-
When I started in the trades 20 years ago, there were only a few pneumatic finish nailer brands to choose from. Features were functional but crude compared to today's tools. Nailers were still better than hand nailing, but they were expensive enough that not every carpenter could have one. Since...
-
In the old days it was easy to pick out the better finish nailer because cool features like depth adjustment, no-mar caps, and swing-out noses for clearing jambs were few and far between. Now these features–and more–are pretty much standard on most pro-grade nailers, and the definition of a 'good'...
-
Coil roofing nailers are the most abused tools on my jobsite. They withstand blistering rooftop heat under summer sun, take two-story high-dives onto frozen mud in winter, and endure constant grinding as I drag them across 10-grit shingle granules. And that doesn't even account for the grime that...
-
When you're working with historic buildings, there's one thing you can depend on: You can't depend on anything. Over the last 150 years, changes in hardware, trim details, and other product introductions and evolutions (weather stripping for example) have led to the need for a versatile tool like a...
-
-
Reciprocating saws have been on the move–fast–since the last time we looked at this group. Category-wide, manufacturers have made advances with tool-free blade changes, articulating handles, and even LED work lights.
-
I remember the first time I used a portable band saw as a young plumber's apprentice. We were working on a large commercial project and needed to hang our piping mains above a drop ceiling. When my boss told me to make 50 hangers out of steel stock and threaded rod, I thought I'd be stuck there...
-