Remove Safety from HF 23-g Pinner?

[Lonnie in Orlando]

HF makes two 23-g pin nailers ... one with a contact safety and one without. Mine (#93656) has a contact safety.

I (think) that I want to remove the safety. Anyone done it?

I removed the Safety Cover (45), and the Safety Spring (49), then replaced the cap screws to hold the Safety Guide (50) in place. I did not remove the Safety (48) yet because it is welded around the body and must be cut off.

Here is the diagram ...
http://www.harborfreight.com/manuals...3999/93656.pdf

The pinner shoots just as well without the safety, but it is much easier to position. Although the tip may be prone to bending since it is not reinforced by the thickness of the Safety Cover and Safety.

I can replace the safety at this point. If you think that there are no problems (other than shooting a pin through my finger), I'll cut off the safety and not look back.

Don't want to ruin my $16 investment!

Thanks,

- Lonnie

[sweensdv]

I can't bring myself to endorse the removal of any type of safety feature so I'll pass on that part of your thread.

However, on the $16 investment part, you got robbed! I only paid $15.99 for mine.

[final_t]

Neither the Bostitch nor the Grex have a safety latch. I was able to accidentally fire a nail with both of them (easier with the Bostitch) on occasion and was **** glad it was pointed AWAY from me AND I had goggles on.

So I'd add my 2 cents to leaving it in there, even if it makes so you can't get just that much closer into the corner of the workpiece.

[ragswl4]

Removing a safety device is just plain foolish. Shoot one nail through your finger and you'll think it's foolish as well. Not trying to be harsh but think about it. It could really be bad if you mis-fired and hit someone else. Not a good idea IMO.

[LinuxRandal]

If you don't want the safety tip, buy the other model. It is a "trigger safety", that is about the biggest joke on safety I have ever seen. I won't let my dad get that model, due to the grandkids do projects in the shop, and one young one is interested in stuff.

[Tom Slick]

The HF pinner is the oddball that has a safety on the nose. I don't think any other brand does. other then the fact that you need to be more careful with it I don't see an issue with removing it. as mentioned it makes it much easier to shoot yourself with it, I know a guy who has done it with his nickle pinner.

[gary]

Personally, I don't buying things at HF that:

1. Spin sharp blades at high speed
2. Shoot sharp things at high speed

[rja]

I have a Craftsman 16 ga. finish nailer and a Porter Cable 18 ga. brad nailer. Either gun can be adjusted to fire only when the nose piece is pressed against the workpiece and then the trigger is pulled -or- the trigger is pulled and then the nose piece is bumped into the workpiece. (I set both of mine to the former method.) Is this what is considered to be a nose safety?

[Black wallnut]

So Lonnie are you saying that with the parts removed so far it still shoots but the safety does not work? I personally have a different view on safties. As with any tool that shoots a projectile the only real safety is safe handling practices including keeping your finger off of the trigger until ready to fire. Never pointing the tool in a direction of something you are not willing to shoot. This applies to pnumatic nailers as well as guns. As it is with nailers so it is with guns. There are currently many differences between manufactures in safety devices placed on tools (a gun is just a tool in my mind). In handguns there are some without any manual safety, most revolvers. Some auto loading handguns have manually operable safeties, some have safeties that are built into the trigger (Glock) and still others have both a manual safety and a magazine safety, i.e. the Browning High Power (BHP). My BHP has the magazine safety removed. It still has the manual safety and a user with safe handling practices. The removal of the magazine safety does not make the gun less safe. A careless act could result in injury or destruction of an unintended target either with or with out the magazine safety.

With this in mind if you are the only person that will ever be using the HF pinner and are willing to take any risks then it is purely a personal decision. I think buying one without the safety might be the better option, especially at the price HF asks. If I read your question correctly you are more concerned with weakening the tool and I can't tell from the pdf if what you are wanting to do would do that. Hard call.

[LinuxRandal]

I have a Craftsman 16 ga. finish nailer and a Porter Cable 18 ga. brad nailer. Either gun can be adjusted to fire only when the nose piece is pressed against the workpiece and then the trigger is pulled -or- the trigger is pulled and then the nose piece is bumped into the workpiece. (I set both of mine to the former method.) Is this what is considered to be a nose safety?

The nose/bump safety, is a little metal "button/tip" (sorry don't know proper term), that sticks out on the nail shooting end of the gun and the gun will only fire when it is depressed, as well as the trigger. Older guns (maybe yours?), you could hold down the trigger, and "bump" fire (this is where you continue holding the trigger and just hit the safety to fire). Newer regs, require a seperate, deliberate trigger pull, each time (construction workers hate it).
The reason on small nails, people don't like the bump safety, is it can/does, leave a small dent in the wood.
HF's other gun, has a piece of pot metal, in an L shape, that swivels to hold the trigger from been depressed, or swiveled out of the way to press the trigger.

[rja]

LinuxRandal:
The Craftsman is about 4 years old and the PC is about 2 years old. I marvel at their efficiency but at the same time they can be dangerous. That's why I have them set to fire only with the nose pressed to the workpiece and then pull the trigger.

[cabinetman]

Defeating the safety is very dangerous. Granted, it's easier to position to shoot, with the nose locked up or removed, but there may be the time picking it up, or just handling it that you fire by mistake. DAMHIKT
.

[LinuxRandal]

Defeating the safety is very dangerous. Granted, it's easier to position to shoot, with the nose locked up or removed, but there may be the time picking it up, or just handling it that you fire by mistake. DAMHIKT
.

Ever catch a falling tool by the trigger?

I have a friend (brother of the bosses), who bought a Craftsman, return (freight of returned and damaged merchandise), and one item he kept was a framing nailer. He saw nothing wrong with it. He found out what the problem is......
Double fires.

Went through three fingers, luckally, over the bone.

Don't defeat, exchange. Otherwise you will take it for granted, or if someone else uses it (I have a leg scar from a chainsaw), you face issues, like liability.

[jonmulzer]

I sit here and read all the comments about people telling you not to defeat the safety and wonder how many of those people still have the blade guard on their table saw?

I had a pinner that I used on only soft, easily damaged woods that had a toothpick jammed in the safety. Never had an incident, but also all my friends know how to use and respect tools. YMMV and I am in no way endorsing what you wish to do. But it would not bother me to do it for my own personal use also.

[Lonnie in Orlando]

Thanks for watching out for me

OK - I won't remove the safety. Thanks for your comments and concerns.

If the safety tip dents the worksurface, I can withdraw it manually. If I need to get into a tight spot, I will remove the safety cover, then replace it afterwards. Or, as Black Walnut suggeted, I should buy one with a trigger safety.

- Lonnie