A.J., his eyes wide

I’ve used nailers for years, but after all this time I have finally realized just how handy they are. And it’s like a revelation.

Pneumatic nailers are great for big jobs – the jobs where “pounding nails” more accurately refers not to pounding them in, but rather how many pounds of them you use. My recent shed project is a good example. It would have taken me a lot longer to build, and cost me a lot of sore muscles, if I hadn’t used a framing nailer.

Till now, my idea of nailers was to wait till you had one of those big jobs to use one. After all, they are soooooo much trouble to set up. I mean you have to get out the compressor, get out the nailer, get out the hose, and then wait sometimes whole minutes for the compressor tank to fill. For a big job all that work is worth it. For the little jobs, not so much. Or so I thought.

Well, kiddoes, my eyes have been opened.

I’m in the middle of my shop redo. Right now I’m constructing a new lumber rack on a wall that previously held hanging yard gear, and the design calls for supports that are laminated. The glue-ups were going fine, but my components kept slipping when I applied clamps. Well, my compressor was out from its earlier shed-building tasks, the hose still hanging from the cart handle. So I thought I’d do like Norm does and, quoting now, “…add a few nails till the glue dries.” I still needed to clamp them, but a couple little brads held everything in place perfectly till I got the clamps on.

And the thing of it is, is that setting up the compressor and hose took no more time that walking across the shop to get more clamps. It’s just a matter of setting it up first and then going about your business. When you need that brad nailer, it’s ready to go. This has been like an epiphany for me.

You can bet that I’ve made a tiny alteration to my shop redo plans that include having my compressor and hose in a very handy spot. Right where the lawnmower used to be.

Till next time,

A.J.