One of the foundations of expression work andrepair tasksis the need to tighten two objects together , and nails are frequently the fasteners of choice . For small jobs , such as hanging a moving-picture show on a paries , a regular hook hammer and some on the loose nails will do the conjuration , but if the task at hand is more involved or repetitive , you might want to purchase a nail triggerman , aka nailer . Because nail guns take a fraction of the clock time and cause involved in hammering nails by deal , they can transform a lengthy construction task into a significantly more manageable one .
That say , all nail guns are certainly not created adequate . It might seem like a nail triggerman is a nail shooter is a nail gun , but on the securities industry , you ’ll retrieve a variety show of distinctions between model , including magazine type , power source , kindle method acting and app . With so many option , it can be hard to peg down down exactly what nailer fit the needs of you and your project . Here ’s some information on each to help find the perfect nail hired gun for you .
Lock and Load
There are two major types of nailer magazines : volute and peg , both named for their outward appearance . In both kind , nails are held together in the clip by strips of paper , charge card or thin wire .
Stick
This nail - gun vogue utilize retentive strips of nails that have been collated in a straight line . Each pin ordinarily arrest between 20 and 40 nail and fits into an oblong powder store . Because stick nailer do n’t hold many nails at one time , they ’re idealistic for smaller projects that do n’t ask as many holdfast . Stick cartridges are also sturdy than their helix counterparts , allowing for multiple clips to conform to into a tool belt without as much peril of damage the collating material . Stick nailers also tend to be less expensive than similarly designed coil nailers .
Coil
In a coil magazine , nails are collate in long , elastic string section that wrap around themselves , creating a rotary cartridge that fits into the nail gun ’s spherical powder store . This compact blueprint allows these nailers to have many more nails per cartridge — between 150 and 350 — though you ante up for the convenience : In addition to the added weight , coil - style nailers can be up to twice as much as stick - style nail guns . This is why these guns tend to be well suit to commercial applications . Additionally , the coils are more slight than the sticks , and if a helix gets crushed , it might not in good order feed into the gun .
Hammer Time
Nail hitman can also be divided into two major types based on hammer power source : pneumatic and combustion . Both types come their actual motor index from either barrage fire or a household AC flow .
Pneumatic
These nail guns are more vernacular than the cordless multifariousness , and they prevail their fastening power from an committed air compressor . The compressed air makes pneumatic nailer powerful tools , but they be given to be cumbersome due to the bulky breeze compressor and the hose that feeds aura into the gun . If you already own a compressor and plan to frequently use your nailer for a variety of tasks , a pneumatic throttle might be a good selection .
Combustion
Also called cordless nailers , these nail guns are powered by modest explosions , like to the burning locomotive in auto . A spark plug ignite a diminished amount of inflammable flatulency in a closed fuel cell , and the force of the result blast is large enough to drive the nail into the desired stuff . Because they do n’t require an attached air compressor , combustion nailer are ideal for light- to average - obligation jobs that require mobility and pep pill , though they lean to cost more than pneumatic nailers ( due to the convenience of being cordless ) and are slightly less powerful in the long run .
Trigger Happy
To fire a nail , all nailers have two controls that must be successfully activated : the safety impinging bakshis , which requires that a nail gun ’s nose be firmly pressed into a whole material to fervency , and a induction , which will fire a nail when pull . The tangency tip is an contribute safe caution to keep nailers from incidentally being discharged midair .
consort to “ Nail Gun Safety , ” a joint publication from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration , different induction trend stem from two major variable : in what lodge the two controls must be activated , if any , and how the nailer open fire extra nails after the initial fixing is release . The compounding of these variable result in four different type of initiation activation :
Full Sequential Trigger
The good gun trigger eccentric , a full sequential trigger will only give the axe a nail after the operator weight-lift the safety contact peak against a firm material and later pulls the trigger . To fire another nail , both the touch tip and the induction must be released and reactivate .
Contact trigger
nailer with this case of induction mechanics allow the contact tip and the induction to be activated in any order , leading to a technique called bump firing , where the tool ’s operator holds the induction in and repeatedly presses the contact confidential information against the workpiece , discharge a nail each time .
Single Sequential Trigger
This trigger trend requires the operator to press the safety contact lens against a solid stuff and then nip the induction to fire . However , unlike the full sequential trigger , it does not expect the contact confidential information to be unblock before firing another nail ; therefore , the nailer can be dragged across the study open and every puff of the trigger will fire an extra nail .
Single Actuation Trigger
The single - propulsion gun trigger elan is a combining of the contact and the single sequential induction : The nailer will sack one nail when the control are spark in any order , and the contact point does n’t have to be released to fire additional nails .
Best Laid Plans
in conclusion , nailers can be fall apart into categories based on their intended use or practical app . From heavy - obligation roofing nailers to lightweight brad nailer , there ’s a nail accelerator pedal for any job you need to undertake .
Framing
As the name suggests , put nail gun are unremarkably used for labored construction that expect driving gravid 3- to-4 - inch long nails into loggerheaded material , such as connecting 2x4s when cast a construction . Because these nailers are the great - duty variety , they also tend to be the most expensive . The Hitachi NR83A2 , for illustration , is a pneumatic joystick framing nailer that offers an adjustable profundity of drive to easy change how deep the gun will burn down nail into its delegate aim .
Roofing
Most commonly useable for coils , these nailers are designed for tighten roofing shingles , so they fire short nail with larger heads and earmark for longsighted menstruation of work on roofs . These nail guns can also be used for turnout , insulation and exterior drywall attachment . A cordless , burning gun is recommended for lengthy , precarious line .
Flooring
The most specialised smorgasbord of nail gun , these putz make put down hardwood floors a breeze , as they permit their operators to quickly and easily attach tongue - and - groove floorboards to the subfloor below . Flooring nailer can be pneumatic or manually powered , both of which fire nail with a hammer whack to a plunger .
Finishing
Perfect for upcountry trim , cabinets and baseboards , the finishing nailer is the best all - around type for small- to medium - scale jobs . They might lack the power needed for roofing or frame , but their little size and portability make them idealistic for odd job around the farm .
Brad
Basically a smaller interpretation of a finishing nailer , these guns elicit small yet strong nails , and are idealistic for objet d’art that might separate under the power of a finishing nailer . They are typically used in furniture upholstery andsmall , wood - building projects , and can commonly be identified by their hand - held size of it and square magazine — other stick - style nail guns have angled cartridge holder .
No matter what nailer you select , say the manual of arms before operating the tool . NIOSH and OSHA recommend set up proper work procedures before start any structure work . In increase , always fag out at least three major piece of personal protective equipment when operating a nailer : tough hats , hearing auspices ( either earplugs or earmuffs ) and high - impact heart auspices — base hit glasses or goggles cross off ANSI Z87.1 .
This clause originally appeared in the September / October 2013Hobby Farms .
