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Nail Gun + Rain=?

CCI | Posted in General Discussion on May 31, 2005 10:20am

I left my framing nailer out in the rain.  It was a sudden cloudburst and it was only a few minutes but the gun got soaked.  It is a Bostich N80SB1 stick nailer.  What should I do with it?  It was facing down (as if it was driving nails into the floor) when it got wet.  The water poured out of the magazine when I tipped it but it seems to function fine.  I added some extra oil into the air connection, blew off the excess water and sprayed some WD40 on it.  I would rather not disassemble it.  I have in the past to replace o-rings so I know how.  It is not used alot so I don’t want to put it away and then have it not work next time I pick it up but I don’t want to take it apart if it is not required.  Any thoughts from those who frame in the rain.

Thanks.

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Replies

  1. User avater
    dieselpig | Jun 01, 2005 12:00am | #1

    You should be fine.  Plug it in and take her for a spin.  Our Hitachi's have seen full days of rain like that.  We blow 'em off, wipe them down with WD40 and get generous with the oil.  Tim Uhler will probably be along shortly... he's like the Aquaman of framing out there in the PacNW, I figure he'll pretty much tell you the same thing.

     

  2. Piffin | Jun 01, 2005 12:18am | #2

    These things blow water out every single dfay you use them. Compressors make water out of the iar and blow it through. If it didn;'t blow up on first use, it is fine.

    The worst things you can do is run dirt or sand through them or use the wrong oil and weakent the O rings

     

     

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  3. User avater
    skyecore | Jun 01, 2005 01:42am | #3

    im here in the pacific NW and agree with desil pig. 'Sounds like you did the right thing, i wouldnt worry about it

    ______________________________________________

    --> measure once / scribble several lines / spend some time figuring out wich scribble / cut the wrong line / get mad

  4. blue_eyed_devil | Jun 01, 2005 01:57am | #4

    I've left my nailgun in the open back of the pickup truck for two years straight! That included being buried many times by snow.

    If water will hurt it, then I'm shopping for a new gun supplier.

    blue

     

  5. JTC1 | Jun 01, 2005 01:59am | #5

    It'll be fine.

    You have already done the appropriate maintinence.  Shake/blow off the outside, WD-40 on the outside, couple drops of tool oil in the inlet -- shoot a few more nails just to be sure the inside is not drenched (doubtful). 

    I would not store it in a plastic bag or anything silly - open to the air will let any minor moisture evaporate.  For that matter I would never store a gun in a plastic bag -- nail or otherwise, for exactly the same reason!

    Jim

    Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.

  6. User avater
    Sphere | Jun 01, 2005 02:43am | #6

    It is ruined and very hazardous to use..send it to me. (G)

      Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

    The Morphine    s eems  to do no good at all..I'd run all the way if I would not fall...

     

    1. FramerT | Jun 01, 2005 03:03am | #7

      Its 8:00pm here east coast, Aquaman should be chimeing in directly.:-)

  7. BruceM16 | Jun 01, 2005 03:12am | #8

    I'm also in the great NW....but on the coast. Leaving a gun out here can be bad...real bad...as the salt in the nitetime air will settle out in the gun. That plus the sand can significantly shorten its life. I keep a tall can of WD-40 or CRC-556 on hand at all times.

    One other thing I've discovered. Don't store it on its head with the air nipple sticking straight up. Dust down the air-pipe is another gun life-shortener.

    BTW...does anyone have an opinion on whether it's better to use the automotive v. industrial style quick-couplers? I have a mixture and, of course, the hose I want to connect to is different than what's on the air tool, so I'd like to go with only one type...but which one? I can't seem to tell a difference between the two coupler types.

    BruceM

  8. Nails | Jun 01, 2005 08:14am | #9

    "I left my framing nailer out in the rain.  It was a sudden cloudburst and it was only a few minutes but the gun got soaked. "

    lol...a few minutes. I'm not laughing at you - I'm laughing at the fact that here in B.C. during the rainy season, not only your gun gets soaked, but your staple guns, all your saws, drills...any other tools you might be using, your head, toes, hands, arms whole body gets soaked.

    So far to date the worst affected tool would have to be my tape measure, especially if working in a sandy form.

    And before I get any comments about saftey issues with rain and the saws etc....let me say, that when you work in day in day out rain from start of day to end of day that's just how it is. you can only keep stuff dry for so long. We get guys from back east or somewhere where they don't get the constant onslaught of rain that we sometimes get here. the skies open up and they're like " guess it's time to wrap up eh" they just get laughed at...guess you didn't bring rain gear, lol. So unless you work in a monsoon counrty save your comments.

    One trick, if you don't want to get shocked in the rain wear rubber gloves (dish gloves work), otherwise you will get the ocasional buzz. 

     

     

  9. piko | Jun 01, 2005 08:56am | #10

    Remember - WD40 is water-based(!) so it'll add to the rust problem over time. Put it in a bag with calcium chloride (Dri-Z-Air, or from your concrete plant) for a few days.

    Cheers

    1. CCI | Jun 01, 2005 03:55pm | #12

      I'm no chemist, so by calcium chloride do you mean the same stuff I throw on my walk when it snows?  The reason I ask is that I know that if I leave some of that in a plastic container exposed to the air in my garage I end up with water in the bottom.  I also know that any metal that is exposed to it starts to rust right away.  I don't want to put my nailgun in a plastic bag and have it turn to a rust pile.  Would those dessicant bags work the same way?  I have a whole load of those and can seal them in with the gun and not worry.

      Thanks.

      1. piko | Jun 01, 2005 04:58pm | #13

        Yes I do mean that stuff, but I meant to say that if you use it as DriZair there  is a special receptacle that traps the water away from the gun - or that, rather than leave the gun sitting in a puddle in a plastic bag- elevate it onto a piece of 2x, and keep draining off the water. Now of course, it won't be gallons , so those dessicant bags will do as well. Probably better, actually. The worst place for rust to form will be in the cylinder, so actuall using it, with a tad more oil than usual, will keep that part clean, anyway.

        Cheers

      2. Nails | Jun 01, 2005 05:08pm | #14

        NAILS.....RAIN.. big ole Illinois buckets full on the on the 4boxes of stick nails laying on the sub-floor , while your trying to unplug cords ,roll up plans and see all the windows in your truck are down and tool box lids are up. In passing you tryto throw a peice of visqueen on top of them and something akin to a fast moving river going under the boxes.............well I don't know about you but I am glad that rant is over....if anyone here at BT has any influence with packaging of nails from Senco , Paslode, etc. please tell them were drowning out here. :)

        1. User avater
          dieselpig | Jun 03, 2005 08:10pm | #15

          Nails.... I laughed out loud at your rant.  Been there way too many times.   We started saving those plastic snap lid containers you get when you buy hand nails in 30lb bulk.  You know the ones, at Home Depot or Lowe's?  They work awesome.  One will hold a full case of stick nails or about 1/2 a case of coils.  The cardboard boxes stay in the trailer now.  We just re-fill or top off the plastic container when the nails come out in the morning.  They even have a handle.

          1. mbdyer | Jun 03, 2005 08:39pm | #16

            We had a saying in the Cavalry, "It doesn't rain in the Army, it rains on the Army".  On any tool with mechanical parts, CLP from the gunshop is better in the long run.  A coupla smears, some drops in the hole and fire away.   It worked on my M240 and my 'Ma duce' in northern Europe where rain coats are the uniform.  WD is OK but since it dries you have to shoot more on tomorrow.   If a tool is lubed properly in the first place, it'll shed the water before it can rust anything.

            On the other side of the fence, if conditions are extremely dry and dusty I found graphite powder a better lube than oil.  That is if there won't be rain for months.

            Do you guys in the NW prefer the orange dish gloves or the blue ones?  Do the ribbed finger tips help in grasping two-bys?

          2. Nails | Jun 04, 2005 06:03am | #17

            mostly have used yellow ones you can buy box of like 20 pairs at whare house type store. usaully a pair will last a few days. You can also buy a "construction" grade rubber glove at the local work ware store around here. They cost several bucks a pair but will last quite a bit longer. When it gets cold and you gotta working in freezing rain (yuck) I've used neoprene gloves that I've found in the the sporting goods section at wall mart. ( they grip lumber very well)  and keep hands quite warm.only drawback on them is the stitching sometimes rubs inbetween your fingers. The heavy duty rubber work gloves with lining work as well, but with them it is awkward to grap some items...in particular - nails. I haven't tried a ribbed glove or seen one.  

          3. AlanRoberson | Jun 05, 2005 01:28am | #18

            Bruce I've started using a type of female universal air coupler. It accepts the two different major brands around here and probably anything else. You just push the two ends together - don't have to pull back an outer sleeve.

          4. Nails | Jun 05, 2005 06:31am | #19

            I just picked up some of those...they seem slick!! Haven't tried em on site yet, have you ever had one pop out accidently if your pulling hoses around?

          5. User avater
            skyecore | Jun 05, 2005 11:35am | #20

            ive been using thos couplers too. I like them but i do notice that somtimes they seem to leek a little air when the connection is torqued______________________________________________

            --> measure once / scribble several lines / spend some time figuring out wich scribble / cut the wrong line / get mad

  10. RW | Jun 01, 2005 11:27am | #11

    Just going to add I've started to swear by Breakfree CLP (gun store) - that stuff just grenades the crud off a nailgun and keeps it lubed up for quite awhile. I'm not talkin O rings, but rather nose and slide.

    "If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain

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