The stair nose piece that nearly cost me a job in Tempe

I was finishing a big install at a house in Tempe, Arizona, and went to nail in the final stair nose piece. My nail gun jammed on the last hit, leaving a huge dent right in the middle of the cap. My heart sank. I grabbed a spare piece of carpet from the van, cut a tiny patch, and used seam adhesive to bond it over the dent, then carefully trimmed the fibers. It blended perfectly and the homeowner never noticed. Has anyone else had a nail gun fail at the worst possible second and what's your go-to fix?

3 comments

3 Comments

johnthompson2mo ago

@knight.diana's wax trick is a lifesaver for wood.

lee7331mo ago

Tbh I've had so many of those saves that my workshop looks like a wax museum exploded. My last close call involved a trim router and a chunk of walnut that chipped right on the front edge of a display shelf. I ended up mixing two different wax colors with a little sawdust from the same board, and it blended in so well I almost couldn't find the spot the next day. Ngl I think half my reputation is built on hiding my own screwups with wax and a prayer. If they ever stop making colored wax sticks I'll be out of business and back to fixing cabinets with wood filler and hope.

knight.diana2mo ago

Man, that's brutal. My buddy had his finish nailer blow out a side panel on a custom bookshelf right before the client walk-through. He ended up using colored wax sticks and a heat gun, and you honestly can't tell now. Those last-second saves are the real test.