When some assembly is required

Fastening means creating a mechanical bond between two parts using either plastic, wood, or metal hardware, rather than employing traditional glued joints. The hardware can be permanent like nails or, more often, temporary. One of the best features of temporary fastening is that it allows a piece of furniture or a cabinet to be disassembled for transport and then reassembled on the jobsite.

In most situations, all that’s required in terms of a fastening tool is a drill/driver and the right bit. For permanent fastening with pins, nails and staples, the industry is moving from corded and pneumatic to cordless technology because of the convenience that batteries offer. And some of those battery systems are getting a lot more sophisticated, and powerful. The tools themselves are following suit, with new features that enhance safety and performance.

Grex Power Tools (grexusa.com) has been releasing models of its P635 pinner for 20 years and the latest version, the P635L, has new features such as Auto-Lockout with One-Touch override and an on-board adjustable Edge Guide. It handles nine different pin lengths (3/8" to 1-3/8", except 1-1/4"). The Auto-Lockout feature intelligently halts firing when you're down to about seven pins, which can then be fired with a single press of the One-Touch button. The Edge Guide lines up fasteners parallel to an edge, such as when pinning a back on a cabinet.

Kyocera Senco (senco.com) has a new lineup of finish and trim tools, including a 2-1/2" 15-gauge finish nailer; 2-1/2" 16-gauge finish nailer; 2-1/8" 18-gauge brad nailer; 1/4" crown and 1-1/2" 18-gauge finish staplers, and 1-3/8" 23-gauge pin nailer. Theyare oil-free pneumatic tools with advanced features such as the option to switch between contact and sequential firing, tool-free depth adjustments, rotating exhausts, and rotating belt hooks for left or right access. Some have dry-fire lockout and a quick-clear latch to clear jams.

Omer (omertools.com). an Italian manufacturer, presents its new 440 Series of finish nailers and staplers with improved air exhausts, firing methods, and depth controls. They also have a revamped moving nose plate that has less spring tension and can move more smoothly. That means less force is required to open the latch, which is needed when a bent fastener needs to be cleared, or the operator is going through a regular cleaning regimen.

The PBL375B is a new 18-volt 15-gauge finish nailer from Ryobi (ryobi.com). Part of the company’s One+ HP system, it’s25 percent more compact and 20 percent lighter than Ryobi’s previous model, the P330, according to the company. It has a tool-free depth of drive adjustment dial and a selectable drive switch for single sequential and contact actuation (bump) modes. The magazine capacity is 114 nails.

Milwaukee Tool (milwaukeetool.com) makes the full gamut of fastening tools from framers and pin nailers to a soon-to-be-released coil roofing nailer. Of particular interest to woodshops is the 2841-20, a 16-gauge angled finish nailer. Powered by an M18 Fuel battery, it uses the company’s nitrogen air spring mechanism combined with a Powerstate brushless motor and Redlink Plus intelligence. The sealed nitrogen chamber acts like a shock absorber. The result is a gun with the feel of a pneumatic nailer, but with zero ramp-up time between nails. And it’s also designed to fit in tight spaces where the angle provides a good line of sight.

Craftsman (craftsman.com) offers nine fastening tools including a 20-volt brushless 23-gauge pin nailer, modelCMCN623C1. It fires nails ranging from 5/8" to 1-3/8" in length, and it has a tool-free jam release feature and an LED light.

There are eight fastening tools in the new 24-volt lineup from Flex (flexpowertools.com), including 30- and 21-degree framers, a 23-gauge pinner, a 3/8" stapler, straight and angled finish nailers, a 15-gauge angled finish nailer, and an 18-gauge brad nailer kit (FX4331-1A). This latter comes with the gun, a 2.5 Ah battery, a belt clip, a no-mar tip, and a soft bag for storage. Some of the larger tools have more amperage. For example, the framing nailer comes with a 24-volt 5 Ah battery. Flex tools are available online through Acme Tools, and locally at chains such as Lowes and Grainger. Flex has been owned by its Chinese parent, Chevron Holdings Ltd., since 2013.

Makita (makitatools.com) is leaning toward higher voltage batteries, too. The new XGT is a 40V/80V (1 battery or two) system of cordless equipment and tools. One of these tools, the GTP01Z, is a 23-gauge pin nailer that runs on 40 volts. It has a refined firing mechanism that reduces recoil and the amount of force required on the wood surface. The gun can drive six different lengths (5/8", 11/16", 3/4", 1", 1-3/16", and 1-3/8") with a magazine capacity of up to 120 nails. It has a contact trigger and a trigger lock, a narrow nose design, an anti-dry-fire mechanism, and tool-less depth adjustment. The brushless motor uses rare earth magnets and more copper windings for increased power output. And built-in microchips in the battery and the tool work together to monitor heat, load and discharge. That feature can also deliver a lot more sustained power during demanding applications.

Grizzly Industrial’s (grizzly.com) FasTak H7664 pneumatic nailer/stapler that shoots 5/8" to 2" 18-gauge brad nails and 5/8" to 1-5/8" 18-gauge staples with 1/4" crown. It has a view window that indicates when to reload, an adjustable depth stop, a rubberized grip, and an adjustable exhaust port. It has a 100-shot magazine capacity and a standard 1/4" NPT for easy air hook up.

The new PKT-Hybrid pneumatic battery nailers from PrebenaNorth American Fastener (prebena-usa.com) are ergonomically designed fastening tools that have the shooting power, speed and battery power to impact-drive nails with a length between 2-1/2″ and 4″, including ring shank.

BeA Fasteners USA (bea-group.com) is a German subsidiary that now offers a full catalog of high-end nailers and staplers in its KMR family of fastening tools. The company was founded in 1910 and its U.S. headquarters are in High Point, N.C. Its Autotec brand is a provider of automated fastening solutions for production and robotic systems in the wood processing industry in Europe. Its KMR line includes more than 40 pneumatic fastening tools and half a dozen gas guns.

In August, DeWalt (dewalt.com) unveiled a couple of new impact wrenches that have turned a few heads. The 1/2" (DCF964) and 3/4" (DCF961) tools use the company’s 20-voltMax XR batteries offer high torque, glass-filled nylon housings, a Precision Wrench mode that prevents overtightening and fastener run-off, and a four-mode push button switch to easily change speeds and LED brightness. DeWalt also launched a new 1/4" 20-volt Quiet Hydraulic Impact Driver (DCF870) that was designed for noise-sensitive environments such as cabinet installation. This tool also features nine built-in LEDs and a 20-minute work light mode to help illuminate dark workspaces.

New fasteners from Screw Products (screw-products.com)include Axis structural wood screws and Aura cabinet screws. The Axis screw comes in lengths from 3/4" to 8", and the Aura in 1" to 3". Both can be ordered in stainless steel for exterior applications. The Aura comes in a No. 10 size for better hold, and No. 8 for joinery.

Castle USA (castleusa.com) has been making pocket cutting machines since 1985 and was awarded the very first patent in the industry. The company has recently added a five-pack of line boring bits to its catalog. These solid-carbide 1/4" x 2" tools can be used to automate pocket screw hole drilling for the company’s low-angle, 6-degree pockets. The low angle positions the screw closer to the center of the board for a stronger joint.

The Zeta P2 biscuit joiner from Lamello (csaw.com/lamello) is now available in a cordless model, and this can also be used as a standard biscuit joiner for original biscuits if the woodworker deactivates the profile groove function and then changes to a 4mm blade.

Arrow Fastener Co. (arrowfastener.com) has introduced several new fastening tool accessories that include a wide range of oscillating blades.

It’s a simple solution that can make life a lot easier. Rockler(rockler.com) has developed five different silicone glue bottle tips that perfectly fit into pockets made for wooden fasteners, so a woodworker can get full coverage without too much excess. They include tips for Festool’s Domino joinery, standard biscuit slots, beadlock joints, dowel holes and box joints. Each comes in a range of sizes for different fasteners, such as the four sizes of Domino floating tenons.

Originally published in the December 2024 issue of Woodshop News.