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pneumatic nailer w/joist hangers

| Posted in Tools for Home Building on August 25, 2004 03:07am

Ok, the other night on tv I saw one of those “Mchomebuilding” shows.  They were hanging joists for a decking and were nailing the brackets on with their Stanley framing gun.  The thing is, they had a new attachment for the gun that allowed for the use of the traditional joist hanger nails.  It just swaps in and out with the regular nailing part. 

Question is…has anyone here heard of this/and used it?

Thanks
Barney

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  1. xMikeSmith | Aug 25, 2004 03:14pm | #1

    we have two of them... Bostich N88 round head framer..

     the joist hanger nose is just as slick as the video you were watching.. and it's a great framer too

    Mike Smith   Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

    1. ~~BobL | Aug 25, 2004 03:24pm | #2

      It looked really cool.  All you had to do was put the pointed tip in the joist hanger hole where you were going to nail and it nailed it right into the hole.    Do you know if its something you have to order directly from Bostich or can you pick it up at the warehouse stores?

    2. kcoyner | Aug 27, 2004 01:32pm | #7

      Mike,

      I have one and it's a love-hate relationship.  I love it for metal connectors and hate it for framing.  I was told that the sequential trigger was necessary for the hanger nails.  That sucks for nailing lumber and sheathing.  Way to slow. 

      Another problem for me is that I have to special order the connector nails.  Imagine that!  I purchased the gun at a picnic/service your guns event that our rep puts on twice eash year.  He failed to mention the fact that my supplier didn't keep em in stock.  I had to wait almost a whole week to shoot a nail with the darn thing. 

      k

      1. xMikeSmith | Aug 27, 2004 02:54pm | #8

        k.. we live in the land of the competitve suppliers... my salesman will deliver the nails to me on about two days notice..

         anyways.. we keep a box on hand.. and they sure are the cat's pj's with connectors

        i like the sequential trigger anyways... i don't like the mindless  nailing the contact trigger  encourages.... if we were framers, maybe i'd change my tune.. but i doubt it.. too olde a dog here..

         i like the N88.. light , lot's of power.. any kind of nail i want... easy switch from connector to framing..full round-head nails.. good nose for toe-nailing.. if i had one more guy , i'd buy another one....

        hey..  how far are you from charlotte?.. daughter and SIL are finally closing on a house down there.. figure i'll be dragging my golf clubs and tools that way soonMike Smith   Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

        1. kcoyner | Aug 28, 2004 04:16am | #11

          Mike,

          A while back when my 88 was still new I had a jamb.  I mean a jamb.  An N10 nail turned upside down in the chamber and lodged between the driver and the side of the cylinder. 

          I took it to the picknic for the Bostitch man to fix.  He couldn't believe what he was seeing and went about showing the jamb to everyone around.  He took a new driving pin out of the box, turned the gun upside down and began to tap.  First with small hammer then a little bigger then a little bigger.  He finally asked if I had a small sledge and I broke out my 3lb.  He held the driver with a pair of vice grips and I began to beat.  I was hitting the thing as hard as I could.  I moved it couple of inches and then nothing.  I beat the new driver with the piston? top on it to a pulp. flat spots a little bending etc. and those things are made of some HARD steel. 

          When we couldn't get the thing to move any more, he tore the whole gun down and replaced everything but the casing.  I had a new gun.  He said he wanted someone at the factory to see it.  Anyhow, we never could figure out how that happened but it's nailed a bunch of hangers since with no problems. 

          Charlotte N.C. is about 5 hrs south of me here in VA.  Come on down.  We've got a little space left here in the south for a good Yankee er two. 

          Congrats to your Daughter.  Got any grandchildren or any on the way?  That'll get you down here in the sunny south in a hurry. 

          Stay out da Buushes!

          k

          1. xMikeSmith | Aug 28, 2004 04:27am | #12

            k.... VA ?... my brother lives near Tappahanack... and yes , there's a grandchild in the near future......

            as to Bostich.. the original plant where the first guns came from is  about  10 miles from us.. so i'm  a little partial to Bostich.. been using them since the late 70's..

             back when the 2 choices were Paslode or  Bostich

            Mike Smith   Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

          2. User avater
            dieselpig | Aug 28, 2004 06:41am | #13

            Mike...you talking about moving....or visiting?

          3. xMikeSmith | Aug 28, 2004 02:03pm | #17

            not moving.. you've been to jamestown... why would i ever leave ?.. but maybe  a 2d home down there might be  in the cards...

             some place between Northern neck of Va.  7 Charlotte..

             that northern neck area reminds me of Jamestown in the '50's.. real laid back in some  ways

            when we gonna do lunch ?  are you going to start a job in North Kingstown ?Mike Smith   Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

          4. User avater
            jonblakemore | Aug 28, 2004 07:16am | #14

            Mike,

            I'm going to be moving to about an hour from Tappahannock on Wednesday (Fredericksburg). DW's Grandfather, who just passed away, had a place near Tappahannock. 

            Jon Blakemore

          5. kcoyner | Aug 28, 2004 07:36am | #16

            Jon, 

            I don't know what you do for a living, but Northern VA never quits growing.  Plenty of building going on in the Fredricksburg area also.  I worked up in that neck of the woods 22 or 23 yrs ago when there was no building going on here.  I can't believe how it continues to grow.

            k

          6. kcoyner | Aug 28, 2004 07:31am | #15

            I live over in the valley about  120 miles west (crow flight) of Tappahanack.   Congrats on the grandchild, may as well start packing. 

            k

  2. CrackerJacks | Aug 25, 2004 08:11pm | #3

    The attachment looks neat but not sure of the cost.  For me, I bought a pneumatic palm nailer for $70.  Works great for joist hangers and nailing in tight spots.  The project I'm on now calls for 100 joist hangers on the main floor alone.  : (    Another tool that works great is called the JoistMate available at Ace Hardware for about $20. 

    1. ~~BobL | Aug 25, 2004 08:37pm | #4

      I called Stanley this morning and the kit costs $48 plus $7 shipping if you buy direct from them.   In case you wanted to know it is MCNailer-Kit.  It fits the N88 version.  If your gun doesn't have a squential trigger, you will need to buy that kits also.   The other draw back is...it only fits guns made after 2001. 

  3. buyhoney | Aug 27, 2004 07:31am | #5

    I bought the stanley a few months ago. It is awesome. shootd 1 1/2 " to 3 1/2 " nails in hangers. Nailing hangers is sooo much faster and nicer. My only sort of complaint is that you need to keep track of the two tips for the gun.

    jonathan

    1. xMikeSmith | Aug 27, 2004 01:12pm | #6

      janathan... we have two of the N88's..

       each one has it's own Gun Bag.. i think they are the bucket boss.. 

       anyways..inside is a little pocket.. and that is where we put the other nose when we switch them outMike Smith   Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

  4. dIrishInMe | Aug 27, 2004 03:40pm | #9

    I have the Bostitch metal connector gun which is the regular framer with the joist hanger nail attachment ?  What threw me off is that you said "The thing is, they had a new attachment for the gun that allowed for the use of the traditional joist hanger nails".  The fact is that you have to buy their proprietary nails, they are expensive, and for me, difficult to find.  And, I have not been able to find any hot dipped galvanized nails for it, so have hardly used the attachment.  Check nail availability before ordering. 

    Once the generic nail guys get on the wagon, it will drive the price down, and things will be better.
     

    Matt
    1. ~~BobL | Aug 27, 2004 03:48pm | #10

      Thank you for the reply.  I also found that out after I posted.   Then I found out that I would have to buy an entirely new gun because mine is over 8 years old.  Then I found out that I had to buy the sequencial trigger kit.  So...it sounds like I will have to wait. LOL!!

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