The Woodworker & Woodturner – August 2019

FURTHER INFORMATION

To find out more about Atelier Cabinet Makers,

see their website:

http://www.ateliercabinetmakers.com

http://www.getwoodworking.com August 2019 The Woodworker & Good Woodworking 23

the workshop for fitting decorative cornices

or plinths. With the DCN680D2-GB, however,

which is more compact overall, I have to admit

that I didn’t experience any issues as a result

of its smaller stature, and for a majority of uses,

I found it to be a perfect replacement to lugging

an air compressor upstairs.

In use

This nailer has some excellent features, including

the fact it can accept 18Ga nails in lengths from

15-54mm. I fired lots of 50mm nails into solid

oak and found the DCN680D2-GB to handle

this with ease and excellent consistency. There

is a depth adjustment that changes the depth

at which the fastener is driven, and this is a

useful feature especially for use in temporary

applications where the nail heads can be left

proud of the surface and pulled out or knocked

in later. The nailer has sequential and bump

firing modes, which gives the user the option of

a faster firing rate when the bump fire mode is

selected. In this configuration, the trigger is held

compressed and the nailer fires when the contact

trip is depressed. This option is best suited for

the nailing of large, flat stationary surfaces. I

tried firing a lot of varied size nails into different

timbers and sheet material and didn’t experience

any nail jams. If a jam does occur in the nosepiece,

the right-hand headlight will blink continuously. To

un-jam is an easy, tool-free process: you simply

remove the battery, engage the trigger lock off,

remove the nails from the magazine and then

The DCN680D2-GB offers great versatility

in a compact, portable design

Using the DCN680D2-GB to fix a wardrobe cornice

Loading the nail magazine, which takes 15-54mm
18Ga nails

Using the finish nailer to fix a wardrobe kicker
plinth in place

The nail heads have been left exposed using the

firing depth adjustment; this enables removal of

nails for temporary applications

lift the jam clear latch on the front of the nailer,

which removes the bent nail. When I thought I’d

experienced a jam (which didn’t turn out to be

the case after all), the nailer refused to fire and

this is a clever dry fire lock out feature. This has

to be one of my favourites as it prevents the nailer

from firing before running out of fixings. With

other nailers, I’ve found this to be a real nuisance

and allows continuous firing, even though you

may have ran out of fixings 15 shots or more

ago. The magazine of the DCN680D2-GB,

however, holds a maximum of 110 nails.

There are two headlights that clearly illuminate

the fixing area, hard-wearing rubber bump pads

on the nailer body as well as a large belt hook.

The charger has colour light charge indicators and

is compatible with other DeWalt 10.8V/14.4V/18V

batteries. Switching between sequential and

bump firing modes is achieved by engaging the

indicator switch, which is situated at the bottom

of the grip between the headlights. This switch

has pictorial indicators to show multi or single

nails, and allows you to see which mode you

have currently selected. The nailer stands

well on the battery pack, or can lay flat on its side.

SPECIFICATION

Weight: 2.6kg

Voltage: 18V

Nail diameter: 1.25mm (18Ga)

Magazine angle: 0°

Magazine load: Rear

Magazine capacity: 110 nails

Trigger type: Sequential & bump

(up to four nails per second)

Length × width × height: 302 × 96mm × 264mm

Fault indicator: Ye s

Typical prices: DCN680D2-GB kit – £533;

DCN680N-XJ (body-only tool without batteries,

T-Stak case or charger) – £391

Web: http://www.dewalt.co.uk

THE VERDICT

PROS

(^) Excellent nailing capabilities even
with 50mm nails in solid oak; balanced
ergonomic design and comfortable to use;
fully mechanical – no gas needed; cordless
and battery packs compatible with all
other 18V XR power tools; easy tool-free
clearing of any clogged nails; adjustable
depth of drive; safety trigger and contact
trip lock off
CONS
(^) May be too bulky for some applications
in tight areas
RATING: 4.5 out of 5
Conclusion
Overall I was very impressed with the
performance of the DCN680D2-GB and would
use this in my work on a regular basis. For many
applications, I found it to be a great time saver
and definitely easier than having to deal with
a compressor. The noise level is loud and when
using it, you’re advised to wear ear protection,
but this is to be expected with any type of nailer.
I would highly recommend this tool to anyone
looking for a cordless/gas-free finish nailer in
the 18Ga category. It offers great versatility and
portability in a compact and ergonomic footprint,
and I have no hesitation in saying that in my
opinion, it is one of the top competing cordless
finish nailer models currently on the market.