The "Old" guy won!

I was at the local supply house Friday whowing our half round gutter machine and they had all sorts of other vendors there showing their wares. They also had contests for the roofers to show their skills. Shingle frisbee, J channel toss, shingle carry and siding carry plus a hand nailing contest. One bundle on and then tear it off and throw it into the dumpster. They kept asking me to do it, and I finally did, being the last "contestant" I am sure I have been roofing longer than most of these guys' fathers have been alive, so it was interesting. I finished first by about 20 seconds.

We hand nailed until I was about 20 years old, and that was 39 years ago, but you never really forget how. The hardest part for me was the tear-off. Getting way too old for this!

I have used a nail gun before, but I prefer the stapler. Not many people use them anymore, but there are still a lot of them out there. A well applied roof is still a well applied roof.

Just wondering, around here staples are not used anymore and some say it wouldnt be warranted, maybe different shingles different rules...i dunno.

I didn't see anything about staples in that brochure, but then again, it was small print and I have a hard time reading it on the computer. I looked pretty close thaough. I will say that a well applied stapled roof is a bitch to take off. It is all about placement of the staples or nails, whatever the case might be. I like to hand nail though. I really like to slate. Much more fun and demanding.

http://www.certainteed.com/resources/LandmarkInstall.pdf

No, but why would it?

Does not using staples void warranty on shingles?

Very possible, but I have no qualms about using an air nailer or an air stapler either. We started using staplers in 1972 and we still use them for shingles. I don't do all that much anymore, as we do a lot of slate and metal roofs and such. With shingles, it is all about the placement of the fastener. a well applied stapled roof will last for years, as will a well applied gun nailed roof or a hand nailed roof. Poorly placed fasteners will let the shingles blow off no matter how they are driven. I do like to hand nail though. It calms me.

Good for you, Old School! Hand-nailing is just the way it is sometmes.

For sometime I have maintained one gets a better roof by hand-nailing because there is typicallly better placement of the nails, better chances of hitting solid wood instead of spacing on 1x6 or 1x8 sheathing, particularly if metric shingles are applied over 1x6's. Fewer tipped and high nails, not to mention blow-throughs.

My Grandfather, Anthony Joseph Crookston invented the AJC hatchet sometime in the 50's or 40's I believe. Of course, we used them when I was young and I still use one for cutting and the hammering I do. I find it relaxing to be able to hammer on a roof. I like the rhythem one develops when they are hand nailing. On a nice straight section, I could nail on 2 squares an hour all day long. If you pushed it, you could go a bit faster, but 2 squares an hour for 8 hours is 16 square, and a lot of guys don't get that much done with an air gun. Hatchets are cheaper too!

When we start to reminice about the "old days", and have names like "Old School" maybe it is time to retire. I do love to roof though.

We handnailed up to about 10yrs ago, it is funny tho when you got guys that brag how good they are, but then there compressor dies and they are lost dont know what to do.. :laugh:

Good for you OS. Maybe we can race some time before they put us in the rest home. I'm still so fast I have to wear eye protection when I'm hand-nailing. (just kidding) Sometimes I'm so fast that the only way I know I've shingled myself right off the roof is when I'm dangling there from my deluxe self-retracting lifeline and look over and see shingles nailed to the wall. I even shingled over my own lunchbox one time. It's the AJC Express now ain't it just so. John Henry lives.

Yeah, I saw that too. The young guys were saying that I could nail as fast as they did with their nailers. Well, not quite so fast, but I didn't have to get out the compressor and hoses either. It was good for them to see for sure. I think they all watched too. Like you say, kind of like watching s steam engine race. They all wanted to see how it used to be done.

Congrat, OS. Hope that doesn't mean your supplier has to quit giving you the Senior discount. But, since it's been decades since air nailers have come into play, that's almost like a steam engine race. It's been a long time since I've seen a young guy able to rotate nails in his hand while he drives the prior nail. Most of them nowadays need to use their mouth to hold the nails.