Ideas for keeping nails short?

I have 2 "former" ferals who have lived inside with me for just over 2 years since they were about 6-7 months old.   It's hard to describe their level of socialization; they are not semiferal nor are they lap cats.   They live in their own section of my home because my "resident" cat has refused to accept them.  They always greet me and come when called.   They both love to be petted and I can pick up Bella  from an elevated surface but not from the floor.  I can't pick Rascal up.   For vet visits I "suit up" with leather gloves, etc.   and the visits cause a great deal of stress especially to Bella.  My problem is their nails.   They certainly won't let me hold their paws to cut them and I don't want to cause the stress of extra vet visits.  Any ideas for keeping their nails short?

Do they have access to many different types of scratching surfaces?  Some cats like corrugated cardboard on a flat surface while others like sisal rope on a vertical surface. 

I have a former feral who also lives inside my house.  He does not like to have his nails trimmed and it takes 2 of us.  One person holds him on an elevated surface and feeds him chicken while I trim his nail as fast as I can. 

Hopefully others will come along with more ideas.

My outdoor cats like to use different wooden logs that we have placed throughout our yard for decorative purposes.  I know this may be a messy solution for indoor cats but it could be put in a room not seen on a plastic piece of tarp.  The bark on the logs seems to do a great job on their nails.

Thank you for your suggestions.  They do have the cardboard scratch pads that are on an angle and they do use them, but they don't seem to affect the length of the nail.  When Rascal kneads me, his nails go right through my jeans to my skin.

The logs are an idea.   Perhaps I can try one in the utility room. Thanks ! 

Great!!  We always use lap blankets when the cats want to come up and knead on us.  One cat especially likes my husbands stomach.  He says she's helping him work on his abs.