Great Gear On-the-Go
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| The P635’s lightweight, aluminum body is easy to maneuver and work with all day. |
Before making the pivot into fine woodworking, I spent a number of years as a general contractor. Today I still spend plenty of evenings and weekends helping friends and family fix up this or that, and I’ve always got my eye out for must-have tools for on the go. The selection you’ll find here are a few I’ve recently found quite useful, both in the shop and on-site.
GREX P635 PIN NAILER
The first tool on the list is the P635, a pneumatic pin nailer from Grex sized for 23-gauge headless pins up to 13⁄8" long. Grex’s P6 series features a number of 23-gauge models, but I prefer the P635.
It’s light and easy to maneuver, and if I need to use a nail longer than 13⁄8", chances are I’d use my brad nailer.
The first thing I noticed about the P635 is the aluminum body. It’s a sturdy tool, but also quite light. The extruded aluminum magazine slides nicely, and it automatically adjusts to the length of nail being used; no need to fiddle with the adjustments when changing lengths. Plus, the swiveling coupler keeps the hose from kinking.
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| Slide the edge guide in place and tighten knob to lock |
Performance-wise, I’m happy with the P635. It had no trouble pinning 1⁄4" black walnut trim onto a bookcase, or driving longer pins through 3⁄4" plywood to secure a butt joint before screwing it. Though the P635 may run you more than some pin nailers on the market, its quality justifies its $200 price tag.
