Last year I was sheathing a roof on a
chilly November afternoon. It was cold
enough that the nail gun I was using
was slowing down a bit—the drive
stroke and the return stroke of the piston
were two distinct sounds. At the
time I didn't understand why an air gun
slows down when it's cold, and right
then I wasn't too interested. The job
kept me busy—at least until the drive
stroke didn't return and I was left with
most of the roof left to sheath and a
gun spouting a steady stream of air. I
finished the day with a hammer and
fell short of the estimate.
Afterwards, I expected to be working
my