Just realized I was cutting my tack strips wrong for years after a job in Boise

I was working on a big commercial job at a hotel in Boise last fall. The lead installer saw me using my hammer to tap in the strips and just shook his head. He walked me over to his truck and pulled out a simple rubber mallet, the kind you can get for maybe 15 bucks. He said the steel hammer was crushing the wood fibers in the strip, making the pins less secure over time. I switched to the mallet that day and the difference is real, the strips hold way better, especially on concrete. Anyone else make a simple tool switch that fixed a bad habit?

2 comments

2 Comments

kai_brown235d ago

Crushing the wood fibers" sounds a bit over the top. A hammer gets the job done just fine on most jobs I've seen.

anderson.jason5d ago

Funny you mention that. Watched a neighbor try to frame a shed wall with just a hammer last fall. Every swing was a huge fight, and the nails kept bending. He finally borrowed a nail gun from another guy on the block. The difference was night and day, just smooth and solid. Sometimes the right tool really does change the whole job.