My old boss swore by using a framing nailer for finish trim, and I tried it on a job in Tacoma.

He said it saved time and the small heads were easy to hide. I was doing baseboards in a 1920s house last month and gave it a shot. The first few nails went in okay, but then I hit a knot and the nailer drove the brad at an angle, splitting a long piece of clear pine. I spent more time fixing that and filling the bigger holes than if I'd just used my 18-gauge finish nailer from the start. The speed wasn't worth the risk on good wood. It might work for rough stuff, but not for visible trim. Has anyone else had a bad time using the wrong tool for finish work just because someone insisted it was fine?

2 comments

2 Comments

betty_scott183d ago

Honestly, I've had the opposite happen. Used a framing nailer for trim in a few rentals (you know, the quick and dirty kind) and it was fine once I got the pressure right. Those small heads do hide pretty well with a dab of filler. I guess it depends on the wood, like you said with that clear pine being tricky. For me, the time saved on longer runs made it worth it, but I'm also not doing high-end restoration work.

alice_reed473d ago

Wait, you used a framing nailer on trim... and it was fine? Those things are huge, I can't even picture it. I'd be so scared of splitting every single piece, even on cheap pine.