Bostitch pin nailer: Undetectable fastening
I've always found the lure of pneumatic nail guns irresistible—press the tool against the work, squeeze the trigger and, BAM! The nail is driven and set instantaneously.
It's a powerful, almost magical feeling.
Over the years I've acquired several nail guns, including a framing nailer, finish nailer and narrow-crown stapler. It's rare when I don't use at least one of these tools to complete a home-remodeling or woodworking project.
Therefore, I was very excited when I heard that Bostitch had just introduced a newly designed pin nailer, a pneumatic tool that I didn't yet own.
I remedied this situation immediately.
The Bostitch HP118K pin nailer shoots extremely thin, headless fasteners that are no larger than, well, a pin.
And since the 23-gauge pins are headless, once they're driven into the wood they become virtually undetectable, leaving tiny holes that don't require filling.
I also love the fact that the pin nailer weighs just a bit over two pounds, has a low-profile nose piece, and holds 200 pins, so you're not reloading every five minutes.
It also features a convenient power adjustment switch, which can be set for nailing into dense hardwoods or softwoods.
I used the pin nailer recently to attach 1/4-inch-thick hardwood edging to plywood shelves and to install some shoe molding.
Since the pins are headless, they don't have the hold-down power of a finishing nail or even a brad. But I discovered that if you drive in the pins at a slight angle, you greatly improve their holding strength.
The HP118K pin nailer comes in a kit that includes 500 each of 1/2-, 3/4- and 1-inch pins, a bottle of tool lubrication and a blow-molded plastic carrying case. The nailer also accept 1 3/6-inch-long pins. The kit has a list price of $199, but I bought mine online for $125.
More:
Our gallery of compressors, the engine behind the nailer.
DeWalt's new 18V cordless finish nailer.
An older, but no less beloved, pin nailer.
And how your nail gun's scratches can earn instant jobsite cred.
Posted by Joseph Truini | Categories: Power Tools | Permalink
(5) Comments
Some pictures of the pinholes after finishing would be great. I'm curious if they are truly undetectable, or if they just aren't noticeable until you put some stain on the project and then they pop out.
Ohh and btw, the new invasive ads suck. If they stick around, I won't be.
Since I got into power tools, I have asked this question: "If they can design power drills to hold all sorts of bits to handle all sorts of jobs, why can't they develop a nail gun with changeable nail-type (i.e. framing, finishing etc.) holders?"
I`ve used nailers before but I would love to have this one.
This is a sweet gun!!! Bostitch makes the best tools for my money. Bostitch has a loyal customer for life.
I received Bostitch HP118K as a birthday gift and have used it mostly for nailing very small pieces together for children's toys. I am very impressed with the ease of use and smooth handling. I had read other reviews about it not fully seating the pins but never found this to be the case. I drove 1" pins into red oak and they went fully below the surface. When set to the lighter setting they did protrude but that was expected.
Care must be used with the trigger arrangement but this is common for these machines. I found myself almost firing into the air when moving from one position to another.
Good price and good range of pins driven.
Well satisfied and would do it again.