Automatic - See Trips

BCS - Actually stands for Bostitch Calwire Staple; named after a company we bought in the early 60's that put us in the nailing business. These letters simply indicate that the fastener is heavy duty.

Bumper - Special rubber like material that absorbs extra energy from the piston at the bottom of its stroke. Its purpose is to prevent tool damage from high pressure.

Breathing Magazine - New staplers have magazines that breathe. That means they can move back enough to allow a jammed staple to be expelled. Bottom line...they don't jam.

Canister - Part of the tool that holds coils of nails in coil nailers

CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) - Measurement of air volume either used by a tool or produced by the compressor. For compressors it represents the output if the compressor were perfect (i.e. no friction, etc.) Also see SCFM.

Coating - Special proprietary polymer coating that acts as a lubricant as the fastener is driven and then adds extra holding power once driven. Most heavy duty fasteners are coated for extra holding power.

Coil Nails - Nails that are collated in a coil, usually by wire or plastic.

Collated - How fasteners are held together in coils or strips. Mostly either wire, glue, plastic or tape. We use primarily wire or glue

Contact Trip - See Trips

Contractor Night - Similar to the Demo Day except this is usually a private, invitation only affair that is scheduled after hours when the store closes for the day. Purpose is to demo products and show latest revisions, accessories, specialty trips, etc.

Crown - Distance from one leg to another in a staple.

Cylinder - Highly polished cylinder in which the piston/driver assembly moves up and down.

Demo Day - Day set aside at the dealer allowing the Stanley-Bostitch rep a chance to demonstrate products to contractors or anyone else who shows up. Often combined with other vendors as well. Refreshments are usually served.

Dial-A-Depth - Device that allows the operator to dial the depth to which the fastener can be driven.

Double Fire - Tools are very fast and sometimes if not used properly, can be made to drive two fasteners in rapid sequence so fast that it seems only one has been driven.

Driver - Internal part of the tool that drives fastener.

Exhaust - Where the air leaves the tool during the upstroke of the piston.

Head (nail) - Top part of the nail that sits on the surface. There are full head, notched head clipped head and others. We use full round heads on coil nails and a notched heads on wire collated stick nails

Head Valve - Assembly in the tool cap that opens when the trigger is pulled, allowing air to enter the cylinder.

Jam - When a fastener become wedged or stuck in the nose of the tool. Usually caused by trying to drive the wrong fastener or by driving one fastener on top of another.

Laddering - Term used to describe a situation in which each successive nail stands up a little more than the previous one. Usually a result of too little airflow (CFM).

Leg - The part of the staple that penetrates the wood.

Magazine - Part of tool that holds fasteners in stick nailers and staplers.

Pawl - Special pusher used in coil nailers, usually attached to small air piston. It feeds nails into the nose.

Penny - It is derived from pence (d), an old term used in England. Referred to the cost of 100 nails. Today, we use penny in reference to length only.

Piston - Attaches to the driver that moves up and down to drive nail.

Point - The end of the nail or staple leg that penetrates the wood. Most common points are diamond, blunt diamond, chisel, blunt chisel, and divergent

Power - Level Amount of power designed in each tool. Higher power level, more power.

Pressure - Amount of force used to push air through system. Measured in PSI or pressure per square inch.

Pressure Drop - Similar to voltage drop in electricity. Air is forced through the system (airflow) by pressure. There is a pressure drop (a drop in pressure - PSI) in proportion to the length and diameter the airline. The formula looks like this:

Length of Airline X Velocity of air squared /25000 X Diameter of airline

Pusher - Spring loaded device that pushes fasteners into place regardless of angle of tool.

Repair Day - Day set aside at the dealer to perform preventative maintenance on tools. Contractors are notified in advance to bring tools in. If they buy one box of fasteners, then they can get the rubber parts (O rings, bumpers, etc.) at no additional cost. Usually performed by at least two people: the rep, and either another Stanley-Bostitch rep or a participating Warranty Repair Center.

SCFM (Standard Cubic Feet Per Minute) - Air volume actually delivered at the discharge area of the compressor. Use this to evaluate compressors.

Sequential Trip (See Trips)

Stan-Tech - Product line (sub-brand) created to sell through tool houses and distributors who sell to the industrial markets. Stan-Tech is now obsolete.

Stick Nails - Nails that are collated in strips or “sticks" with either wire or plastic.

Tacker - Another name for light duty stapler or brad nailer.

Trigger - Device that when pulled activates the Head Valve and which starts the cycle.

Trigger Actuated (See Trips)

Trips - Device on nose of tool that prevents tool from being activated unless it is in contact with the material.

• Automatic Tool is automatic. Just hold the trigger and the machine will continue to drive fasteners at speed set by the operator.
• Contact Trip Won't activate when trigger is pulled but will activate when trigger is pulled AND tool is tapped along the surface.
• Sequential Trip Won't activate unless tool is in contact with the material and the trigger is pulled. In that sequence. Usually, identified with a -2 or ST in the nomenclature
• Trigger Actuation Tool activates by simply pulling the trigger. No trip of any kind is on the tool. This trip is never used on more powerful tools like nailers, etc.

Volume Amount of air that can go through a tool or system. Similar to airflow, measured in CFM or cubic feet per minute.