There is one particular annoyance we run into regularly as carpenters: A nailer won’t shoot. You set up the trim, push the Bostitch against it and… Nothing.
The gun just coughs or doesn’t even do that. And there’s your hammer, stuck in the nose of the thing. It stops you from working and confuses you.
Fortunately, this isn’t a sign that your tool is broken for good; in fact, more often then not, it’s simply due to a minor jam or because of poor maintenance. Before running out to purchase brand-new Bostitch or taking it to be repaired, check it over for any damage to its moving parts. More times than not, cleaning it off dirt and grease will do the trick.
How To Fix A Stuck Bostitch Hammer
Cleaning the Drive Mechanism
The first thing to check is drive mechanism. Debris or dried lubricant can build up in the cylinder causing your hammer to get stuck. Over time, the factory oil will dry out and mix with any sawdust.
This creates a sludge that resist the air pressure needed for a full cycle. If you notice the pressure gauge dips but the tool doesn’t fire, or if you hear the motor straining, then you have too much friction compared to the air blast’s power. To remedy this, you simply need to clean it up.
As a safety precaution, disconnect the air hose before continuing. Next follow the instructions in the Bostitch manual and take off the nose piece. Notice that hammer face and piston has gummy crud all over them?
Wipe it off with a clean rag and some mineral spirits or brake cleaner. Now your metal surfaces is clean again. Give it another coating of air tool oil so the hammer can rebound easily and the slide slides smoothly.
Inspecting the Driver Blade
Another reason for this is a bent or broken driver blade. A driver blade is a thin piece of metal that sits in a track and slides down the track to push the nail into the wood. When one of these blades gets bent or nicked, they will begin to catch in the housing.
They will prevent hammer from returning back to its starting point when hit. Typically you will notice this if you have been driving nails into a hardwood or you hit the head of the nail. Because of the resistance the blade will flex ever so slightly and this will cause them to lock up.
Now check out your blade track: Is it jagged? Does the metal strip run in a curve? Use some pliers and try to bend it back out if it isn’t straight.
But do so gently. If the blade is cracked or kinked, you’re going to have to buy another one. Bostitch sells replacement blades for most of their models.
It’s an inexpensive solution that will save the whole thing. A bent blade will damage the costly piston inside over time. Don’t ignore it.
Checking Air Supply Pressure
But sometimes it’s not even the tool itself, it’s the air supply. Consistent air pressure is needed for a Bostitch nail gun to work properly. Running multiple tools at the same time can cause your air compressor pressure to drop below level needed to reset the hammer.
This happens if there is too much hose length or size, or if the compressor are too small. It fires, but lacks sufficient energy to force the piston back into place. The tool’s regulator should be checked and so too should its tank gauge if it has one.
Most Bostitch finish nailers prefers an air pressure of 70-90 PSI. On longer jobs, allow the tank to refuel between bursts if you’re operating from a pancake compressor. All fittings must be snug, too.
Any hiss along the line is robbing your tool of needed pressure. Sharp nails are only half the battle; stable air flow is equally important. Last but not least, think about your fastener quality.
Using Quality Fasteners
Most off brand or cheap nails will vary in their head size or shank consistency. Sometimes that head is just a little larger than the track and gets wedged into place. Sometimes the shank is ever so slightly oval.
As it rides up and down the wall of the track, it causes extra drag that doesn’t allow the hammer to clear the nose. That makes the internal spring work harder then it needs to do. Buy nails from the same manufacturer as your tool.
Nails manufactured by Bostitch are designed to be driven with their own drivers. There’s a reason for the tight tolerance. You may save a penny or two per box if you buy generics, but run the risk of a jam that will cost you an hour of work to remedy.
The right nail moves like butter. A bad one is like trying to drive a cork. If the hammer’s going down, the job won’t be getting done.
And that’s why solving most of these problems can come down to using the right fasteners, checking your air pressure, cleaning up any lubrication and then ensuring the blade is in check. Treat your Bostitch like the machine that it was made to be. Respect its mechanics.
Clean it, oil it, make sure it has a steady stream of air. Then the hammer comes back down, the nail takes a bite and you’re at work again.