Old framer told me my nail gun was too heavy for trim work

I was doing baseboards in a house in Raleigh last month when a retired framer walked through and said I was killing my wrist using a 15-gauge framing nailer on quarter round. He handed me his old 18-gauge brad nailer and told me to try it for a day. After three rooms I switched for good - has anyone else had a pro tell you you're using the wrong tool for the job?

2 comments

2 Comments

burns.fiona1mo ago

Yeah, have you tried holding that 15-gauge up at weird angles under a cabinet? Your wrist will let you know real quick you're doing it wrong. The old guys are always right about this stuff. I picked up a cheap 18-gauge brad nailer for door casings and it's been a game changer. You get less splitting too, especially on that skinny quarter round where a framing nailer will just blow the piece apart.

the_elliot1mo ago

Dude, wait. You actually tried using a framing nailer on quarter round? That's wild! I can't believe it didn't just explode into a million pieces on the first shot.