Pin Nailer Leaves No Trace

I make custom built-ins for a living, and nearly every project includes base molding and crown molding. Often there are other applied moldings as well. An 18-gauge finish nailer is the standard tool for much of this work, but I also use a headless pin nailer in situations where an 18-gauge nail is overkill, such as pinning together the outside corners on smaller crown molding.

The Senco Finishpro 23LXP shoots 23-gauge headless nails. It is a solid, heavy-duty tool with a cast-iron body, but its moderate weight (2.7 lb.) is well offset by perfect balance and a comfortable grip. The swivel air-hose connector makes it easier to use, too. The 23LXP can shoot nails between 1/2 in. and 2 in. long, so it’s more versatile than my current pin nailer, which only shoots nails up to 1-1/4 in. long. There’s a dual trigger for safety, but once in firing mode you can hold the safety trigger down and fire sequentially without resetting. Unlike most nail guns, the tip doesn’t need to be depressed to fire; that makes it easier to use but is also a safety factor to keep in mind. Best of all, the 23LXP leaves absolutely no indentation, thanks in part to a replaceable plastic nose protector. And the headless 23-gauge pins leave a hole that is nearly invisible. All in all, I’d happily replace my current pin nailer with the Senco Finishpro 23LXP.

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