Preventing Dents in Trim Woodwork

jholmes · Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 69 Location: Eagan, MN

I'm installing oak trim in our dining room and I've found it hard to keep from denting the trim with a hammer. Any ideas on how to prevent this?

Also, I find it very hard to drive hard trim nails in oak...Any tips for easing this?

handnhammer · Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 60 Location: Ann Arbor, MI

You can make a little hammer guard with a thin scrap piece of wood, such as a shim. You just drill a hole in the shim, slightly larger than the nail shaft, and slip the shim over the nail your hammering in once the nail head gets close to the workpiece. Finish driving the nail in all the way with a nail set. If the hammer slips of the nail head then it hits the shim and not the trim! Very Happy

Also, instead of using a scrap piece of wood or shim, you can use a laminate sample. Laminate is pretty hard and will protect well. Plus the laminate samples you get from any home impovement store have holes in them already! The only problem with these samples is the size. They are kind of small and you can hit your thumb if your not careful.

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