Electric nail guns can be tricky. They look like useful helpers. They are like an extension of your hand. But they are also fast-firing weapons.
Most modern electric and pneumatic nailers are equipped with a safety lock. You’ve seen it before. It is a small lever or button near the trigger. The idea is simple. If you don’t press the tip of the gun against the wood, the gun won’t fire. This “contact trip mechanism” is believed to prevent accidental discharges.
They fail more often than the manufacturer would like to admit.
Carpenters hate having to reset the trigger every time they drive a nail. So they hold down the main trigger. Use a safety lock as the actual switch. Press down. The nail goes in. Press. Nail goes in. This works well. This is dangerous.
If your finger slips, hits a pin, or the gun hits your leg during the movement, give a “bang.” The nail fires. There are no other possibilities. Every year, hundreds of people are sent to the emergency room because they have mistaken a nail gun for a hammer.
The solution is not willpower. This is engineering work.
Look for a nail gun with sequential trip. This is the gold standard in nail gun safety. Sequential systems require separate depressing of the safety lock and depressing of the trigger. You press the nose to the wood. Then pull the trigger. The cycle is reset when the gun is lifted away from the workpiece. You can’t just blindly pull the trigger and shoot.
Yes, it will be late. You have to be thoughtful. But deliberation can save a finger.
Check the reality here. These tools are powerful. Some models shoot nails at 1,400 feet per second. It is faster than a pistol bullet. A misfire doesn’t just hurt your thumb. It can penetrate the bone. May cause permanent damage. You may need intensive care.
Old hammers have their limits. You can’t shoot a nail through a knee. A nail gun will do.
Respect your tools. Buy a suitable model. Use sequential trigger. Don’t cut corners. Your health is worth the extra second it takes to fire properly.
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More Great Links
Hitachi power tools
* Pneumatic Nailer Injuries
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* Nail gun safety
