Nail pusher nightmare

[Beginner]

Hi, building my first wooden model and having enormous difficulty with the nail/pin pusher. 90% of the nails bend before they are fully through, occasionally the wood splits,not sure if I’m supposed to use the pusher just to get it started and then swap to a small hammer. I’m using the Artesania tool.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[wmherbert]

Hi, if you are using that for hull planking please understand that it is not necessary to use the nails. I never have, I just use glue and clamps.  I wouldn't be surprised if most modelers do not use them. I would be curious.

Bill

[druxey]

If one absolutely has to use nails - which I do not for one moment recommend! - then one needs to predrill a hole just under the diameter of the nail one is using.

[GGibson]

1 hour ago, Beginner said:

Hi, building my first wooden model and having enormous difficulty with the nail/pin pusher.

 

When I first started in this hobby, I thought "Ooooh, that's a tool I need!"  First time I used it, it frustrated me to no end.  Tossed it in the back of my junk drawer.  

 

If you don't need the nails for aesthetic reasons, do what wmherbert suggests.  If the ship you are working on really needs the nails to look right, still do what wmherbert suggests... and also do what druxey suggests, but maybe even cut the nail lengths in half so you don't have to pound in as far. Spot the points with a touch of CA glue before inserting.

[palmerit]

You don't need to use nails. You can use clamps. And on the first planking, you can make some useful "clamps" from binder clips:

 

I tried two different "pin pushers" and they were both garbage. This "Pin Insertion Plier" works a lot better:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GZH7D7K?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&fbclid=IwY2xjawPk9yZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFzejNFNjBSMFRsak8wM1hIc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkfMepYplOOlkAcqMtTmUezQlbYnL7bWYMLmkvdbd3-vcuurCb--EA7STOxL_aem_PVV07KTpTeEh3lhU63YOZQ

[Y.T.]

1 hour ago, palmerit said:

You can use clamps. And on the first planking, you can make some useful "clamps" from binder clips:

Somehow I do not understand 

a) what the fellow modified the standard clips for

b) how this can be applied for holding first planking strips