Can we talk about the time a framer in Austin showed me why I was wrong about air nails?

I was on a deck build outside Austin last spring and this old framer named Joe watched me set like 20 nails by hand before he finally said something. He just shook his head and asked if I was scared of the compressor or something. I told him I thought air nails were weaker than hand drives and he laughed for a solid minute. Then he grabbed my gun and shot a 16d nail into a pressure treated 4x4 and challenged me to break it off. I tried with a hammer and a pry bar and that nail did not budge. He showed me how he adjusts his air pressure based on the wood density and now I never touch a hammer for framing unless I have to. Anyone else have a old timer call them out on something they were stubborn about?

2 comments

2 Comments

wyatt5217d ago

Got about six months into my first framing gig before a crusty old carpenter finally told me to stop wasting everyone's time swinging a hammer like it was 1920. My thumb thanked him way more than my pride did.

price.tara17d ago

Yeah, that "crusty old carpenter" line really hits home. Those guys have seen every mistake in the book, and they usually mean well even if it stings. Funny how a bruised ego heals faster than a busted thumb, right?