[too much stuff]

Originally Posted by special-K

Slomo, Would that member jave been TX Fireman? I remember when he did a video and I believe it is now in FAQs

Larry, I never heard of that way to not split a board. A billion nails I've driven and never knew there were differences in the points.

But, I did have two tricks shown to me early on to prevent splitting a board and have used both ever since. Never split a board and have shared it whenever I could. I do both just to be sure. First trick is place the edge of the head of the nail across the grain and smack it with your hammer. That indentation breaks the grain on the surface and the nail will not split the board. The other one is blunt the tip of the nail. Set the head of the nail on a hard surface, the head of another nail already driven in works. Next smack the tip with your hammer. That works extremely well. I do both because it takes no time and I have never split a board driving nails. I can nail two 2x2s together at the ends, like making a square, with two 16p common nails and never get a split.

Tim, also true with nail guns. if you are shooting through and breaking out on the edge or splitting the trim, turn the gun a 1/4 turn.

Originally Posted by outfield

My grandpa was a wood worker, his occupation on the 1940 Census was Cabinet Maker. He would always rub screw threads in a bar of soap to make it easier to screw into the wood, even with a pilot hole.
He used a hand crank drill to make the pilot holes...

We have always used dish soap on long screws and that seems to help. Usually on screws over 5" long...