How do I prevent finish nails from bending when I hammer the nails
through pre-drilled holes in quarter-round oak molding into drywall?
(I'm not using a brad-nailer).

On 6/8/2011 11:58 AM, gcotterl wrote:
How do I prevent finish nails from bending when I hammer the nails
through pre-drilled holes in quarter-round oak molding into drywall?
....

A) Better technique (gotta' hit 'em straight and hard enough)

B) Failing A), larger pilot hole

--

On Jun 8, 11:58*am, gcotterl wrote:
How do I prevent finish nails from bending when I hammer the nails
through pre-drilled holes in quarter-round oak molding into drywall?
(I'm not using a brad-nailer).

You can also try holding the nail with a pair of needle-nosed pliers
to help hold it straight, but hitting it squarely without any sideways
motion of the hammer head when you hit it squarely is still the only
sure-fire method, and, even then, cheap finishing nails from a cheap
hardware store like the Menards chain of stores are softer and bend
more than high-quality nails. Some of the Menards nails are not much
better than hard butter.

JIMMIE wrote:

On Jun 8, 12:58*pm, gcotterl wrote:
How do I prevent finish nails from bending when I hammer the nails
through pre-drilled holes in quarter-round oak molding into drywall?
(I'm not using a brad-nailer).

I got a little doer as a gift about 35 years ago dont know what you
call it but its a tube with a plunger inside. You put the the nain in
the tube push hard on the plundger and it drives the nail. Damned hand
for getting in difficult spots.When I got it I couldnt belive you
could push a nail into wood like that but it works great.

It's a dang nuisance that one can't remember where one got a
particularly useful gadget. You could try:

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/index.aspx

They have a spring loaded set something like you describe.

Unfortunately I don't see the two items I use to solve this problem.
One, the one I think I bought from Lee Valley ten or so years ago,
looks like an old-fashioned screwdriver with a red wooden handle and
the tang going through it so you can strike the end with a hammer. But
it's not a screwdriver. It has a sprung cylindrical tube with an
internal plunger. You put the nail into the tube, place the tube over
the point into which you want to nail and hammer away. The tube won't
allow the nail to bend and the plunger will extend about 1/16" and
countersink the nail at the same time. The risk is that you can
overdrive the nail and push the tube into the surrounding wood.

The second solution was available from places like Hartville Tool,
McFeely's and even IIRC Sears. It consists of a round bit (only
describes as such because it's chucked into a cordless drill) with a
diameter of about 1/2". In the center is a hole into which you insert
the nail. You'll find it's gripped by teeth similar to those of an
internal pipe wrench. You put the projecting end of the nail where you
want to drive it and push while turning on the drill. Effectively you
use the nail as a drill bit. No pilot hole is generally necessary

In article ,
Oren wrote:

On Wed, 8 Jun 2011 09:58:59 -0700 (PDT), gcotterl
wrote:

How do I prevent finish nails from bending when I hammer the nails
through pre-drilled holes in quarter-round oak molding into drywall?
(I'm not using a brad-nailer).


There is an art to swinging a hammer:

- you don't get exhausted

- keep your eye on the nail

- less bent nails

Is your hammer a finish hammer?

And, let the weight and momentum of the hammer do the work. A simple
concept but one oft overlooked.

On Jun 8, 11:58*am, gcotterl wrote:
How do I prevent finish nails from bending when I hammer the nails
through pre-drilled holes in quarter-round oak molding into drywall?
(I'm not using a brad-nailer).

Put the molding up with construction adhesive. Hold the molding in
place with painters tape or some other ingenious trick until the
adhesive cures. Doesn't take long and there are NO holes to putty.

Joe

On Thu, 9 Jun 2011 18:28:44 -0700 (PDT), Joe wrote:

On Jun 8, 11:58*am, gcotterl wrote:
How do I prevent finish nails from bending when I hammer the nails
through pre-drilled holes in quarter-round oak molding into drywall?
(I'm not using a brad-nailer).

Put the molding up with construction adhesive. Hold the molding in
place with painters tape or some other ingenious trick until the
adhesive cures. Doesn't take long and there are NO holes to putty.

It's one PITA if you ever have to take the molding down.

On Jun 9, 8:30*pm, "
wrote:
On Thu, 9 Jun 2011 18:28:44 -0700 (PDT), Joe wrote:
On Jun 8, 11:58 am, gcotterl wrote:
How do I prevent finish nails from bending when I hammer the nails
through pre-drilled holes in quarter-round oak molding into drywall?
(I'm not using a brad-nailer).

Put the molding up with construction adhesive. Hold the molding in
place with painters tape or some other ingenious trick until the
adhesive cures. Doesn't take long and there are NO holes to putty.

It's one PITA if you ever have to take the molding down.

Less trouble actually because the drywall paper stuck on the back is
easily removed. The whole length of molding is not normally adhesive
coated, just enough to keep the trim in place. BTDT..

Joe

On Thu, 9 Jun 2011 19:14:11 -0700 (PDT), Joe wrote:

On Jun 9, 8:30*pm, "
wrote:
On Thu, 9 Jun 2011 18:28:44 -0700 (PDT), Joe wrote:
On Jun 8, 11:58 am, gcotterl wrote:
How do I prevent finish nails from bending when I hammer the nails
through pre-drilled holes in quarter-round oak molding into drywall?
(I'm not using a brad-nailer).

Put the molding up with construction adhesive. Hold the molding in
place with painters tape or some other ingenious trick until the
adhesive cures. Doesn't take long and there are NO holes to putty.

It's one PITA if you ever have to take the molding down.

Less trouble actually because the drywall paper stuck on the back is
easily removed. The whole length of molding is not normally adhesive
coated, just enough to keep the trim in place. BTDT..

....and now you have no paper, or worse, ripped paper on the drywall. No
thanks!