Nail gun questions

[fast one]

I'm looking to get a nail gun to make life alittle easier. I'm not sure what I need to look for though. I'm looking for a nail gun to do molding work. I plan on taking on a crown molding job soon. I'm constantly redoing base board molding and 1/4" round molding alot as I have a few apartments I take care of.

What is a brad nail gun? I understand that it is a smaller gauge nail gun by why is it called a brad?

What gauge finish gun would be best for what I want to do?

And what length nails should I use? I would like to find a size that I can use for everything.

I'm also looking to buy a cheap miter saw, I don't need alot of fancy adjustments just a basic miter saw, any recomenditions or things I should watch out for?

Thank you for any advice.

 

[ghnl]

Brad nailer is a small finish nail. I have a brad nailer that takes 1/2" - 1 1/4" brads. A finish nailer uses larger finish nails. Mine takes 1 1/4" - 1 3/4 or 2" nails. I use the brad nailer for small mouldings on cabinetry and the finsh nailer for house trim (doors/windows/baseboards) and for some cabinetry assembly.

Before you buy a nail gun check the price & availability of the nails. In the long run you will spend a lot more on nails (that's where the nail gun manufacturers plan to make their money). If the brand nails you need are difficult to obtain and you run out on a Saturday evening you'll curse their unavailabilty...

 

[Hank McMauser]

finish nails are generally 16 ga wire, you can get them angled or straight collated straight is cheaper, but sometimes the angled magazine allows you to get into tighter spots more readily.(think toenails)
Brads are 18 ga ,alittle bit thinner than their 16 ga cousin they only come as straight collated that I'm aware of. This is what I use for putting up modling/trim.
They are usually even less expensive than the 16 ga nails. (I've goten them Wholesale for less than $2.00/box on a closeout).I usually just buy 2" and for the occasion I need shorter nails, I just cut the whole strip down to the desired length with a good pr of tin snips.
As for the miter saw, I'm running a 10" compound ryobi I picked up on black friday a few yrs ago for $69.00,I'm also running their drills that were $39.00 with the circ saw & 1 battery per kit(got 2 kits)

 

[crewchief888]

i picked up a porter cable 3 nailer & compressor combo kit from HD over the winter.

hd stocks a couple brands of nails/ stables for the porter cable guns.


been working fine for past 6 months for round the house uses

 

[fast one]

I have a small craftsman 1gallon compressor, I would like to avoid buying a compressor.

What size gauge should I buy?

Thank you for the help guys

 

[ghnl]

The nail guns needs air pressure - not so much air volume. Unless you are nailling repetively & very fast a small compressor that has ~ 100 psi should be fine. A larger compressor would be needed to run multiple nail guns or lots of fast nailing (roofers often nail very fast but trim carpenters are slower because they're more precise in nail placement).

 

[Hank McMauser]

the small guns don't require much volume, I've shot about 10 1-1/4" staples 1/4 crown staples with just the air left in the 50 ft hose after forgetting I closed the valve at the compressor.

 

[mdbeck1]

I've got a two gallon pancake compressor that runs my air nailers. I've got a framer, finish nailer, and brad/stapler. The framer seems to need a higher pressure to work right. It works fine until right before the compressor kicks in then it will leave a couple nails up half an inch. After the compressor runs up it's fine. I usually just drive the nails in with a hammer and go on.

On the trim nailer... Select your sizes by calculating the length required. For trim that is 1/2" thick you will need an inch or inch and a quarter nail. If you have to go through sheetrock add another half an inch or more.

 

[blue dog]

most widely used finish guns run 15 gauge nails and as far as brad gun, 18 gauge is typical, Pick up a 15 gauge gun that shoots up to 2 1/2 " and 18 gauge gun that shoots up to 2" and you will be covered very well. Lots up choices in guns, new senco guns are ****, old ones are great, porter cable, hitachi, bostich, the list goes on, your budget will help you decide what you need. Good luck.

 

[fast one]

I'm not worried about air volume at all with this, I don't plan on nailing away non stop the compressor will have time to build back up as needed.

Will 18 gauge be okay or is that to small?

Thank you

 

[back2class]

I have a bunch. You want an angle finish nailer. Brad nailers have their place, but they are TINY and the will be better for what you describe. I had one generic china one and it worked ok for a few years seeing use a few days a month. I somehow ended up with a Harbor freight one (long story) and it has been good so far, though unloading nails is a pain on this unit. I run a Craftsman (rebadged senco I think) framing nailer and CH and Stanley Brad nailers. The CH is a piece of ****.

 

[dwm]

Ditto on the angle finish nailer; you'll need it for some crown moulding.

Crown moulding can be tricky if your miter saw is junk. Actually, it can be tricky even with a good saw. You'll get the hang of it, but for the first couple of jobs I'd buy plenty of extra pieces. New work is easier than old where you're dealing with uneven walls, corners that might be far from 90 degrees, etc. And I'd probably buy a crown moulding jig for the saw; it makes the cuts easier to get right on a Saturday morning when that first cup of coffee hasn't kicked in yet. I like the Kreg Crown-Pro.

 

[Coach James]

I have a 8 year old CH 2 gallon compressor and a Bostich 18ga brad nailer. They work fine together and are A+ for molding.

A friend of mine has a PC brad nailer and likes it as well.

Coach

 

[64merc]

In a perfect world I would buy both an 18 gauge brad nailer and a 15 or 16 gauge finish nailer. If you can only buy one, I would get the finish nailer (angled if possible).

 

[gabeancounter]

15 GA - flooring nailer
16 GA - Base mold , crown
18 GA - shoe mold, base cap
23 GA - pin nailer for fine trim , multiple layers etc

 

[onemoretry]

You could go Paslode and not even need the compressor. I haven't used their finish nailer, but I love the framing nailer with no hose or heavy (there is a small one) battery.