Love them or hate them, nails have been around thousands of years and will always be a part of construction! Use the Right Nail or Screw: [ • Stop Using The Wrong Screw & Nail for the ...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnhZ_t9Fi_A)
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Here’s a detailed outline of the video, with each distinct “trick” and the tools needed for each. Timestamps show when the trick appears.
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## 1. Pulling a nail without a cat’s paw or sawzall
(Opening demo, around {ts:0–27})
**Trick:** Use a heavy-duty nail puller tool as an alternative to a cat’s paw or sawzall to pull a misplaced nail.
- Tools needed:
- Heavy-duty nail puller / dedicated nail-pulling tool (the “thing” he says he loves)
- Hammer (to initially drive or loosen the nail if needed)
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## 2. Driving a wrong nail “through” the board and out the back
(Driving nail out the bottom, {ts:27–62})
**Trick:** If you can’t pull the nail, drive it all the way through and out the back using a nail set and a hammer.
- Tools needed:
- “Aggressive” nail set (larger, stout nail set)
- Smaller nail set (to finish once the larger one risks jamming in the hole)
- Fairly heavy hammer
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## 3. Safer way to hold a nail when starting it
(Holding the nail high, body mechanics, {ts:73–106})
**Trick:** Hold the nail near the top, not down at the board, so when you miss, your fingers have time to get out of the way.
- Tools needed:
- Hammer
- Nail (general framing or similar)
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## 4. Efficient hammer mechanics for driving nails
(Using wrist, elbow, shoulder, {ts:99–129})
**Trick:** “Throw” the hammer at the nail using three fulcrums (wrist primarily, then elbow, then whole arm for height) rather than pecking at it.
- Tools needed:
- Hammer
- Nail
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## 5. Using small finish nails for casing without splitting
(4d bright finish nails, {ts:147–168})
**Trick:** Use small finish nails and careful positioning to fasten casing by hand where nail guns aren’t used.
- Tools needed:
- 4d bright finish nails
- Finish hammer
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## 6. Blunting the tip of a nail to reduce splitting
(Blunting the nail, {ts:168–182, 233–240})
**Trick:** Lightly hammer the point of the nail to blunt it so it cuts fibers instead of wedging them apart, reducing splits near ends or edges.
- Tools needed:
- Hammer
- Finish nail (e.g., 4d bright finish)
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## 7. Lubricating nails with skin oil from your nose
(Rubbing nail on nose, {ts:182–189, 240–249})
**Trick:** Rub the nail on the side of your nose to pick up skin oil so it drives more easily and with less chance of splitting.
- Tools needed:
- Nail (especially small finish nails)
- Your finger and nose (as the “lubricant source”)
- Hammer (to drive)
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## 8. Controlling hammer blows and stopping before bruising trim
(Stop before bruising, {ts:189–220})
**Trick:** Drive the finish nail almost home with careful, controlled hammering, then stop before the hammer face marks the wood.
- Tools needed:
- Finish hammer
- Finish nail
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## 9. Using a tiny nail set to sink finish nails
(Using a 1/32" nail set, {ts:212–220})
**Trick:** Use a very small nail set to drive the finish nail head just flush or slightly below the surface for putty.
- Tools needed:
- 1/32" nail set (tiny finish nail set)
- Hammer (to strike the nail set)
- Finish nail
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## 10. Driving a finish nail completely out the back if misplaced
(Driving the trim nail through, {ts:220–233})
**Trick:** If the nail is in the wrong place, you can keep driving with the nail set until the finish nail exits the back of the workpiece.
- Tools needed:
- Nail set
- Hammer
- Finish nail
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## 11. Using various nail guns instead of hand nailing trim
(Nail gun overview, {ts:293–372})
**Trick:** Use 15-gauge, 18-gauge, and micro-pinner nail guns for much faster trim and casing work, with different gauges for different visibility and holding power.
- Tools needed:
- 15-gauge finish nailer
- 18-gauge brad nailer
- Micro pinner (pin nailer)
- Air compressor
- Appropriate air fittings/air chuck
- Assorted nails/brads/pins for each gun
---
## 12. Using nail guns to avoid splitting thin cedar or small pieces
(Shooting into cedar and small pieces, {ts:349–365})
**Trick:** Drive fasteners with nail guns so quickly that even thin cedar and small bits often do not split.
- Tools needed:
- Finish or brad nail gun (15- or 18-gauge)
- Air compressor and hose
- Cedar or trim material
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## 13. Minimizing putty work by choosing smaller-gauge nails
(Putty optional with finer nails, {ts:372–396})
**Trick:** Use finer 18-gauge or micro pins in interior work so holes become very small and sometimes don’t need putty.
- Tools needed:
- 18-gauge brad nailer
- Micro pinner
- Air compressor
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## 14. Adjusting or compensating when nail gun doesn’t fully set nails
(Setting gun-driven nails, {ts:407–413})
**Trick:** If the compressor is set too low and nails don’t fully sink, you can set them the rest of the way with a hammer and nail set, though it wastes time.
- Tools needed:
- Nail gun
- Air compressor
- Nail set
- Hammer
---
## 15. Using a micro pinner for nearly invisible fasteners
(Micro pinner section, {ts:423–470})
**Trick:** Use a micro pinner (tiny headless pins) when you want the fastener to essentially disappear and be very hard to find later.
- Tools needed:
- Micro pinner (23-gauge or similar)
- Air compressor
- Pins for the micro pinner
- Built-in nose protector/bumper on gun (to prevent surface marks)
---
## 16. Breaking off “fish-hooked” or bent finish nails
(Fish-hooked nail into finger anecdote and demo, {ts:488–535})
**Trick:** When a small finish nail hits a knot and bends over (“fish hooks”), you can sometimes just break the protruding part off because the nail is brittle.
- Tools needed:
- Finish nail or brad nail
- Fingers/pliers for snapping if needed
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## 17. Setting the remaining stub of a bent nail below the surface
(Using nail set after breaking nail, {ts:535–546})
**Trick:** After breaking the fish-hooked portion, use a nail set to drive the remaining stub just below the surface so the painter can fill it.
- Tools needed:
- Nail set
- Hammer
- End nippers or pliers (if you also grab the nail first)
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## 18. Dealing with nail-gun “hangers” using end nippers and backing
(End nips trick, {ts:553–572, 581–603})
**Trick 18A:** For a nail gun “hanger” (nail sticking up), grab it with end nippers and either cut it off or pull it while protecting the wood with a secondary piece.
- Tools needed:
- End nippers (end-cutting pliers)
- Small wood block or wood chisel as a protective fulcrum
**Trick 18B:** “Fatigue” the nail by bending back and forth with the nippers until it breaks off, sometimes below the surface.
- Tools needed:
- End nippers
- Hammer (optionally to tap slightly if countersinking after break)
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## 19. Countersinking cut or broken nails
(Cutting/countersinking discussion, {ts:603–610})
**Trick:** After cutting or breaking a nail, drive the remaining bit a touch below the surface so it can be filled.
- Tools needed:
- Nail set
- Hammer
- End nippers (for the initial cut/break)
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## 20. Cutting nails instead of pulling them, using a sawzall
(Sawzall for board removal, {ts:610–640})
**Trick 20A:** Instead of pulling nails to remove a board, cut them between the board and framing using a sawzall and a spacer.
- Tools needed:
- Sawzall (reciprocating saw)
- Bi-metal or demolition blade suitable for cutting nails
- Wood chisel or wood shim as a spacer/guard
**Trick 20B:** Drive a shim or chisel in to open a gap, then run the sawzall blade through to cut the nails, leaving the board free with minimal damage.
- Tools needed:
- Wood shim
- Wood chisel (can double as the spacer)
- Hammer (to drive the shim or chisel)
- Sawzall
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## 21. General practice / philosophy “tricks” (non-tool-specific)
(Closing commentary, {ts:671–802})
These are more principles than discrete tricks, but they are part of the “wisdom package” of the video:
- Slow down if you’re making too many mistakes or pulling too many nails.
- Don’t abandon nails just because screws and cordless impact drivers are convenient.
- Nails are malleable; they bend and move with the wood and loads in ways screws sometimes do not.
- Historically, framers used “gas and wax” nails by dissolving paraffin in gasoline, pouring it over nails, and burning off the gas to leave wax, easing driving. (Historical trick, not demonstrated.)
Tools for the historical “gas and wax nails” method (not shown in action but described):
- Keg of nails
- Paraffin wax
- Gasoline and a safe metal container (historical practice, not recommended)
If you want, I can turn this into an Obsidian-ready outline with headings, bullets, and timestamp links you can paste directly into your notes.