Shaper Blades - planer accessories, jointer

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I bought one of these knife setting jigs because setting knives correctly on the jointer takes me about an hour each time and this time I thought I'd try something new. I guess the jig functions like they describe, it's just a couple of magnets with some flat steel bars. Here's the problem, to set knives you find Top Dead Center of the cutter head and usually make a mark on the fence. This is done with a trusty staight edge and combination square. Then you position your new knife in the cutter head and at this point I would use a straight edge to get one end of the knife roughly even with the outfeed table. Gently tighten one side of the knife and do the same with the opposite side. Now, with a dial gauge I would go back and fine tune the height of each blade making each ~.001 above the outfeed table. It took some time to get it right but the dial gauge doesn't lie.



The problem with the jig is that I have to do all of these steps even using the jig. The only thing it helped with was roughing in the knives. When you tighten down the set screws knives tend to move a bit and this is still true when using the jig. Plus I always like to double check the knife height with the dial gauge to set each a bit high. You can buy yourself a dial indicator for less than $40 Grizzly G9849 Magnetic Base/Dial Indicator Combo - President's Special and get your jointer set just how you want it. Plus a dial indicator is useful aligning other shop tools. Woodstock W1211 4-Inch to 6-Inch Standard Jointer Pal

Another reviewer said this was really needed, thus I got it. I wasted my money. I much prefer the adjustment tool that wcame with the planer as opposed to this. First, you have to attempt to find top dead center and mark it on the fence, then scribe the fence(I really did not want to scratch my nice new planer....). Finding exact TDC on an arc is not easy. In any case, after fiddling with it and ten checking the results with my gauge, it came out pretty sorry.



I then reverted and used the gauge that came with the jointer and was able to adjust them all quickly and easily and they came out flat and the same. Thus, it now draws dust in the drawer... Anyone want to buy mine? - Jointers - Jointer - Planer - Planer Accessories'

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Blemish Control - acne treatments, face washes

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I have not been using this product twice-a-day like it recommends on the label, but once per day has been great to me. Previously, I used soap and I would get breakouts occasionally. Then I tried Neutrogena for Men ($7 for 4 oz!), which made me break out badly and I stopped using it after a week and went back to soap. Then I went on Amazon and read reviews about pHisoderm, which I either never saw or never paid attention to at stores. I decided to give it a try since 4 bottles cost almost as much as that one Neutrogena bottle and what a great purchase. It has not only prevented breakouts, but it is also clearing out the little white heads that were on my forehead (I have oily skin) and blemishes. It's not a harsh product either and feels rather mild. I can see why they have been around for 40 years. pHisoderm pH Anti-Blemish Gel Facial Wash, pH Balanced, 6 fl oz (177 ml) (Pack of 4)

I'm 62 years old and have used Phisoderm products since I was 18 years

old. I got a severe sunburn on my face when I was 17. Everything I tried on my face irritated my skin. Finally I tried the old Phisohex

product and it cleaned my skin without irritation. Later the company had to quit making phisohex and I started using the white Phisoderm. It

too worked for me. A few years ago they quit selling the white Phisoderm in my area. I tried several other products but each one burned or irritated my skin. I then tried the Phisoderm anti-blemish gel facial wash and it's as good as the previous phisoderm products.

This is a good product. It doesn't always prevent breakouts from occurring but it has worked better than the other product I did try. The only thing I don't like about it is that it's a bit liquidity/thin. Overall, I like it though. The pack of 4 for the price is a great deal in my opinion.

I started using pHisoderm in 1979--and I am still using it! I can't find anything better, and certainly not at the price.



I had acne as a teenager, and in 1979, at age 25, I still had acne. Of course, I tried different products, but none of them worked. Then I stumbled upon pHisoderm, and it was THE answer for me.



These days--at age 56--I still have skin that is inclined to break out, so pHisoderm STILL works better than any other product. I did try to change, just for variety, but nothing worked.



The reason pHisoderm is so excellent is because it gets rid of acne, and it does not dry the skin out. It is really good for the skin.



It's unfortunate that the company isn't too concerned with selling the product, as they did back in the 70s when it was available in gigantic glaring green bottles, was white, and had a medicinal smell :-) Every generation has to have a "concept" of what's healthy. Back then, it was the medicinal smell thing :-)



After that, it changed bottles, again, but was still white, and available in big sizes.



Then, the entire packaging changed, again, to what it is now -- small (dang) -- and clear -- the modern version of "good for your skin" concept.



So, of course, I recommend this product highly for all ages. It cleans the skin throughly, preventing acne, gently, without drying the skin.



I just ordered myself a nice pack of 4 that will keep me going for a while.

I bought this because of the good reviews and I'm glad I did. I have tried everything from A to Z in acne products since I was a kid. I wonder if they had this back then because I should have bought it. I remember phisoderm products but don't recall using them. Anyway this stuff is great! I use it in the day and night too. Not overdrying or irritating for me. If a pimple starts to form within a day or two it is gone. Keeps new pimples from forming I have found. Plus I had a deep cystic acne pimple that was under the skin for a long time and it made it come up. So anything that can do that to me is a good product. It works and I just ordered my second bottle because I don't want to run out. I am in my 30's and have oily skin with adult acne. I never write reviews but I had to for this one. It keeps the oil reduced as well. A +!

This product is the only thing that keeps my face clear. I use it twice a day in the shower with a good moisturizer & have no breakouts. The price is great. I'll have to start ordering it on amazon since they quit carrying it locally.



I think it's just the right thickness. Put one pump on the tip of two fingers and rub it between the fingers on both hands and then rub it into the face. I don't really smell much of a fragrance, which is good for most with sensitive skin. Using one pump, twice a day, I think a bottle typically lasts me about 6 weeks.



Cleansers are a personal item and people will have varying results. Trial and error is the only way to know for sure, but I think this is so worth a shot though, as I have had so many problems with other products, but never a problem with this.

I have absolutely no pimples with consistent use. I have pretty normal skin but have pretty bad allergies. I have gone through several face washes that make me sneeze uncontrollably or have way too much menthol it makes my eyes water. This product has a nice light lemony fragrance that doesn't bother my sinuses. It can be a bit drying like some people may have mentioned but I have a great face moisturizer to counter that. If you have very sensitive skin this may not be the product for you. I would not describe this product as a gentle cleanser, it is pretty strong, sometimes I only use half a pump or dilute it a little with water. Especially if I have a super dry face from the winter air or when my pores are really open after a long workout. I use it about once a day. I am sad that this product has been discontinued and I am not sure what I am going to use after this is no longer available on Amazon. If there are people who don't want their product and want to donate it....contact me! - Acne Wash - Face Washes - Acne Treatments - Acne Control'

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Holsters - screen protector, cell phone accessories

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I just Got the new Optimus-M from Metro PCS. This case fits like a glove. No problems.. They do not send any spray with it so be prepared to hit the screen with a little water (spray) before you apply film on face. Great (Cheap) Case For New Phone,, Stoked!! LG OPTIMUS M MS690 SOFT SILICON SKIN CASE - BLACK, WITH 6 SCREEN PROTECTORS

This product came up on my search for a case for my Optimus S/LS670 a few weeks back and as such was advertised to fit the LS670. The product description appears to have be changed since then so hopefully no one else will order this by mistake since it now says Optimus M MS690 in the title. Fortunately I found that it can be used with the LS670 with modification. If you are handy with a razor knife or have access to a hole punch kit it can be done. It requires holes for the speaker and mic. It is otherwise very similar and fits decent enough. The thickness is just right and I like the extra grippyness it offers.

At first I was skeptical about this item, judging on the other gel cases I've seen for this phone. But when I got it, it had everything I ordered (the 6 screen protectors and the case itself) and I love it. Its a great fit so the phone doesn't slip out and the screen protectors are actually made for the phone which is an added plus! Overall great shipping, great price!

This rubber case fits decent, a little loose on the sides. The button notches and cutouts for the USB plug, Headphone Jack, Camera hole in the back, etc are in the proper places. The only disappointing thing is the screen protectors do not fit the LG Thrive. Pretty decent case for the LG Thrive 4 Stars!

I bought this for my Optimus C phone. Now, before you say "but it's a different phone!!" or something like that - no, the Optimus M and Optimus C are the exact same phone. I even bought a hard, rubberized case (made for the M) just to test it out and that one fits absolutely perfect on my Optimus C.



Anyways - other people have complained about this case being a little too big and that it doesn't fit quite right. I had the same issue with the black rubber case. It fit fine on the top and bottom, but on the sides it was loose. It wouldn't have been a big deal but when I put it in and out of my pocket, the case itself would slip off into my pocket and I'd constantly have to put the case back on. It did a decent job of protecting, but was heavy, bulky and as I said before it didn't fit right. The screen protectors were ok, but all of them seemed to have major trouble with air bubbles.



I wouldn't really recommend this product to anyone. I gave it two stars because it's a good price for a case+screen protector combo.

The silicon case fits great. I love the fact the the volume and power/lock keys are protected rather than cut out and the cut out sections (jacks, charger, etc.) are all aligned. The Screen protectors are "thicker" than what I thought of. I thought they were the simple advertisement plastic, which you have to peel off. This one is actually thick enough to protect the screen from scratches. Easy to apply and remove. The only thing is that you have to cut one end to size it to the screen. - Cell Phone Accessories - Holsters - Screen Protector - Lg Optimus'

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Component Video - 1080p, mkv

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After much anticipation, WDTV Live is finally here! I'll get right to the point, because I know there are a lot of questions from current Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player owners and those sitting on the fence about the capabilities of the Live in comparison to other media players on the market. I also considered the ASUS O!Play ($99) while waiting for the Live's release or the Seagate FreeAgent Theater+HD ($135). The WDTV is a proven quantity and for the Live, I had high expectations.



Cosmetically, not much has changed. Not even the box. The Live is nearly identical to the WDTV except in color, being matte grey instead of shiny piano black. Ease of setup and usage carries over from its forebear, so WDTV users will be right at home with the Live's interface and settings. At the rear, the ports have been slightly rearranged to make room for a LAN port and component out. HDMI is now 1.3 instead of 1.2, capable of a color depth of 12 bits per pixel. Batteries are included in the box, as are component and composite cables, but bring your own HDMI or LAN cable.



Building on the strengths of the original (and successful) WDTV, WD has made an already excellent player even better. They listened to users and addressed two of the biggest complaints of the WDTV, namely: lack of network connectivity and lack of DTS down-mixing.



I am pleased to report that on these two counts, the Live is a winner, packaged inside the same compact form factor as its predecessor and sold at a very reasonable price. The most exciting thing is network connectivity because the Live can be made wireless!



1) Network connectivity: out of the box, the Live connects via CAT-5. I have no interest in connecting USB hard drives to the Live because it limits my mobility. I have 2 NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices (D-Link DNS321 2-Bay SATA, RAID 0/1 Gigabit Ethernet Port Network Storage Enclosure and D-Link 2-Bay Network Storage Enclosure) and have been streaming movies wirelessly to my PlayStation 3, but I don't like the PS3's lack of MKV support and wasteful energy consumption. My PS3 can now go back to being a dedicated game and Blu-ray machine.



I was surprised to discover that my AirLink 101 AWLL6070 150Mbps 802.11n Wireless LAN USB 2.0 Adapter (purchased for a failed WDTV networking hack attempt) worked. I plugged it in, changed the Live's setting to wireless and it saw my wireless network with no fuss. I really have to hand it to WD for making the device open-ended, unlike the NETGEAR Digital Entertainer Live (Black) (which I tested and returned), which requires a proprietary $40 Netgear dongle. Other dongles will work too with the Live, and WD has a forum listing them.



2) DTS down-mixing: this was another shortcoming of the original WDTV. The Live down-mixes DTS to 2.0 so you don't need to slave it to an audio receiver anymore. Many of my MKV's are encoded with DTS, so this is another huge improvement. DTS Master Audio does not seem to be supported, but I am not very concerned as DTS MA is rarely encountered in the wild (though that may change in the future). All my files are MP3, AAC, AC3, or DTS audio streams, which all work on the Live. Many of the tested MKVs have multiple audio streams for different language tracks. You can also mux additional tracks and subtitles into the MKV file with the free and awesome mkvmerge GUI program. Subtitle files can be downloaded from sites like DivxStation.



DTS downmixing means now I can take a portable drive of movies over to a friend's house and not worry about compatibility, greatly increasing the versatility and value of the Live. The inclusion of both component and composite outs removes the worry about older TV's. And like the WDTV, the Live will downsample to standard def for non-HDTV's. However, if you have an HDTV and an AVR, you'll want to use them for maximum enjoyment.



But the most biggest selling point for me is wireless. After discovering WiFi connectivity, I lost all interest in using the Live as a wired device. With just $20 (cost of AirLink), I now have a wireless player that easily out-competes more expensive ones like the Popcorn Hour A-110 HD Networked Media Tank (EU), and can enjoy the freedom and convenience of putting this player anywhere in my house. I don't have messy and dangerous wires all the floor to trip over (I killed a 1 TB hard drive full of movies this way) and I don't need an audio receiver. All the 720p/1080i/p videos I had on my NAS played perfectly with the except of one 1080p .mp4 which had intermittent hiccups every minute or so.



The Live saw each device 2x on the menu, as a media share and a network share. With media share, the files are divided into 3 categories: video, photos, music. Only some of my movies showed up (WMV, MP4, AVI, TS), no MKV's. With network share, all the files are listed. This is the listing option to use if you have a NAS.



3) Additionally, third complaint on the WDTV was lack of support for 1080p24. This format now plays. VOB is now also supported, for those of you who make DVD archives.



USABILITY:



The WDTV had the most attractive and usable interface of any of the 10+ media players I tested over the years, and WD didn't mess with a winning formula. Graphically, the Live retains the blue cool-toned look and easy-to-use navigation of the WDTV. It adds a third listing option, Preview mode. Movies will now start playing in a smaller window on the right if you pause over the title for a second or two (with audio). Every movie I tested plays in preview. The remote control is the same as the WDTV. Navigation long directories is still somewhat of a pain because of no Page Up/Page Down button, but if you hold the up or down button down, it'll scroll by a page at a time after a second or two. Commands are fast and responsive. No spinning dials that plague the Netgear Live Entertainer.



For rewinding, the preview sometimes does not match the time-code. The timer was counting down, but the screen showed video from the opposite direction. If you stop rewinding and resume again, it'll show the proper preview. This is a small nuisance that I hope WD fixes soon in a firmware update.



Subtitle support via embedded or external still works great for Western and non-Western character sets because of Unicode. Embedded subs are pre-tagged with the language code, so the device will display "Subtitle 1/3 - English". For external .srt files, I discovered that if I name them the same as the movie and include a dash, then the language (e.g. "MOVIENAME - ENG.srt"), the WD will display the part after the dash as the language name.



INTERNET STREAMING:



For YouTube, the videos looked really good. The Live will select HD streams if available. I was surprised at the video quality of some of the ones I loaded, particularly one music video. Startup was fast, if not instantaneous, and I did not notice a buffering delay. Currently, YouTube is the only site supported, and searching is only in Western characters. The onscreen keyboard is arranged in row, A-Z, with 0-9 at the bottom. (Plugging in a USB keyboard did nothing.) I'm hoping for Hulu, Vimeo, and more in the future, like a WDTV Live Channels Guide or something like that, organized by interests (sports, history, science, news, etc), or regions of the world. It would be a very useful feature for people like my dad, who doesn't know how to use the web and he'd be able to watch shows from other parts of the world. Maybe in a future firmware update.



I didn't test Pandora or Live365 (internet radio) because I'm not interested in listening to radio/music out of my TV. Noticeably missing is NetFlix support, a feature prominent on some networked media players, Blu-ray players, and gaming platforms (Xbox 360), though word is that WD is at work on an update.



FINAL THOUGHTS:



Next on my wishlist is RMVB support. This is the last thing missing from the long list of supported formats, because then I can throw out the really crappy RMVB player I have. Sadly, it seems to be hardware related and cannot be added with a firmware refresh.



Lastly, if the Live came in new colors like fire engine red like the Western Digital My Passport Essential 320 GB USB 2.0 Portable Hard Drive WDMER3200TN (Real Red), or banana yellow, that'd be hot. I don't particularly care for the Live's matte grey exterior and prefer the glossy finish of the WDTV. It's not solid grey. It's sparkly like glitter, a rather odd choice for a finish.



To sum up, this is the device you've been waiting for! It is a great little player for the price. It now does everything I want it to (minus RMVB playback) and is truly the versatile and unfettered player that I have been hoping for. As a gadgets guy and early adopter, I wasted several hundreds of dollars testing out disappointing players and can say definitely that WD makes one of the best players on the market.



UPDATE 1: 10/24/09:



1. I logged into Pandora and it worked with no lag and no buffering. Currently, it's listen only. You can't add new stations, so you'll still have to manage your presets from their website through a normal computer. I found out Live365 is a paid service ("my trial is about to expire in 5 days"), making the feature totally worthless to me.



2. I turned on "thick" subtitle outlines option and it makes them a lot easier to see, especially if there's a lot of white on the screen.



UPDATE 2: 1/10/10:

Streaming from Windows PC's does not work properly. After 5 minutes of playback, the Live disconnects from the shared PC. If you intend to use the Live to stream movies off a network share, this is not the product for you. Western Digital WD TV Live Network-ready HD Media Player - Mkv - Divx - 1080p - Hdmi'

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Replacement Water Filters - replacement water filters, culligan water filters

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The Brita faucet filter does an excellent job of filtering out impurities from tap water -- that is, when it manages to stay attached to the faucet. However, in my experience with it (two years and two different models), a tremendous amount of my valuable time was wasted trying to reattach the filter after it would repeatedly fall off. Although I have no direct experience with the Pur faucet filter, my understanding (drawn from other reviews) is that it suffers from the same problem.



Happily, after purchasing the CULLIGAN Faucet Filter several months ago, I can now report with confidence that it is plagued by no such similar defect. In other words, once attached, it remains firmly in place, and works every bit as effectively as rival brands. So for anyone who has tried those other brands and encountered endless frustration in endeavoring to keep them attached to the faucet, my advice is: Don't give up just yet! Try the Culligan model. It's solidly built, competitively priced, and replacement cartridges are readily available from Amazon. For me, at least, the Culligan at last put an end to the gratuitous, time-wasting burden of having to continually reattach a recalcitrant water filter. Culligan FM-15RA Level 3 Faucet Filter Replacement Cartridge

Buy one at a time, and not too far in advance. Filter works well, but Culligan only warrants for 30 days from date of purchase. If you buy several (as I did) and one is defective (spurting water all over kitchen!), no real way to obtain a replacement.

At first, I did experience what a few of the other reviewers mentioned: after a short while the filter didn't appear to have any affect on the taste of the water.



The problem, I discovered, is that if you run the water through the filter too quickly (by opening up the tap all the way) the charcoal filter just can't do its job. As a rule of thumb, only allow enough flow through the filter so that it takes about 10-15 seconds to fill up a glass of water, and you'll have great tasting water. So, if you have high water pressure, make sure you don't open of the faucet all the way when filling a glass. There's just no way a filter as small as this can do its job properly at the max flow rate of most faucets. You really need a large in-line filter for that.



Note that this only applies to the filter's odor and taste removal properties, because this involves a chemical reaction of sorts where activated charcoal pulls chlorine (and other chemical) out of the water by binding to them. This is a completely different mechanism than what you normally associate with filtering, such as particles being caught in a mesh (which is essentially how the rest of the filter works in these, and so it's really only the odor and taste that is affected by the rate at which you let water through the Cullgan).

I wanted a simple but effective economical water filter for my apartment. I did considerable research (including purchasers of various products at Amazon) and at Consumers Reports as well as various internet sites. What appeared to be the best solution for me was a filter that attached to the tap. Simple to attach and effective water filtration. I've been using the Culligan FM-15RA level 3 filter for over a year now and besides being economical it is easy to install and to replace filters (every few months). Since purchasing, we had our water professionally checked for chlorine, bacteria and contaminents (metals etc) and it came through with fjying colors. We are very pleased with the unit.

Finally, after wasting a couple of hundred dollars in Pur products, I moved to Culligan and have not been disappointed. It DOES NOT LEAK, the filter life is twice as long, and is much easier to replace.To top it, the subscribe & save pricing of amazon is amazin !

These filters are a b**ch to get out of the casing (maybe I'm tightening them too much, so be careful not to do that), but other than that I'm happy with Culligan. And, the new option to have it auto-shipped regularly is handy, especially because the Culligan filter doesn't have a fancy replacement indicator light.

This product gives fairly clean water, but it really does not last long. Even though it says it'll last about 2 months, about one month into using it, the one I have runs very slowly as if it has been plugged. I would suggest going with a different type of filter so you won't have to keep buying this filter refill.

We have water with strong chlorine taste, these filters take that away well. It's easy to install, cheap, and surprisingly high quality!!! We also use them for longer than the recommended 2 months, it still filters it just gets slow. - Water Filter - Replacement Water Filters - Culligan - Culligan Water Filters'

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Fishing Gear - telescopic fishing rod, travel rod

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The Okuma Nomad compact rod and reel is of excellent quality and the fit and finish is what it should be for a $100 combo. The product was as described. My only complaint was there is no dimensions for the carry case. The case is to big to fit in most motorcycle saddlebags and that was the express reason I bought it. The case measures 22"x 11" x 3". I found that the rod parts fit easily into my bags when removed from the case so I will keep it as the combo is far superior to most lightweight compact combos. Okuma NT-C-665-200 Nomad Casting Travel Kit (Blue, 150/10)

I'm very happy with this combo. The rod is extremely light and very good quality. I took the combo on my last work trip and caught several tailor around 2kg and had a blast catching them on such a light outfit. The reel does the job but isn't what i'd call a good reel, but I'm not complaining for the price. Happy fishing! - Telescopic Fishing Rod - Kids Fishing - Travel Rod - Fishing Rod'

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Deck Building - framing nailers, bostitch

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I am editing this review a year later (14Apr08) with some revisions



I am a professional builder presently building super high end homes on the lakefront of Lake Tahoe. I have used every framing nailer made. Before I bought this nailer I was a Senco and Hitachi user. I needed another nailer so from the recommendation of another carpenter I went with this model. What sold it to me was that I liked the fact that it had another nosepiece that allowed it to be used for nailing hardware.

I have had this nailer for about 5 months now and it has a few problems.

When it was new it would tend to spark a lot when ever a nail was fired. Now that it is broken in it sparks still but much less. Edit.. It no longer sparks.

There was a part missing in the unopened box. I promptly ordered it from Bostich and it came right away. The part was a vinyl rod that adjusts the magazine for varying thickness nails.

The nailer really hammers the nail hard with a loud smack. I worry that it will wear out the hammer driver sooner. The sound with the Hitachi is much quieter and the Hitachi nailer seems to work with much less recoil when sinking a nail.

The trigger on the Bostich is very finicky and will not fire unless you depress the nose "just so" even with the bounce trigger installed. The Hitachi and Senco is an honest trigger that fires every time you depress the nose. Hitachi users say bad words out of frustration when using this nailer because of the finicky trigger.

The rubber pad on the side has a metal part that surrounds it. The metal part is thin and recently it broke. Since a nailer is often left on the side then this weak and flimsy part is in a very vulnerable spot.

The nose has a spring that can easily snag something and fly away. Without this spring the nailer will not work. I spent a lot of time searching in the powder snow once for this spring when it accidentally ejected.

This nailer does have all the modern features that some nailers lack. It has the directional exhaust port and an easily adjustable nosepiece. It will sink a 16d toenail with the depth adjustment all the way down unlike other nailers. It comes with an accessory nosepiece cover that covers the toenail teeth to prevent marring the wood. The nose cover though will not stay on very well and is easy to lose.

If I had my preference I would use cliphead nailers because the magazine holds more nails and the paper collation does not spit eye damaging pieces like the plastic collated strips for round head nailers. Cliphead nails are getting hard to find as misguided architects spec only round head nails. You must use safety glasses when using any round head nailer. The plastic shards are probably not very good for the environment either.

I give it 3 stars still because it works fine most of the time and the hardware nailing feature is nice to have.



Edit 13Apr08 I give it 4.5 stars now. I like this nailer because it really has a large piston and can completely sink a toenail into hard LVL. I do a lot of framing with LVL and this is the only nailer that will not make you reach for your hammer to finish driving the nail home. I am used to the trigger now and it no longer frustrates me. I did have to take apart the trigger once and clean it. The trigger started to blow air and the nailer would not shoot. A less mechanically inclined person might have sent it to the shop for a repair. No parts were very worn, it just needed a cleaning. The broken part on the side bumper has not been a problem. This nailer has held up well so far. I frame about a third of the time so this nailer has about 6 months of heavy use behind it now. Bostitch F21PL Round Head 1-1/2-Inch to 3-1/2-Inch Framing Nailer with Positive Placement Tip and Magnesium Housing

I'm currently using this sucker to frame my garage. I bought Hitachi plastic collated nails for it. It took me a bit to sort it out, but I was able to find 21 degree full round head nails at Lowes. I've been sticking with the Hitachi nails even though there are cheaper brands - the quality is good.



I used 0.131" diameter 21 degree plastic collated nails, 3 1/4" in length, for all of my framing. I was able to blast a bunch of 2x6's together in no time.



I then used 0.131" diameter 21 degree plastic collated nails, 2 3/4" in length, for all of my sheathing. The nailer handled both of these with ease. I can set the depth so I don't go splintering my OSB with too deep of a punch.



I am currently using the trigger that only allows one shot per pull. I like this feature as I don't go machine-gunning 3 nails on top of one another if I slip during the shot. Sometimes it is a little finicky, as you have to get the tip compressed just-so before you pull the trigger, or it will give you a disappointing "pphhh" and no nail. It also seems to have about a 50% ratio of actually firing the last nail in the clip. A lot of times it misses the last nail altogether. I did jam it once with the 2 3/4 nails because I inserted a partially used clip. The uneven break in the plastic collation misaligned the nail and the piston jammed the nail in the barell. I fixed it with a small screwdriver.



It's pretty light for its size. Some friendly helpers I had with the initial framing all remarked at the size of this thing. It looks big and beefy. You'll have a bit of trouble fitting it between studs that are 16" apart - it's a little bulky in tight spaces. For toe-nailing and mating studs together, I had to shoot at an angle. That's when the tip is most finicky, so you have to brace it on the back with one hand while you pull the trigger. At 90 psi or so it might not fully sink the nail on an angled shot like that. At 120 psi it sinks everything. It's kind of scary. My gun came with a protective rubber tip that is handy for things that you don't want to blemish, but without the rubber tip, the cleated gun is much easier to use for angled shots because the tip bites into the wood.



These problems are avoidable if you are careful. A nail gun is an amazing piece of machinery, as I am surprised that with the violence of each shot it doesn't go blowing apart after a few shots. Yet this thing will shoot and shoot as long as I pay attention to the clip, keep it oiled, and set it aside so I don't trip over it. I've dropped it off the ladder twice and it hasn't complained. It's also nice that you can direct the exhaust in multiple directions, as each shot will create a fine oily mist that you can feel on your arm, hand, leg, or whatever. That's just how it works with air tools. At least you can shoot it away from your face. Also, the rubber grip on the handle is slipping around slowly as I use it. That's kind of irritating, especially when it's hot, because the rubber will slide up and bunch up underneath the trigger. Eventually it will probably fall off with enough use. Could probably use a redesign.



On a final note, I bought this thing used from another online auction site that you can probably guess. It was well used before I got it and it's still kicking. For what I paid for it, I'm quite satisfied. I'd probably still be happy with it if I bought it new for a higher price.



Edit 9/6/07: I've been using the metal connector attachment. This thing is pretty handy if you are using Simpson Strong Ties or a similar metal connector for your framing. Most of the Simpson products require a 1.5" nail (so that it doesn't penetrate the other side of 2x lumber) and this gun won't go that small. I've used the 2 1/4" nails when I'm shooting into a junction or multiple pieces. It makes the work go much faster, otherwise you are stuck with a hammer. The tip for metal connectors has a triangular aligning piece that allows you to line up the nail with the hole in the connector. It works really well but be warned - the smaller the nail the better the chance that this thing will misfire. I had much more trouble with the 2 1/4" nails than the bigger framing nails. Also, I glanced off the connector more than once and shot a bent nail bouncing around all over the place - not like a bullet but enough to be dangerous. The metal connector work is much more sensitive to alignment so be careful. Also - be careful about lining up your shot, especially if you are using one hand to brace boards before you shoot. That nail doesn't care if your hand is on the other side of the board when you pull the trigger. I managed to nick my thumb pretty good at about nail number 2,327 during a 10 hour day. Not bad odds - but you'll be better off if you are constantly aware.



Edit 7/12/08: My F21PL is still going and my garage is pretty much done except for electrical and painting. I took this thing up in my attic to build a knee wall around the perimeter so that I could install foam backer board to keep insulation from spilling out onto my soffits. My attic is full of old fiberglass blown-in insulation, so it's nasty and dusty up there. I used my nailer for a few days and it stopped working. After messing with it I figured I had gotten dust inside and perhaps ruined a seal. I finished framing my knee wall with the Bostitch palm nailer (see other review on here - great little tool). I was able to download a rebuild kit from the Bostitch website instantaneously. There are also blow-up diagrams of all of their tools. I bought several rebuild kits and downloaded the diagram, and I was able to successfully rebuild the nailer and get it functioning again. I expect that with my rebuild kits I will keep this nailer going for the rest of my life. Great product support. - Framing Nailers - Bostitch - Bostich - F21pl'

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