Finally stopped using finish nails for baseboard returns after a guy in Denver showed me a better way

Last month I was on a trim job in Aurora and this older framer walked over, saw me struggling with an inside return, and just handed me a 23 gauge pin nailer. I had been using 18 gauge forever because I thought pins wouldn't hold. He had me shoot a few pins at an angle and then tap the piece in place, and it worked perfectly without splitting or leaving a big hole to fill. Has anyone else made the switch from finish nails to pins for returns or is it just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

faithj1010d ago

That older framer sounds like he knew what he was talking about... I was totally in the same boat for years, thought pins were just for trim that nobody would touch. Last week I had a tight spot in a corner where the 18 gauge kept making the wood crack on me. Switched to 23 gauge pins at a steep angle and it held just fine, barely any filler needed after. Really made me wonder why I was fighting with the bigger nails for so long. Pins are way easier to hide too, especially on stained stuff where you can't just fill with putty.

thea_knight10d ago

Totally had a buddy who swore by 18 gauge for everything until he tried to nail some quarter round into old oak. Cracked the whole piece and had to redo it with pins, said he felt like an idiot for not trying them sooner. Now he keeps a box of 23 gauge in his truck at all times just in case.