Paslode IM90i - Gas Nailer

In the UK gas nailers are the preferred fixing method for carpenters and roofers. Tradesmen are willing to put up with the higher price (when compared to air nailers) of the fixing packs in order to achieve portability. This is not to say that gas nailers are perfect. Historically cold weather has been a problem because the butane starts getting sluggish down around the zero mark. Having to get your hammer out to drive 90mm ring nails home just because the gas just didn't have the oomph is frustrating.

Manufacturers have tried to solve this problem by changing the gas formulation but Paslode, makers of the original gas nailer, has taken a different approach by introducing a fuel injection system into their latest nailer the IM90i. An inbult sensor measures the air temperature and adjusts the amount of fuel to suit. There is a huge difference in the amount of gas needed at 40 deg cent compared to minus 15 deg cent. The tool has been extensively tested in Scandinavia to make sure it works down to minus 15 deg cent. If you think that this kind of temperature is extreme bear in mind that working on a roof the wind chill at minus 5 deg cent can easily be worth another 10 degrees.

The test was made into hard wood with a 90mm ring shank nail. I had neither hardwood not cold weather for my test but everyone on site wanted one. The guys were using their older style Paslodes when I turned up so the difference was immediately apparent. The reduction on nose pressure, the absence of recoil and the compact body and balance made it a sure fire winner. Nobody noticed that it is in fact slightly heavier at 3.7kg due to the increased power.

The standard nail magazine can be removed to accommodate the stretched version which holds a double clip. This optional extra is most useful for roofers fixing battens and perhaps those fixing lots of floor deck. Personally I prefer the shorter magazine which allows you to get into tight corners. The other drawback with the long magazine is that you have to remove it to put the tool back in the box. Removing it however is quick and as this also gives access to the front end drive pin it is the quickest way of clearing any nail jams.

Anyone who has owned a Paslode also knows that you have to remove the battery to prevent it running down. The IM90i has a little lever to release the battery from the terminals. When you want to use it again you simply slide the battery back into the holder.

My gripe with gas nailers has always been the gas change which I find fiddly. The new gas system is far simpler. If you pull the cap off you can load the canister with one hand and you can even eject a spent gas canister with the flick of a thumb.

The other major improvement is the introduction of full head nails instead of 'D' clipped nails. The nail heads are offset on the nail so the nails can sit closer together in the 34 degree magazine which means that you can get 37 nails per strip which is much higher than other full head nails. Does this mean that Paslode have you by the short and curly’s when it comes to buying nails? They would like to think so but a machine this popular will always have alternative nail suppliers. Like all manufacturers they are in the business of selling consumables and if you buy enough nails you get the tool thrown in. Nothing is for nothing and of course you end up paying for the machine because you can find cheaper nails around but it is worth looking at the spec. Paslode nails are tested to a very high standard for pull out, corrosion resistance and tensile strength. If you are building a roof that will hopefully be around for another hundred years you don't want failures due to penny pinching. If you are still not persuaded by that argument give the customer the choice between cheap Chinese copies and the real deal. This industry is obsessed by cutting prices and it is our fault for not selling the concept of quality. I have yet to find a customer who can't be persuaded that it is worth spending a few pounds more on a fixing that is guaranteed to keep a roof over their head when the wind blows.

ROGER'S RANT

Despite the fact that we all know the dangers of nailers, both gas and air, it is amazing just how many roofers and carpenters have a nailer story. Last week I was talking to a lad who fired a nail straight through his thumb and out the other side. He showed me the holes. The head of the nail didn't stop until it hit the wood so at least he was not in the agonising position of having to pull it out of his thumb.

Everyone knows that a ring shank nail takes a lot of pulling out and if that lad had been using these full head nails they wouldn't have gone through in the way the clipped nails do. So if you do nail your thumb to the batten or rafter the nail will have to come out the way it went in and I don't even know how you would go about it probably you would have to cut the rafter out. The one sure thing is that it’s got to hurt.

An accident of this sort it is not inevitable. Some people use nailers every day and avoid any harm. It is a simple matter of keeping your hands and other body parts away from the nailing area.

Nails do unexpected things, usually because the timber moves or there is a knot. If the piece of timber you are fixing is so small that you can't hold it a safe distance away don't hold it at all. The nailer nose has locating spikes and it will hold a small piece of wood in place if you put your free hand on the back of the machine and fire. Failing that use a Quick Clamp.

In these days of fast track building you will hardly ever hear this advice from anyone but try slowing down. You are already saving lots of time compared to a hammer and nail so just use some of that time to keep yourself out of the casualty department.

• PASLODE  -  Find out more about the IM90i and other impulse gas nailing products by visiting the Paslode web site.