When I need to set a nail that is Just out of reach of my hands but not my hammer, I lengthen my reach with a board with a small kerf in its end (see drawing). I wedge a nail into the kerf, and then hold the nail on the target until I can set the nail with a couple of hammer taps. This technique is safer than the contorted acrobatics that I’ve seen some carpenters resort to, and quicker than setting up a ladder.
Rick Hatten, Bainbridge Island, WA
