — Guide to the SI
US National Institute of Standards and Technology reference covering the SI base and derived units with definitions and usage rules for US technical practice.
- NIST Special Publication 811 — Guide for the Use of the International System of Units
Detailed NIST guide covering exact conversion factors between SI and US customary units along with formatting and rounding conventions.
- NIST — Refinement of values for the yard and pound (Federal Register 1959)
The treaty (signed by US
- International Astronomical Union — System of Astronomical Constants
The IAU defines astronomical units including the AU (149597870700 m exactly) light-year and parsec used in astronomy and astrophysics.