Customer Reviews

Bench Dog Joist-Loc Hanger Bracket Installation Tool #10-007

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Let me start by saying I have 6 items from Bench Dog including a router table, fence, lift, pro top table etc.. all of which are outstanding quality. Bench Dog should be embarassed to put their name on this "tool". The concept is a good one, but whoever designed it is obviously not going to use it. Basically all this item is is an adjustable T-square that gets attached to a header or ledger board and is supposed to free both your hands to nail off a joist hanger. The problem is it was designed with 4 teeth approxiamately 1/8 of an inch long to hold it on the header. As soon as you start a nail the thing bounces right off your header. It also has 4 holes on it so you can attach it more securely to the header with nails or screws, but that kind of defeats the purpose of speeding up the job. I just framed out a deck with 240 joist hangers and if I used screws or nails to hold this thing in place it doubles your work. Then to top it off after about 200 joist hangers the 4 teeth were bending flat which made this thing totally useless. My solution: I welded two tico nails into two of the holes on the frame and that held it really well. Bottom line, don't waste your time, money or effort with this contraption.

I too have some very useful Bench Dog products in my shop, but this one will never see our tool truck. For one, most framers install the joist hangers after the joists are hung and toenailed. Secondly, a simple small joist block with a second block on top (think "T") with an overhang and a duplex nail on top will do the same thing as this for next to nothing. Save your money on this item and buy featherboards for your router table.

I had no trouble using this tool once I played to see what works and what doesn't . If you set the teeth into the wood while still holding it, it works best (wish they were a bit longer too). Then grab the joist hanger and with one hand squeeze it on to the tongue of the tool. Tap in the teeth of the joist hanger while you are holding the hanger. Then you can let go of everything. The tools perfectly aligns the hanger; and now just fasten the hanger. I like to use screws so the little clip on the hanger doesn't bounce out. Nails work ok too but you have to hold the hanger. I just did a deck with an old carpenter and he was skeptical at first, when I was finished he said he never had joist sit so perfectly, they just slid in with a few taps.