hi robert yes i have one of those tools. i love it the charges for it are 22 short blanks. they have them in different sizes of charge to drive the nails harder or softer. i have used it to nail door frames on to concreet. one bang and it is stuck for ever. jim At 06:24 PM 2/20/2007, you wrote:
>When I was helping a friend re moddle his house we ran into some old plaster >that we could not drive a nail into because it was just too hard and would >just bend the nail. >For these types of stubborn materials what we found was a gaget that is toob >shaped and in shourt you put the nail in one side and about half way tward >the back is a place to put a small charge that looks a bit like a bullet and >it is filled with some type of explosive powder, it smells like gun powder >so I assume that is what it is. >I am really not sure but I would assume that this tool was designed for >driving nails into concrete. >Now to finish the description. Now that you have the nail in the one end and >the charge in place you hit the other end with a hammer and it drives in the >nail. >This thing makes a hell of a bang. >I would say that ear protection is not optional >I did not use this tool myself but looking at how it works I would say that >this tool very much can be used safely. However I would add that like most >tools you can not afford to be careless with it. Because it really packs a >punch. > >Have any of you ever used this tool that I am describing? > >-----Original Message----- >From: ><mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com>[email protected] >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Behalf Of Boyce, Ray >Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 5:27 PM >To: <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com>[email protected] >Subject: [BlindHandyMan] New Tool Review > >Hi Everyone >GMC Website - ><http://www.gmcompany.com>http://www.gmcompany.com <http://www.gmcompany.com> > >GMC 18v Magnesium Strike Allnailer >Review > >So you have a nail to drive... what are your options? Naturally, the first >that probably comes to mind is the trusty old hammer (in its many >variations). >Next on the list is probably the pneumatic nail gun (and its many >variations). But what comes after that? Suddenly the options become >extremely limited. > >Well, Global Machinery Company (GMC) is attempting to add yet another nail >driving tool variant to the list of possibilities with their new Magnesium >Allnailer >tool. It promises to offer all the ease of a power tool but without the >restriction of expensive or hard to find nails for pneumatic tools. Plus, >it's >a world's first in terms of nailer design! Let's see how it works, and >whether it does the job it is designed to do well. > >GMC Magnesium Allnailer >When I first saw and heard about the Allnailer, I immediately thought... >"here we go, another cordless nail gun that is probably not powerful enough >to >drive anything more than brads into softwoods", like many other cordless >nail guns and bradders flooding the market. When one purchases such a tool, >they >often end up having to buy a pneumatic nail gun and compressor because they >discover the cordless nailers are just not up to scratch for most tasks. So >what makes the Allnailer different to these other cordless nailers? > >Well, to begin with, the Allnailer functions a little differently to most >nail guns. Instead of a single, rapid burst of air that is used to thrust a >driver >on conventional pneumatic nailers, the Allnailer uses somewhat of a >continuous hammering action, much like you would experience with an air >hammer chisel, >or a jackhammer. So the nail is driven in with successive blows rather than >one single burst of power. This alone offers benefits over other nail gun >types >which we will see later. But for now, lets take a look at the features of >the Allnailer from the outside. > >Packaging and Contents >The Allnailer ships in a plastic molded case. It offers great protection >during shipping, and when transporting the tool around. As a result, the >tool arrived >free of dings, dents or other shipping damage. Inside the case you will find >the Allnailer itself, two 18v batteries, and a user manual. Naturally, being >a "new" tool in terms of design, every new owner should read the instruction >guides. This nailer works differently to pneumatic nailers, and hence, >requires >different steps and technique to drive nails. The full color product manual >will provide all the instruction you will need to operate the tool correctly >and safely. > >The Power Packs + Charger >The Allnailer ships with two 18v Nickel Cadmium (NiCad) cordless batteries. >Each has a 1.5Ah capacity, which is probably average for a reasonably good >quality >power tool. The batteries connect to the bottom of the Allnailer handle via >standard battery clips that are secure, but easy to remove when you need to >switch a battery or charge one up. The batteries actually slide onto the >bottom of the tool and then click in place to secure them. Naturally, a >mains >charger is included in the kit for restoring battery charge levels. In the >marketing blurb it states the charger is a 1-hour rapid charger. I have been >skeptical of these claims with other product reviews in the past because the >batteries end up taking anywhere between 2 to 4 hours to charge. The 1 hour >charger in this kit however does indeed seem to rate to the one hour mark. I >timed the first charge cycle of the batteries and it came in at around 1 >hour >15 minutes, but it could have actually finished charging 5 minutes prior to >this as I was only really checking it every 5 minutes or so. Bear in mind >that >charge cycle time will likely decrease with future recharges, likely >bringing charge time down to the one hour mark, and in some cases, even >less. > >The charger itself features 2 LED lights to display charge status. The >battery is fully charged when the green ("charge complete") light is >illuminated. >If the red light is on, the battery is still in the charging cycle. Nothing >complicated here, but it works just fine. The battery mounts on the charger >at an angle to one side. This is pretty insignificant however. Of course, >with two batteries in the kit, you should always have one charged and ready >to >go. One can be in use while the second is charging. Each battery has a >rubber protective coating around the base. I guess it helps protect the >edges if >you knock it around a bit, or at least protect your work surfaces or benches >from casing scratches. > >Battery Life >Battery life seems pretty good. While I haven't yet needed the tool for an >all-day nailing task, I have managed to use the tool successfully for >framing >three interior walls from scratch and there was no sign the battery was >slowing down. This was about 140 nails worth after I got through it all. It >is >claimed the Allnailer can drive up to 360 50mm nails into pine according to >GMC's own tests. I'd believe that based on my experience and use of the >tool. >In hardwood however, or if using longer nails (and hence requiring longer >tool cycle) the total number of nails that can be driven on a full battery >charge >is likely to be lower. In my testing, I drove about 60 75mm nails into some >dense hardwood and the battery charge indicator feature (which we will see >shortly) was showing a little over half a charge remaining, so I guess you >could expect about 100-140 nails in dense hardwood on a full charge. Of >course, >there are a lot of variables to these estimates, including nail length, nail >diameter, species of wood, moisture content of wood, and so on, so just use >these estimates as rough guides. Your mileage may vary greatly in some >cases. > >Battery Level Indicator >Just above the installed battery pack on the base of the Allnailer itself is >the battery level indicator. With a battery installed, all it takes is a >press >of the battery indicator button to check the current level of battery >charge. There are 3 bright white lights; one that indicates "Low" charge, >one for >"Medium" and one for "High". If the battery is fully charged, all three >lights will illuminate fully. As the charge decreases, the highest charge >light >dims progressively. As charge further decreases, only the Low and Medium >lights illuminate to indicate approximately 50% charge remaining. As charge >further >decreases, eventually only the "Low" light will remain. Once fully depleted, >no lights illuminate and it's time to put the battery back on the charger >again. The level indicator is a handy guide to determining battery charge >level, particularly if the tool hasn't been used for a period of time (where >battery charge can deplete on the shelf). It will avoid downtime waiting for >batteries to charge after you discover they are flat just when you need to >use them! > >Body & Tool Construction >As the product name implies, the Allnailer features magnesium construction. >Magnesium seems to be the material of choice for quality power tools these >days >as it offers excellent strength without the added weight of traditional tool >making metals. GMC seems to be leading the charge with magnesium use, as >many >of their new products now feature this material as part of their build, with >only a handful of other tool manufacturers following along. The upper and >forward drive section of the tool features the magnesium material, whereas >the less-critical and non-impact areas, such as the handle and lower casing >is constructed from hardened plastic. The handle also features a rubber >overmold for comfort and slip resistance. Despite the lightweight outer >materials, >the tool still weighs about 2.9kg. This is because most of the inner working >components are metal construction, namely the steel piston and drive anvil >which do all the "hammering" work. > >Controls >The tool features a variable speed trigger which allows the user to control >the speed of the hammering/driving action. The nailer has a no-load speed >range >of 0 - 16,000 min-1 and an actual hammer rate in use between 0 - 5500 bpm. >Simply depress the trigger for the hammering speed required. There is a >trigger >lock slide switch on the tool just above the trigger to help prevent >unwanted starting of the tool as well. > >Offering variable speed allows you to control the nail driving speed, >allowing you to have some control over issues like excessive wood splitting >or over-driving >of nails, particularly if you want them to remain proud of the surface (for >whatever reason). > >A better way to control nail depth however is the depth control wheel. It >offers 4 depth settings and the user can switch between these by first >pressing >the knob inward, and then rotating it to the desired setting. Settings are >marked 1 through 4 on the adjuster and equate to the following depth of >drive; >List of 4 items >* Position 1: Nail head underflush by 1mm >* Position 2: Nail head level with surface >* Position 3: Nail head 5mm proud from surface >* Position 4: Nail head 10mm proud from surface >list end > >This adjustment control works well in use and seems to function to specs >above no matter what type of wood you are driving a nail into, or the size >of the >nail itself, unlike pneumatic tools where the nail can often be overdriven >or underdriven easily if you haven't done some prior testing on scrap >material >first. In use I mostly used Position 2 for the majority of tasks - setting >nail head level with surface. On rare occasions I had difficulty with >Position >1, where I couldn't get the nail to drive under the surface of the material >I was nailing into. Not sure why, but occasionally it would not go all the >way. May have been the nail head type I was using in those instances >(thicker head than standard nails)?? > >Nail Compatibility >One of the features that makes this product unique in the power nail-driving >world is its ability to use a wide range of commonly available nail types. >No longer are you restricted to purchasing expensive strip or coil nails >that have to be exact fits for your particular nail gun type. The Allnailer >can >use many types of loose nails you can buy from just about anywhere, and has >the capacity to drive nails from 40mm (1 9/16") to 150mm (5 29/32") in >length >with up to a 10mm diameter nail head! The following table lists common nails >and lengths the Allnailer can drive: > >Table with 5 columns and 8 rows >NAIL LENGTH >Brad >Round >Serrated >Clout >40mm >(1 9/16") >No >Yes >No >No >50mm >(1 31/32") >Yes >Yes >No >Yes >60mm >(2 3/8") >Yes >Yes >No >No >75mm >(2 15/16") >No >Yes >Yes >No >100mm >(3 15/16") >Yes >Yes >No >No >125mm >(4 15/16") >No >Yes >No >No >150mm >(5 29/32") >No >Yes >No >No >table end > >The range of nail types that can be used is made possible by the Allnailer's >Universal Nail Clamp. This fixture on the front of the driving shaft grips >the shaft of the nail and places the head of the nail directly in line with >the driving anvil. A conveniently-located nail insert trigger located above >the main power trigger allows you to open or close these clamping jaws to >insert a nail ready to be driven. > >So How Does it Work? >Basically, the tool's motor drives an internal piston which compresses air >against the the steel driving anvil. The spring-loaded anvil then strikes >the >nail head, while the nail is gripped by the nail clamp. This action is >repeated continuously until the nail is driven to full depth. The Allnailer >puts >out a bit of vibration as this process is undertaken, but it is "muffled" in >comparison to what you might expect from an air chisel, as an example, which >seems to have a sharper punch with more recoil. The Allnailer's driving >action is a little more sedate and steady with less recoil, but it gets the >job >done. Soundwise it can be a bit noisy, reaching up to 96 decibels during >use. Ear protection is a must, as is eye protection, but this should be >common >sense. Although I was once told that common sense is far from "common", so >use that grey matter and keep yourself safe! Apart from the sound and >mandatory >eye protection, the Allnailer is not nearly as dangerous as a pneumatic gun. >We have all seen those X-ray photos of a framing nail imbedded in someone's >skull. Although they seem like fantasy, many of those images are indeed >real. It would be pretty much impossible to do similar damage to yourself >unintentionally >using the Allnailer, as it drives in smaller successive blows, rather than >one big powerful bang! > >Another advantage of this tool is its accuracy. Unlike a pneumatic nailer >where it is sometimes difficult to pinpoint a nail driving location, or >angle, >the Allnailer allows you to accurately set a nail to be driven, and at an >angle of your choosing. Simply start driving the nail in the required >location >and at the required angle, and hold the tool at that same angle until the >nail is fully driven into the material for accurate results. > >Being cordless, the tool does not require an air compressor, air hose or >electrical cord. This means it can be taken and used pretty much anywhere. >There >are no limitations to where the tool can be used, except for say, really >tight places, where the tool itself cannot fit in the space or gap. I am >sure >current pneumatic nail gun users could appreciate not having to drag a hose >around behind them! > >But will the Allnailer replace the pneumatic nail gun? Well, I'd say... yes >and no. Where it wont replace the pneumatic nailer is in commercial building >and construction work where nailing is a constant ongoing process and fine >accuracy is not really a consideration, like when framing a house. The fact >is that a pneumatic nailer is indeed much faster than the Allnailer in >driving nails (about 3 times as fast per nail), plus the time it takes to >load each >nail individually. In these cases, that adds up to a lot of time saved if >you are shooting hundreds or thousands of nails each day. But this doesn't >mean >a contractor could not make use of the Allnailer. In fact there is no reason >your couldn't frame an entire house with the Allnailer. It would indeed do >the job if there was no other option. > >Remembering that the Allnailer requires no hoses and can use many nail >types, there may be the occasional odd fixing task on the building site >where it >is quicker and easier to use the Allnailer for small scale tasks, and when >the contractor doesn't wish to swing a hammer around in completing those >tasks. >So, it is a case of choosing the best tool for the job. > >The Allnailer is similar in action to a pneumatic palm nailer, but again, >you have freedom from hoses and the need for an air compressor and >electrical >outlet (if using an electrically powered compressor). Additionally, some >palm nailers require you to change driving heads to use different types of >nails. >This is not the case with the Allnailer, so there are some differences >between the two. > >Does it Do the Job? >Simply put, yes. It successfully drives nails of all types into both >softwood and hardwood. Whether it is the best tool for the job at hand will >depend >on the specifics of that job. For general home handyperson and DIY type >tasks, the Allnailer does indeed make the trusty old hammer look obsolete. >However, >either a pneumatic nail gun or indeed a hammer (if only to use the nail >puller to remove nails) would be complimentary tools to use alongside the >Allnailer >if you want to be able to tackle all types of DIY, home renovation or >building tasks. > >GMC have created a world first with the Magnesium Allnailer. It is >definitely a unique tool and it's good to see a company thinking outside the >square and >coming up with totally new tools rather than re-hashed products that offer >very little in new design or features over their competitors. > >The retail price for the Allnailer is AUD$199 in Australia and US$129.99 in >the USA. It is not a bad price considering the amount of research and >development >that goes into new products. And if you are not fond of hammer and nail >efforts, then the Strike Allnailer offers the modern day equivalent, helping >to >drive nails relatively quickly and very accurately into many materials, >without the bruised thumbs to boot! > >********************************************************************** >This message and its attachments may contain legally >privileged or confidential information. If you are not the >intended recipient, you must not disclose or use the >information contained in it. If you have received this e-mail >in error, please notify the sender immediately by return >e-mail and delete the e-mail. > >Any content of this message and its attachments which >does not relate to the official business of Eraring Energy >must be taken not to have been sent or endorsed by >Eraring Energy. No warranty is made that the e-mail or >attachment(s) are free from computer virus or other defect. >********************************************************************** > >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > >No virus found in this incoming message. >Checked by AVG Free Edition. >Version: 7.5.441 / Virus Database: 268.18.3/694 - Release Date: 2/20/2007 >1:44 PM -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.441 / Virus Database: 268.18.3/694 - Release Date: 2/20/2007 1:44 PM To listen to the show archives go to link http://acbradio.org/handyman.html or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following address: http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ Visit the new archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blindhandyman/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blindhandyman/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
