I'm frustrated with decorative nails!!!

[DDandJ]

Hi guys.   Th are chairs I'm currently  working on  are nearly entirely trimmed with 7/16" french natural nails.  This is a first for me.  I bought the nylon tipped hammer so not to damage the nails.  I'm having hell with getting the nails hammered in nice and straight. Well, straight is not the right word. The inside and outside arms have a curve.  Does anyone have any advice for me? Maybe I just suck with my hammer skills, who knows. Earlier tonight I was ready to throw the damn hammer across the room in frustration. The first inside arm turned out nice but the second is giving me fits. Maybe I'm having an off day.  I'm pleased with my upholsterying skills on the chair so far. As always any advice is greatly, greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Jeremy

[sofadoc]

With some woods, the nylon-tipped hammer can be cantankerous. I prefer to tear a piece off a box of staples and tape it on the end of a regular tack hammer.

[SteveA]

It may help to have a template - or draw a faint line -  maybe snip off some of the nail so you're not needing to hammer as deep.
I find many times that after the head is down I can lightly tap it one direction or another -  good luck -
SA

[MinUph]

Nails take practice. You will get it just keep hammering. I have a 1/2" dowel with me when putting in nails. It helps to be able to adjust them once they are almost in place. But again it takes practice.

[baileyuph]

One arm went well and the other is a big problem.  That signal indicates that the only difference (variable) between arms must be the wood.

Very quickly, then I will go, I did dog damage repair to upholstery on a La-Z-Boy very recently and had the same problem as you DD.  I was doing an area, not the whole piece (dog repair) and could not drive in the nails to come close to looking professional, consistently that is.  Very frustrating, I have been driving decorative nails many years, not a new experience, point is - tips and tricks can still meet limitations.  Wood densities vary and the glues in wood frames today can be very hard (the nails have to go through that too!).  Plainly, this gets to be a wood problem with old techniques.

In summary, the nails I was driving in were 3/4th inch and with a hammer the wood in areas would not work.  Some spots it did.  The only way I got the job looking to pass was find a nail with a shorter shank (1/2 inch shank).  It worked, but not as good as the factory installation but it barely got the repair job done.

I feel for you, had the same head ache.  This experience stirred me to research the factory equipment and that is when the understanding came -  their equipment is far advanced over a hand tack hammer.  It cost, I don't plan to buy but at least I understand how driving nails with perfect alignment, in just about any wood, can be achieved. 

The shorter shank, if it is an option, try that (it may not be).

Doyle   

[DDandJ]

Doc, I'll try your advice with my regular tack hammer.

Paul, how do you use the 1/2" dowel? Is it 1/2" in diameter?

[Darren Henry]

Only two points to offer to the great advice already shared;

> Instead of wooden dowel---I have  a bit for my air hammer that tightens boat rivets. I find that the concave face makes it easier to "manipulate" deco-nails". I like Paul's idea of using hard wood though. I suggest drilling a "dimple" in the face of it for more control. BTW mine is < 1/2" dia.

>In extreme cases you can cut the head off of one of the nails and chuck the rest in your drill. Chaulk out your pattern and pre-drill 1/8" shallower than  the length you need for nails. This technique is also handy if you have to go through a bit of questionable wood that you can't repair into "good meat".

[MinUph]

Paul, how do you use the 1/2" dowel? Is it 1/2" in diameter?

Yes it is 1/2" diameter. I use it to tap the nails around once they are in so as to straighten the ones that might be a little crooked. Place the dowel on the side of the nail head and hit the other end with your hammer. It won't deform the nail head or damage it and it give better control when trying to move a nail sideways.

[gene]

I found the technique in hitting the decorative nail is critical.

With a claw hammer and 8 penny nail you hit the nail with your forearm moving up and down.

With decorative nails, my entire arm is stationary. Only my wrist bends up and down, holding the decorative nail hammer firmly in my hand.

Look at the slight bend on a decorative nail hammer. With only using my wrist, this seems to allow the hammer head to hit perfectly on top of the decorative nail.

I don't do a lot of decorative nails, but when I do, I focus on this technique and it seems to work very well.

gene

[brmax]

  I recall some education/training as Tac'r while a Soldier being guest in a German Pub, I Guess you could say it was a Trimmer and Cobbler pub.
Small place must have been 3 tables a bar and a large 2 foot diameter Stump, On this lay a tac hammer and in the center a small pile of tacs. So after mastering at a beginner and respectable guest level I was given a beer for good effort, or they felt bad for me, as my language understanding at that point was nil. ow! prost! ow!
Some good friends and memories there as a boat operator in the Army
Have a great Friday you all

[Darren Henry]

I don't use anywhere near enough deco nails to warrant buying a gun for them, but often wondered if there was a nailer like what shoe makers use to attach heels on boots.

http://www.warkov.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1158

Not a great picture and not my preferred style of tube nailer---but it gives you the general idea. It works like a slide hammer (sort of); inside the tube is a shaft connected to the handle on top. A nail is held in place at the bottom and once aligned you simply hold the tube steady , raise the handle and then strike it down to set the nail. Has anyone else seen a similar tool? Especially one that would work on deco-nails.

FYI my preferred  version is shorter than this style and can be loaded from the side without pull the tool out of the boot. It works like a rifle with a tube magazine (think of grandpa's old dirty thirty Winchester). A couple of inches from the bottom there is what in the plumbing world would be a TY and a 45 and a second tube runs parallel to the main tube. You drop the nail in the short tube on the side, raise the handle until the nail "loads", and then strike it home.

For the most part probably more aggravation than it's worth but when you run into a project like Jeremy did where the wood does not want to play nice it could be the bee's knees. Back in my previous life the tube nailer was usually dusty when I dug it out---but I wouldn't have traded it for anything.