Anyone Use a Cordless Nailgun?

[DarrenUK]

I used to have a DeWalt cordless nail gun and it was great, saved loads of time, quick, easy and a neat finish. Highly recommended.

[el-John-o]

Originally Posted by Huntn

For only pressurizing this unit two times I was amazed at how wet the air was when I purged the tank. And after it was empty, water dripped out. Thanks!



Just curious, how much did your kit cost? Mine was $220. It came with two guns, a 15 gauge finish nailer and an 18 gauge brad nailer. So far the guns work well. The compressor builds to 140psi, the manual says the guns need 70 psi to funtion, and I can shoot about 10 nails before it kicks back on. This Hitachi compressor has a turn purge valve, very easy to operate. My only concern would be that the parts of the gun that hold the nails appears to be made of plastic. I guess this might be an issue. How about the DeWalt guns?

I actually got it as a gift, sorry. I've only used the nailer once (I actually just wanted a compressor, but it was a Christmas deal with the kit, cheaper than the compressor alone). So I don't recall the cost. But yes, the nails are held on with a metal bracket. However, I don't think I'd be too worried about the plastic unless you were a contractor pushing thousands of nails day in and day out. The work is done up in front, the plastic just holds the nails.

As far as how it works? Well, I'm not an expert, but it did everything I asked it to do. I used it as a brad nailer for some trim, worked well along with an old long hose I've had for a while. Had the compressor in the garage and the hose draped across the house. It's nice to not have the headache of a noisy compressor. (Although, the dewalt compressor is surprisingly quiet, but it still makes noise!)

I'd love to have a garage compressor like the other poster mentioned. But man they don't come cheap!

[mtbdudex]

Originally Posted by Huntn

For the Paslode, where is the battery? The ones I've seen in the store, the battery is at the end of the handle.

Yep - in the handle, and it lasts all day long, never had it quit out on me.

[designs216]

[QUOTE=Huntn;16684498]I found that painful to watch. I don't know why but after watching this video it brought to mind, one of my favorite displays of using a nailgun in an unorthodox manner in The Island (Movie) when a nailgun was used to staple a bad guy's hand to door. Also found this interesting Movies Tagged With Nail Gun list.

Here we go. Here's my favorite nail-gun-in-movie clip.

BTW, have you considered renting this sort of seldom-used equipment?

[Huntn]

Originally Posted by designs216

Here we go. Here's my favorite nail-gun-in-movie clip.

BTW, have you considered renting this sort of seldom-used equipment?

Wait a minute, I remember that scene and now that I have a nail gun I have to ask was that a battery powered unit? And did he press it against the guys head prior to pulling the trigger? And where were his safety glasses? I still like The Island application better.

I've not checked the cost of daily rental, but I assume it's in the range of $15-20 a day. I have a large project that involves many rooms and I'm just not that efficient. For my situation it's just easier to own the tool.

[designs216]

Originally Posted by Huntn

I've not checked the cost of daily rental, but I assume it's in the range of $15-20 a day. I have a large project that involves many rooms and I'm just not that efficient. For my situation it's just easier to own the tool.

Yeah, you're probably right. The gun will make the quarter-round easier, especially under counter overhangs and you'll have no cat-faces to patch. Good luck.

[notjustjay]

I would consider renting larger air tools, like a framing nailer or a good quality flooring nailer, but a pin nailer is so inexpensive (and so handy!) that if you've got a compressor, you might as well own one.

And yeah, those movie clips are definitely missing something important...

[Huntn]

Originally Posted by notjustjay

I would consider renting larger air tools, like a framing nailer or a good quality flooring nailer, but a pin nailer is so inexpensive (and so handy!) that if you've got a compressor, you might as well own one.

And yeah, those movie clips are definitely missing something important...

It would be hard to go back...

[oldgeezer]

Try this bad boy. You can put up panelling from the comfort of your easy chair.

[Huntn]

Originally Posted by oldgeezer

Try this bad boy. You can put up panelling from the comfort of your easy chair.

Attachment 393126

Hah!

I was putting up some chipboard dividers in my attic today for beefing up my insulation (to keep the blown in stuff out of where I walk). I got some roofing nails for the job, could not easily get the nails to set in the board, hit my thumb on the first nail and then immediately went and got my nail gun. A below in headwork.

[Huntn]

Never mind, I found it: Power Source: air-powered

I'm liking my nail gun so much, I've been browsing around at framing nailers. I found this Stanley Bostitch U/F33PT Round Head 1-1/2-inch to 3-1/2-inch Framing Nailer on Amazon, but I don't see where it says what powers it? Would it be safe to assume pneumatic although it does not show a pneumatic connector? I know there are gas powered guns as in ignited gas, not pneumatic.

[notjustjay]

It's got the same air fitting as every other nail gun, it's just hidden in that picture behind the black clip.

Slippery slope... !

I would just caution you to be careful when using larger nailguns. They have the potential to ricochet or exit the wood in unexpected places (because nails can follow the grain of the wood). Once you start getting into the higher-powered nailguns, you also start to hear all the horror stories.

Keep both hands well clear of wherever you plan to fire the nail, use the safety features, don't "bump-fire", and take your time.

[Huntn]

Originally Posted by notjustjay

It's got the same air fitting as every other nail gun, it's just hidden in that picture behind the black clip.

Slippery slope... !

I would just caution you to be careful when using larger nailguns. They have the potential to ricochet or exit the wood in unexpected places (because nails can follow the grain of the wood). Once you start getting into the higher-powered nailguns, you also start to hear all the horror stories.

Keep both hands well clear of wherever you plan to fire the nail, use the safety features, don't "bump-fire", and take your time.

I assume for framing, I'd want a round headed nail gun? Do the framing nail guns have a mechanism that requires they be pressed against the wood to fire? I assume they do.
Thanks!

[notjustjay]

Originally Posted by Huntn

I assume for framing, I'd want a round headed nail gun? Do the framing nail guns have a mechanism that requires they be pressed against the wood to fire? I assume they do.
Thanks!

I couldn't tell you about the benefits or applications of round head vs clipped head, other than to say that the framing nailer I used was a clipped-head variety. Fun and fast, but like firing a real gun, you learn to respect its power and potential danger!

Most of these nailguns operate the same way, with a safety switch that must have pressure applied to it, and then the trigger. The safest way to operate the gun is in that exact order -- you position the gun where you want the nail to be inserted, press the gun down firmly on the surface to activate the safety, then pull the trigger to shoot the nail. Framing nailers work the same way.

However, most also have a "bump fire" mode which works the exact opposite way: you hold down the trigger, and then you repeatedly move the nailgun to where you want the nails to shoot, and every time the pressure switch is triggered, the gun shoots a nail. It's great for rapidly shooting a bunch of nails down an edge, every 12 inches for example. Just hold down the trigger and bounce the nailer down the line, bump-bump-bump.

The problem is, as you may discover when you use this mode, sometimes you accidentally double-bounce the gun off the surface (instead of "bump" it's more of a "bu-bump") and that will cause two nails to get shoot into almost exactly the same spot. Where will the second nail go? That's hard to predict; if you're lucky it will sink in parallel to the first one, but it might also bounce right off the first one and go flying, or it might crack the wood and start following the grain, bending along the way. You'll sometimes see that happen when you fire a nail and see that it exits the wood in a direction you didn't expect.

There is a similar risk if you are trying to shoot a nail, say, through a hole in a metal plate, and you miss the hole and send the nail right into the plate. It could bounce off and go flying.

The bigger framing nails are shot at higher power and can do much more damage if the errant nail ends up flying into your hand or worse, back up into your face. Also, the bigger nailers are heavier, increasing the risk that as your arm gets tired, you start positioning it less accurately.

That's why I would caution not to use bump-fire mode (at least at first); slow down, take your time, position the nailer exactly where you want it, take a moment to make sure your hands are clear, then fire away.

[Huntn]

Originally Posted by notjustjay

I couldn't tell you about the benefits or applications of round head vs clipped head, other than to say that the framing nailer I used was a clipped-head variety. Fun and fast, but like firing a real gun, you learn to respect its power and potential danger! ...

I read that some locals require round head nails for framing because they hold better? Thanks for all the other advice. I checked out framing nailers at the hardware store and holy smokes, they look like heavy brutes!

[CrickettGrrrl]

Had to think of this thread a couple days ago when I used my old Porter-Cable finish nailer & pancake compressor on shoe moldings. It's over 7 years old now I think, and split it with my brother who had it for the past 9 months. I unscrewed the little valve at the bottom of the compressor to release the moisture and found a little rust mixed in, thanks bro! So definitely don't get lazy about discharging the compressor if you want it to last. My brother also got a framing nailer to use --but I haven't used it, scary. I've used the pancake compressor with a paint gun too on large mural projects although not the most ideal type of compressor for that, but it really helped in a pinch.

[mtbdudex]

Those framing guns that shoot 3 1/2 " nails can be deadly.
Back when I was framing my basement walls I was toeing some nails in mid wall height with my dad holding on other end....so stupid on my part 1 nail instead of going into the stud went flying just past my dad.
I'd never forgive myself if something happened, lesson learned for me and shared for others, always be aware.