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Air Framing Nail Guns

Started by SawBilly, January 29, 2003, 08:01:20 PM

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SawBilly

Does anyone have an opinion on framing nail guns, round head vs clipped head? Manufacture's brands? new/used/ebay?

I have a good compressor, use it for sand blasting and would like to spend my tax money on a nailer so I can build with all the lumber I am making!!  

My dad has a couple of finish nailers and some staple guns, seems fitting to complete the set with a framer, and considering when I drive a nail with a hammer I either hit my thumb, bend the nail or miss and damage the wood!

SawBilly

Larry

Clipped head nails are not approved in many locations so check your local building codes.  I have a Bostich stick nailer that shoots clipped head nails and it will be starting its third house next year or so.  Have never had any problems with it but if I do they are easy to rebuild and a lot of service places in the country.  My finish nailers are Senco and I think they are the ultimate.

Larry
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

Tom

I'm not going to be much help because I'm in the "want" stage too.  I have a customer with a Paslode nailer that works off of Butane.  It's the neatest thing I've ever seen.  Probably because I'm such a neophyte to nailers.  This thing uses a butane can, like you might have used to refil cigarette lighters, and a battery.  The butane loads a cylinder and the spark from the battery fires it causing the nail to be driven.  It's real strong and you don't need electricity, air or anything that you can't carry in your pocket.

It's the one his wife is using in the barn building picture.



Maybe I was excited over something mundane, but I thought it was pretty neat. :)

Don P

Nah, they're neat Tom, no lugging hoses and compressor. I got the 5 horse 220 compressor sitting in the living room now, that Paslode is looking pretty good :D  I can outshoot that gun by a large margin on subfloor and sheathing though.
But being terminally cheap, I have a Bostitch N80S that is experienced, probably about 50 houses on it. I've only been under the hood a few times and have dropped it from very great heights, used it as a hammer and thrown it down a time or two, just because. Its pecking out but it doesn't owe me a thing. A crew I ran into this summer didn't even know what model it was, I thought it was right modern, but I keep rebuilding the '80 Dodge too :D  Most of the big names make pretty good guns, I prefer a stick to a coil and a clipped head allows more shots per load.  If you think it hurts when you miss with the hammer, hold on to your hat! My tax money always seems to be headed the other direction :-/.

Minnesota_boy

SawBilly
How much building are you planning to do?  A cheap nailer will do several houses/barns/sheds while a good one might do hundreds.  In 10 years your cheap one may be junk, but you can afford a new one then.  You would still be stuck with the expensive one because it still won't be worn out. :D
I eat a high-fiber diet.  Lots of sawdust!

Norm

I might as well throw in my 2 cents worth of advice. I have a clipped head and a full round head nailer, I personally like the round head one better. The clipped head one doesn't seem to drive them as consistently as the round head one. Keep in mind the clipped head one is a Cambell-Hausfeld which I wouldn't ever buy again and the round head is a Hitachi. I used to have the Bostich stick model and was real happy with it. It and a few other tools disappeared from a house I was helping frame so I decided after seeing another guys Hitachi to get it as it's replacement.

Noble_Ma

I have a Hitachi finish nailer that I've had for twelve years with no problems.  I have a Porter Cable FR350 framing nailer that shoots full head nails.  I bought it reconditioned for $150 and it's been great so far.

Haytrader

Have a friend that sells Paslode and have a 1 inch wide stapler that put many many shingles on and has built many trusses. Have done the O ring thing a few times and it still shoots fine after 15 years.
Big nailer is a Paslode also and shoots clipped head. Keep the air dry and squirt a little oil in each day and all makes will last a long time.
Haytrader

Weekend_Sawyer

I have the Porter Cable FR350, will not do framing with out it.
It also shoots aluminum twist nails for decking, works great.

Warning, My brother buried a nail in the fleshy part of his hand between thumb and forefinger trying to toenail. Yes he felt stupid after he finished hopping around on one foot  8)

Thas all I got to say about that...
Imagine, Me a Tree Farmer.
Jon, Appalachian American Wannabe.

Frank_Pender

I use a Hitachi full round head nailer.  Of course the compressor was an issure until I got a portable unit and not I acan drive nails all over the farm, by just putting it and a hundred feet of hose into the Gator, but not into any trees. :D
Frank Pender

Texas Ranger

My part of Texas uses a lot of Duofast guns, I have three, from a framing gun to a brad driver.  Framing gun is at least 25 years old, rebuilt every year or so, and keeping right on.  Round head or clipped.  Heavy use.  But, Duofast keeps them running to sell the nails.
The Ranger, home of Texas Forestry

Mtnjack

Paslode hands doen unless you want to drag compressor everywhere.Paslode goes to barn to sawmill shed and home as easy as you carry a hammer.Does not have capicity sp as others but is now a cant live with out tool in our bussiness.Has not broken down in 3 yrs. Mtn Jack

johncinquo

I use a paslode 350 and have only had a problem caused by myself, hitting a steel plate behind a board.  Oiling was mentioned, and I will add to that with this thought.  Buy the automatic in line oiler.  You fill it with oil every few days depending on use.  It plugs in line right behind the gun.  does not add hardly any weight.  I took the gun in to get it fixed and the shop guys said they had not seen a gun that looked so good on the inside and had been used as much as mine.  It was obviously not new by looking at it, but the cylinder and mechanisms and seals were like new.  If you oil your gun in the morning and use it all day, by the afternoon there will not be any of that oil in the gun still.  The auto oiler keeps feeding oil all day long.  Nothing will extend the life of your gun no matter what brand you buy like this attachment.  Except maybe not dropping it off the ladder, but that is another story!
To be one, Ask one
Masons and Shriners

JeffS

Not that its worth much but my personal preference in pneumatic nailers is in the line of stanley/bostich bar nun.  Clipped head or round head nails seem to be similar in consistancy, depth of shot, and holding strength, only thing is you get many more shots per load with clipped head.  I have worked with many types of nailers and would definitaly recomend the bostich.  Paslode are great nailers and tough but the speed is not there and they are very expensive to opperate.

Jeff S   8)
If you can't inspire them with information or dazel them with details, baffel them with Bull S#!t.

dan-l-b

Hey Hey Hey, I use a Bostich stick like JeffS.  I stopped using it for stud framing however.  Like weekend sawyer I saw  a guy put a nail through his hand stud framing.  Watching his partner pull it out still makes me quesy :o :o Good Luck Dan

Larry

Couple things on safety.  Most of the guns have two types of triggers.  The first and most common is for bounce firing where you just hold the trigger down and bounce the gun.  The second type you have to pull the trigger for each nail.  Much safer but a lot slower.

When working alone besides having a framing hammer hanging from my belt I also keep 9" Klein's in my pouch just in case I have to cut the head off a nail to remove my hand from a board.  A cell phone on your belt is also a good idea.  Fortunatly never have had to use the Klein's. :)
Larry
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

Texas Ranger

When I was with the forest service we were building a new office.  One of the builders shot his hand to the wall at the top plate, and was standing there till I walked in to check on the job.  Took a while to get him down.  No  permament damage, but a solid lesson on using the safety, which he had wired back.
The Ranger, home of Texas Forestry

Don P

 I've shot myself...several times, been shot by others...a couple of times, and seen several people shoot themselves. I don't think it was ever intentional :-/. Most of the time it was on bounce fire. Human nature is to push the gun tightly against the workpiece and fire. If you "lock" yourself in this pushed position and fire, the first nail shoots, the gun blows you back in recoil, your locked muscles bring the gun back to the workpiece and you fire an accidental shot...normally a bit higher. Relax a bit and let the gun blow you back. The sound of a double shot while framing on the job always elicits a raised head from all around, and a "OK?" if your partner is out of sight.

Several times I've hit myself holding the workpiece at closer than a nail's length. I've had nails hit a grain and turn a complete 180 forming a "fishook". They deflect and blow out the side frequently, hold far enough away that it can't bite you if this happens. I've also shot through the workpiece right into my other hand...that was just plain stoopid ::). A friend did this and hit the median nerve and really messed up his hand.

One guy that double pumped and shot my watch also worked alongside me in a furniture plant. We had a rack of several guns beside our bench with different fasteners in each gun. These guns were hopped up and were hot, if held at the right tension they could bounce fire and empty an entire 75 shot magazine in several seconds. He had a bad habit of keeping his finger on the trigger as he holstered one gun and went for the next...he shot 2 guns to death. Stay in the habit of pulling your finger out of the ready if not shooting. People have shot themselves and those around them from just keeping their finger on the trigger. It is definitely a gun, its like being hit by half a 22, probably won't kill you but will sure P*** you off! Look at the picture above and imagine what would happen if that gun had trip fire and she came down the ladder with her finger on the trigger...it has happened.

Never run over the max pressure cast into the gun, a man was killed in a plant our service guys worked at when he inadvertantly plugged into an unregulated high pressure line.

One thing that came to mind is the collation on the nails. The Bostitch has wire holding the nails together, I like that, you can drop them, get 'em wet, throw them in your bags and still use them. Paper collation is more fragile and must be kept dry. I've pulled plastic out of my eyes every time I've used plastic collation, even with glasses on the stuff seems to bounce around everywhere.

Boy I didn't mean to be that long winded when I started :-/ Didn't mean to get that scarey, I think guns are great and do a better job than hand drives because you tend to use more fasteners, they split less, and you don't frail the work to death.



Curt_in_eastern_NC

Love my Paslode! Only complaint is the nail capacity. And I've not seen the auto oiler. I gotta look into that as I've been complacent in keeping mine oiled properly. Just saw a used one for sale today in our "Bargain Trader Magazine" for $200. Good deal. I can't imagine the problems I would have with my tennis elbow and arthritis if I didn't have a power nailer.

Corley5

I've got one of the gas operated Paslodes and love it.  Like was mentioned before.  It goes anywhere.  The nail capacity is lacking but it makes up for that in convenience.
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

dan-l-b

Don P, great safety advice :) :)  Thanks. 8)  Dan

SawBilly

Thanks for all the input guys. This really helps. As long as the tax man is nice to me (and my wife) I am going to get a bostich line gun, maybe a rebuilt from www.harbourfreight.com I have bought several of the Dewalt 14.4 volt cordless HAMMER drills. They seem to work well and don't cost nearly as much as a new one. Of course I haven't even looked yet to see if they have any.

You guys be careful working around Norm F. He may take your guns!! ;D ;D ;D

QuoteIt and a few other tools disappeared from a house I was helping frame so I decided after seeing another guys Hitachi to get it as it's replacement.

What did that guy say after you took his gun??

Just kidding Norm F. :)

Norm

Guess I should proof read my posts a little better.

My dad would've probably agreed with the original tho. Seems his tools had a way of disappearing too, sheesh with six kids why did I always get the blame for it ;D

Dugsaws

While we areon the subject of nailers what brand of brad nailers does anyone use or recommend as i am shopping for one to build projects around the house. :)
Doug

OneWithWood

I bought a Craftsman combo brad nailer and stapler a while back to finish my workshop.  Price was right and so far I have no complaints.
One With Wood
LT40HDG25, Woodmizer DH4000 Kiln

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