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Storing nails

mjcwoodworks | Posted in General Discussion on January 28, 2009 04:28am

I always seem to have a hard time storing and carrying my air gun nails to and from job sites. I have Porter Cable guns and the nails come in small plastic packs. Is there any good way to store and transport these? Like a case or something you have found that works good. I was thinking of a small tool bag ….Im sure you smarter guys have a solution. Thanks   ~Mike~


“Gentle to the touch, exquisite to contemplate, tractable in creative hands, stronger by weight than iron, wood is, as William Penn had said,”a substance with a soul.'”
Eric Sloane

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  1. RedfordHenry | Jan 28, 2009 04:47am | #1

    I'll be following this thread.  I have open boxes under the seat of the truck, in the bottom of tool bags and nail gun cases, etc.  I'm thinking I just need to get a decent, medium sized tool box and dedicate it to nail gun bullets and possibly related paraphenalia (gun oil, teflon tape, hose repair parts, and various loose allen wrenchs).

    I did this for the dozens of spade bits, auger bits, feeler bits, bit extensions, etc.  Basically, everything that you might need to drill any hole all into one tool box (hole saws are all together in another tool box).  It's worked out really well. 

    1. User avater
      mjcwoodworks | Jan 28, 2009 04:54am | #2

      Thats where I'm at too. I'm just running out of room altogether. I have a pickup with across the bed toolbox.  All space pretty much taken. Got stuff behind the seat in the cup holders in the door storage shelves. When I pack the compressor, guns, Power miter, thermos.....etc.....I'm packed out.       I once thought of a van.......but just not me. "Gentle to the touch, exquisite to contemplate, tractable in creative hands, stronger by weight than iron, wood is, as William Penn had said,"a substance with a soul.'"Eric Sloane

  2. MikeRyan | Jan 28, 2009 05:00am | #3

    Check the Tackle box section at your local sporting goods or Wally mart.  There are a variety of Plano (and knock-off) boxes that are customizable to the different nails.  You might even find a great bag to carry all of them in! 

     

    I have a bag that carries 3 boxes and covers all my brad, pin and 8d nails.  The 10d, 12d and 16ds are all scattered around...haven't come up with a good idea yet on those!

  3. User avater
    DDay | Jan 28, 2009 05:14am | #4

    A .50 cal ammo box with tray inserts. The boxes can be had all over, the trays are harder to find. Those would work great for you.

    There is also this option from northern tool.

    http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=169793

  4. AitchKay | Jan 28, 2009 05:47am | #5

    There's a brand of baby wipes -- I don't remember -- been over ten years since I've had to buy 'em -- but the box looks kinda like a jumbo Lego, with two big bumps on the lid. They take clips of Paslode framing nails perfectly, and they're very durable -- I've still got a few dozen of them, and can't remember one failing except for when I stepped on it.

    These boxes will hold over 2 dozen strips of 16d nails each, which will get you a long way on a lot of jobs.

    My 18 gauge brad strips get snapped in half, and stored in tomato sauce cans that are about 2 5/8" dia. x about 2 3/4" h.

    On that note, green chiles, jalopenas, and Rumford baking powder come in cans the same dia, but shorter. The plastic Rumford lids fit all of these cans, tall and short.

    This size of can might sound pitifully small for a contractor, but, hey, you can easily fit 100 3/4" # 6 screws into the green-chile-size cans, and even 100 3” #10s into the taller size if you leave off the lid.

    These cans fit easily into even the smallest nail bags, so you can carry two or three or five at a time, and switch them out at a heartbeat, with no “loose change” left behind in your bags.

    AitchKay

  5. paulbny | Jan 28, 2009 06:03am | #6

    Had the same dilemma, I finally got tired of searching my toolbag for pieces of a stick of 18's and took an old craftsman tool box and dedicated it to 15, 18 and 23 ga nails pins and staples.  Seems to work OK.

  6. Shoeman | Jan 28, 2009 06:19am | #7

    I'll second the suggestion for ammo cans.

    I have been using these for years.  My 16 gauge angled Paslode nails fit in the cans in the boxes they come in.  The 8d and 16d stick nails that come in large cardboard cases get taken out of the case and put into the ammo cans.

    The 18 gauge go in a small plastic box I found that just perfectly fits them in their original packaging as well - sorry, don't know where these boxes can be gotten now - they were originally for some IBM computer equipment.

     

  7. lettusbee | Jan 28, 2009 06:54am | #8

    For Finish gun nails, I use these low flat black plastic boxes from sears.  They have different sizes.  It is almost too heavy to lift, and I would have guessed that the handle would've busted a long time ago.  But it has been 12 years now, and so far, so good.  They've lived under the seat of the truck, in the crossove box, in the bed of the truck, and now, in my tool trailer.    One of the few craftsman tools I will publicly admit to owning. 

    I also use ammo cans for storing other types of fasteners. 

    1. Bing187 | Jan 28, 2009 07:09am | #9

      Glad sandwich tupperware type containers

      1. Catspaw | Jan 28, 2009 04:13pm | #10

        I think the key is to find a box with a handle on top like the Sears box mentioned above. That way you carry, store and open the box in the same position so the nails don't get tossed around inside.

        I have a couple of these:

        View Image

         

         

         

         

         

         

        http://www.toolboxes4less.com/ex-tb105a.html

        -Rich

        1. RedfordHenry | Jan 28, 2009 05:42pm | #11

          I use a variety of Plano tool and tackle boxes.  The handles fold into the top so the boxes can be stacked on top of each other.

  8. Dave45 | Jan 28, 2009 06:21pm | #12

    Just the other day, I bought a "Workforce" storage box at Home Depot. It has four plastic boxes in a plastic "case" with a folding handle. At $12.95(?), I figured it was worth a try.

    It looks like it's pretty stout and will work fine for my 16g finish nails and 18g brads - although it will probably be pretty heavy when it's full.

    1. woodarama | Jan 28, 2009 08:07pm | #13

      i store mine in a Workforce i got at HD. It's 13"w X 18"l X 3" d with a hinged clear plastic lid that locks. The dividers are adjustable and the top of them comes in contact with the top so the nails don't intermix. I store every thing from staples to 15 ga and 23 ga pins, it holds quite a bit of nails.

      1. rasconc | Jan 28, 2009 08:34pm | #14

        I use those too. Thinking about making some failsafe latch (maybe velcro) to prevent a catastrophe that makes 52 card pick up look easy. They get heavy if filled to any level. I don't do production work so I am more into wide selection rather than quantity. Use a smaller version in the shop to be ready for anything. Usually try to have about four-six sticks of each in the bins. I use 23, 18, 16 ga and two widths of staples, 18 and 20 ga.For those who have fought for it Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.

      2. rasconc | Jan 28, 2009 08:43pm | #15

        Oops, wrong picFor those who have fought for it Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.

        1. User avater
          mjcwoodworks | Jan 31, 2009 03:35am | #16

          Awesome looking set up."Gentle to the touch, exquisite to contemplate, tractable in creative hands, stronger by weight than iron, wood is, as William Penn had said,"a substance with a soul.'"Eric Sloane

          1. frammer52 | Jan 31, 2009 03:38am | #17

             look up harbor Freight, they have some answers also.

          2. frammer52 | Jan 31, 2009 03:38am | #18

            Nice setup!

            I can't believe it is even carpeted!

          3. rasconc | Jan 31, 2009 04:51am | #20

            Thanks!For those who have fought for it Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.

          4. rasconc | Jan 31, 2009 04:43am | #19

            Thanks, I put more pix and some info back a few months. I got the van for $4700 with about 84k. It is a one ton ext pass 2000. The carpet was a takeout from a job. Couple bought a house that had almost new stuff in the master but they re-did whole house. Had the jute type padding. Used it to line the walls too before I walled it with plybead.Wife and I are still trying to figure out where everything is and the best place for things.Also rethinking what all really needs to be on board. Can haul a 24' ext ladder inside, 14' trim if slightly bendable.For those who have fought for it Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.

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