Pneumatic nailer is versatile and comfortable

If you’re only going to have one nail gun in the shop, it ought to be an 18-gauge brad nailer. Delicate enough for small moldings, but robust enough for more demanding woodworking jobs like assembling jigs and fixtures and installing crown molding, it strikes a great balance for a furniture shop. Senco’s new FinishPro 18BMg, which fires nails 5⁄8 in. to 21⁄8 in. long, is lightweight (2.8 lb.) but solidly built with a magnesium body. It’s compact and comfortable in the hand, thanks to a textured rubber hand grip. It’s easy to load and has a depth adjustment and a swivel air connector. Other useful features include a belt hook and an LED headlight. These are great if you install cabinetry or woodwork, like I do. When nailing face frames onto 3⁄4-in.-thick cabinet parts, hitting dead center is critical, and the headlight helps focus on the target. The belt hook is great when working on a ladder installing crown molding. You can buy similar brad nailers for less money (I’ve had a half dozen over the years) but if reliability and comfort make a difference, the Senco is a smart choice.

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