I finally listened to that old timer about my nail gun angle

Last month I was framing a shed in my buddy's backyard in Austin and this retired carpenter walks by, stops, and says I should switch my framing nailer from a 30 degree to a 21 degree clip. I thought he was just being a nosey old guy lol. But after 3 jams in an hour and a stuck nail that bent sideways into my safety glasses, I finally looked up the difference. Turns out the 21 degree nails have a fuller head and grab way better in engineered lumber. I drove to Home Depot, picked up a refurbished Hitachi for 80 bucks, and finished the whole roof without a single jam. Has anyone else had a random stranger on a walk give them surprisingly solid advice?

3 comments

3 Comments

adamr1414d ago

I used to roll my eyes at unsolicited advice too but that nail gun angle tip actually makes total sense now.

casey68214d ago

Oh man @adamr14 you're totally right! I used to be the same way. Some random guy at the home depot told me to tilt my nailer a little and I was like yeah sure buddy. But then I tried it and my nails stopped bending all the time. Makes a huge difference. I've learned to at least listen to tips now even if I still roll my eyes a bit.

nancy81713d ago

yeah i know what you mean, i was at a jobsite once and this old timer told me to hold my hammer at the very end of the handle for more swing power. i thought he was crazy but tried it and damn if i wasnt hitting nails faster than ever. its funny how the randomest advice from strangers ends up being the stuff you actually remember. now i kinda listen to anyone with dirt on their boots, even if they look like they just wandered in off the street.

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