On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 08:50:36 -0500, Jim Elbrecht
wrote:

If I was 40 years younger and didn't drive nails with air [or use
screws when I can] - I'd really be drooling over this.

http://shophardcorehammers.com/index.../hammers/id/4/

They were listed in a made in the USA list someplace.
19 oz, straight claw, waffle head, magnet nail holder, available with
18" curved hickory handle.

anybody still framing with driven nails? is this practical, or just
a nice piece of furniture?

Jim

Thats the only way I frame and build anything. Personally I hate nail
guns. Not only are they dangerous, but here is no way in hell that I'm
going to lug around a heavy air compressor, and heavy nail gun, and pay
3 times what plain nails cost for the gun nails. Not to mention when I
place a stud and put in the first nail, I can align the stud as I
hammer, unlike the gun who shoots the nail and the force often
mis-aligns the stud, leaving me with a tough nail to remove and start
over again. I have been building stuff with a hammer for 50+ years, and
thats the way I'll build for the rest of my life. I can drive a nail
with a hammer almost as fast as a nail gun. On top of all that, I get
some exercise with a hammer, and save electricity. It's just this
screwed up younger generation who spends most of their time pushing
buttons on cellphones that need this powered crap. That's why most of
them are fat and lazy.

Add to that, the fact that if the compressor is too small, one has to
wait for it to pump up again..... During that time period, I can pound
lots of nails with a hammer.