Home Improvement Today?

Only one i had issues with was the Craftsman air brad nailer. It only liked its own brand of brad nails....got rid of it.

It should tell you what sizes you can use on the nailer

 

Don’t know how much it really matters but had a porter cable that had problems with nails everyone said use the same brand nails as the gun. When it started leaking air everyone said use the same name brand oil. When I bought my new nailer (metabo ) the guy told me to make sure I use the same brand nails and oil.

 

I dont like proprietary equipment/tools. If i use a brad nailer i want to be able to use any brand staple/brad nail i put in it.

 

I have had no issues with my Hitachi (Metabo) I've just bought whatever is on sale at Lowe's. Hitachi, Bostitch, and arrow run fine. I heard a couple people complain about the Craftsman branded nails.

 

It's interesting how some guys prefer to cope and some prefer bevels. I never cope inside corners. I keep saying I'll cope a few rooms one day just to see if it produces a better finished product in less time. But, since I've beveled for so long, I never do. lol

 

Complete noob here, looking to put a concrete bump (berm?) at the top of my negative slope driveway. Wondering if I can shape concrete on top of the existing concrete? Or will I have to use some sort of special bonding agent?

 

some info here. Read bottom of page one
https://www.homeownershub.com/concr...rm-think-speed-bump-only-smaller-3027441-.htm

 

Interesting, when I bought my Hitachi 2 1/2" finish nailer I was told to stick with the same brand of nails and oil. I've always done that and never had an issue with it.

 

My finish guns are all Hitachi. In the 15g, 16g, and 18g I use Senco nails. In my 23g I use Grex nails. I never oil them. The 23g is the baby in the group at only 3 years of use. All the others are 15 years in. Never had a issue and I shoot a lot of nails yearly. YMMV.

 

That's certainly the safe bet and no reason not to.

 

It's a coin toss really. I've seen good and bad of both.

 

I've used/mix & matched most brands with no issues. As has been stated, proper gauge and length is important.

 

For sure. The mistake most people make with beveled corners is two fold. One is they don't pre-glue and pin nail the corner. The second is they put a nail close to the corner. If you hold off you last nail about 16" the corner will not blow out as long as it's glued and pinned. But on the next room I do I will get the jig saw out and cope the insides. Who knows, I might actually like that way better. Just never tried because I have a system that works well for me. lol

 

I've started using the CA glue/Catalyst system...nearly unbreakable in seconds. For outside corners that is.

Tip for coping, especially on tall baseboard trims with a large flat section. Use you miter saw to remove all that material from that part. Flip the piece on your saw. Then your left with just the contoured/detailed section to cope by hand. An angled grinder with a flap disc also removes material nicely.

 

Me and flap discs go way back. High end stain grade finish requires taking off a 64th sometimes. A bunch of years back I started using metal flap discs for wood. They last way longer. Z80 is the grit you want. Just be careful because they don't take nearly as much pressure to remove material as standard wood flaps.

 

Nice! Sadly, don't see much stain grade trim anymore. Everyone seems to want it all painted white. I still install as if it's stain grade.

I refuse to use MDF.

 

Pride in craftsmanship has taken a huge hit the past 10 years. I try my best to install every thing like it's stain grade. A lot of guys seem to live by the old saying "Caulk and paint make you the craftsman you ain't". I first heard that saying over 30 years ago. I decided then and there that I was not going to be someone who ever had that said about my work. Nice to see there's still a few guys that take pride in what they do. lol

 

I love working on old houses. Lots of old housing stock here in ME. Some dating back to the 1700's. My neighbor's house was built in 1776. I've done a lot of work in that house. Nothing is square, plumb, level, even, etc. It's a challenge mixing new work with old and making it look good.

 

My neighbor is also a painter. He's made many a carpenter look good. Some of the pics he sends me make me cringe. Really sad that people accept such poor craftsmanship.

 

That's the thing with remodels. You never know what your going to find. I've seen load bearing windows and hand hewn 6x12's covered by drywall. And that was just in the living room of my buddies house in the Hudson Valley. Then there was the utter lack of foundation. What was supposed to be a 2 months project turned into over a year. House was built in the 1780's and had about 4 additions. That was a fun job. lol