Nails Guns Save Time and Money

Nail Guns Save Time & Money - Use Them Wisely

Are you a serious DIYr? If so, you know that the quality and type of tools you use will not only determine when the project gets done, but they’ll also play a major part in quality level of the job.

In my opinion, one of the biggest time savers happens to be nail guns. These tools have a rich heritage dating back to the late 1700s. A nail gun using compressed air was introduced several years before the US Civil War. Nail guns, as you might know them today, stepped on stage in the 1950s during the economic explosion following the great World War II.

Framing Walls in My Son's Basement

If you’ve never used a nail gun, this recent story should greatly interest you. Two months ago, my son and I started to finish off 1,300 square feet of space in his basement. We’re building a small house under his house sans all exterior finishes.

Step one of the process was to frame over one hundred feet of 2x4 walls. Some were parallel with the concrete foundation walls, while others were partition walls separating rooms.

My son’s neighbor is a mechanical engineer who has never seen wall framing up close. I invited him to help us one morning, even though I knew it would slow us down. I spent a lot of time explaining all the steps one has to take to frame the walls.

I was using my Paslode framing nail gun. This amazing tool shoots nails using a tiny combustion engine. A gas cartridge contains the fuel, and an onboard small lithium-ion battery provides the energy to the spark plug, which ignites the gas each time you squeeze the tool’s trigger.

The neighbor was astonished at the nail gun's speed and accuracy. He often exclaimed that he’d purchase one should he decide to tackle his own basement project. He mastered using the tool in seconds.

Nail Guns Drive All Types of Nails

Nail guns are made to drive nails for just about any purpose. I’ve had finish nail guns for decades that drive nails through trim boards like baseboards, door and window casing, and crown molding. The tools automatically countersink the nails, saving a vast amount of time. In the old days, a carpenter would have to carefully tap a finish nail using a nail set to drive the head below the surface of the wood.

Twelve years ago, I used a nail gun to attach asphalt shingles to a shed roof. The gun saved my thumb and hours of time. It’s easy to adjust the tools so the nails are driven the correct depth, as the shingle manufacturers call for.

I started using air-powered, pneumatic nail guns in the late 1970s. One of the largest manufacturers at the time, Senco, was based in Cincinnati, Ohio, not too far from my house.

Nail Guns Started My Ask the Builder Career

My Ask the Builder media career started not long after I met Senco’s marketing manager at an Irish dancing fest both our daughters attended. He found out I was a carpenter and asked me if I used nail guns. I responded, “Oh yes! I use Senco guns, and they save me hours of time and wear and tear on my body.” I had no idea at the time he worked for Senco.

After that chance meeting, the corporate executive nominated me as one of the Big 50 Remodelers in 1993. That national award launched this syndicated newspaper column. But I digress!

Pneumatic Air Gun Cons

Pneumatic nail guns are still made, but they have a slight disadvantage. You need an air compressor and hoses between the machine and the nail guns.

DeWALT D55154 Air Compressor with handle

You'll need an air compressor similar to this to power a pneumatic nail gun. Finish guns require much less air. A small pancake compressor will do. A crew of two, or more, framers will need a large compressor to power multiple framing nailers at once. Photo credit: Tim Carter Copyright 2024

It takes time to set all this up and stow at the end of a work day. My gas tool is ready to go when I open the case and place it in my hand. The same is true for all of the electric-powered nail guns.

Serious Injury and Death

Old-fashioned hammer-driven nails can hurt you. I’ve been struck in the face by nails that received a glancing blow from a hammer and then bounced up off the wood. Nails driven by nail guns can be lethal. The Internet is littered with X-ray images of long-framing nails that have been driven into worker’s skulls.

A serious nail gun accident happened at one of my jobs. A carpenter was working too fast and drove a 2-5-inch nail through the center of his big toe bone. We had to cut out the piece of the subfloor his foot was nailed to and transport him and it to the emergency room.

Years ago, when framing a roof, I almost drove a long framing nail into my chest one day. It’s a long story, and the nail missed penetrating my rib cage by an inch. It was aimed directly at my heart. I share all these grim stories to alert you to the power and danger of the tools. When you decide to use a nail gun, remember what Spiderman said, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

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