Basically, V-Nailing is the driving of a V-shaped nail into the wood at the back of a frame so that the two wings imbed themselves on either side of the seam that is created when the two miters are pressed together to form the frame's corner. The nail holds the corner together, assembling the frame. V-Nailing has an advantage over traditional side-nailing in that the nail is driven behind the frame, eliminating the need to cosmetically cover up the nail head. It is both quicker and easier. V-Nails are not specific as to brand, meaning that any V-Nails will fit into any V-Nail tool you may have - you don't have to have a specific V-Nail for a specific brand.
If you want a V-Nailing system that includes a clamp, the least expensive option is the Logan Studio Joiner. This combination press and driving head comes with a corner clamp for holding the miters together while the nail is driven. It utilizes a magnetic nose that holds the V-nail and retracts into a spring loaded hole as the collar presses down on the nail, but it provides additional driving force by way of a lever handle and is therefore reliable for driving hard woods as well as soft and medium woods.
The beam that holds the driving head can be adjusted up and down on parallel posts to allow for superior driving power on different thicknesses of molding. It comes with an assortment of about 50 hard and soft wood V-Nails in 3/8" size. But the Logan Studio Joiner has one notable drawback. The distance between the driving posts does not allow frames wider than 2½" to be joined. While this is rarely an issue for those framing photography or art on paper (which seldom involves using a frame wider than 2½"), it could be a concern for those framing oil paintings or larger works demanding ornate mouldings.
For them the best value can be found with the Framing4Yourself Elite Joiner, an expanded version of the Logan Studio Joiner with posts set further apart, allowing frames up to 3½" wide to be joined. As with the Logan Studio Joiner, the press is easy to operate and versatile, capable of driving soft and hard woods. However, the Elite Joiner includes a 4ft x 4ft band clamp for clamping the molding together in the shape of a frame prior to nailing. When it comes to value and versatility, it's hard to beat the Framing4Yourself Elite Joiner.
A band clamp like the one included in the Elite Joiner has some advantages over a corner clamp. Corner clamping does not allow the user to see all four corners of the frame fitted securely against each other prior to nailing. Only when all four corners of a frame are fitted together can one make a thorough examination of the seams to be sure no sanding is required. Logan's suggested method of aligning the sections and running a finger over the miter surfaces prior to placing them in the corner clamp is serviceable but not as sure-fire as pre-clamping with a good quality high-tension band clamp like the Pony Band Clamp. Customers who purchase a joiner that only includes a corner clamp, like the Studio Joiner, are wise to make an additional purchase of the Pony Strap Clamp and solve the problem at a nominal additional price.
Yet even being able to secure the frame does not solve another problem inherent in laying the frame on its face for nailing: potential damage to the delicate surfaces of highly ornamented frames or those constructed of fragile adornments in compo. For these frames the nail must be driven up from under, a process called "under-pinning". Logan's Pro Joiner is an underpinner.
In the Logan Pro Joiner the frame is clamped face up and adjusted for nail placement and drive force. By pressing the lever, the clamped frame is lowered down to meet the V-Nails which are held in a magnetic cartridge. The cartridge drives two v-nails simultaneously into the wood as the lever is pressed down. The Pro Joiner easily penetrates hard or medium/soft woods and comes with an assortment of V-Nails. The corner clamp is built right into the press.
