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Trim nailer – 16 or 15?

JonE | Posted in Tools for Home Building on July 19, 2005 11:29am

Going to be working on a lot of trim in the near future – everything for a 2800 sf house, not including any basement stuff.   Style I guess you could say would be “shaker” – wide baseboards with a single bead, square edge window and door casing (none of that “ranch clam” style) with either plinth blocks or a 5/4 head casing.   Everything to be QS pine or knotty pine with natural finish – no stain, no paint.   Also likely to put up some naturally finished edge-and-center-bead wainscot, and a chair rail in some areas.

Best tools for the job?  I have a 16 ga. P-C brad nailer, that’ll shoot up to 2-1/2″ long.  I’m not sure that it’s ‘enough’ for heavy trim.  Should I invest in a 15-ga angled finish nailer?  I really like the Bostich.  Or maybe, would it be worth ditching the P-C in favor of a 15-ga nailer?  I have a small 18-ga brad nailer too, which is close to useless.

I’d like something compact and light, and I don’t mind toting a hose around – the compressor can be centrally located.   The battery-powered critters don’t impress me.

 

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  1. davidmeiland | Jul 20, 2005 12:03am | #1

    I'd get a 15 and keep the 16. The cool setup is to have a splitter on your tank and run two guns, one with long nails and one with short... keep 'em both right next to you. You can case a door or window... nail the outer edge of the trim into the wall with 2-1/2", then grab the other gun and nail the inner edge to the jamb with 1-1/4".

    Now, if you're dripping money, get a pair of 15s. That way you only have to stock one gauge of nail.

    I recently picked up a second framing gun. I painted a big '8' on one and a '16' on the other. Makes it easy to go from spiking with 16s to toenailing with 8s, or shooting on plywood, without changing nails in either gun.

    Notice how contractors are continually spending money on tools so they can do jobs faster and cheaper for clients.

    1. Shep | Jul 20, 2005 12:07am | #2

      You're supposed to buy the tools so you can work faster and make more money so you can buy newer tools that are supposed to allow you to work faster so you can make more money.

      Its a vicious cycle. 

      1. davidmeiland | Jul 20, 2005 01:44am | #3

        Well, I do need nail guns. We had a brief compressed-air outage at a job recently and I had to hand-drive some 16s in an awkward spot. I could barely do it. I use my hammer all the time but it must be for something else.

        1. Shep | Jul 20, 2005 02:12am | #4

          sometimes I think about how few tools I had and needed when I started 30 years ago- and how much I could do with so little.

          Not that I would ever give up a single tool I have- I'm gettin' too lazy to work the way I used to when I was young. <g>

  2. JerBear | Jul 20, 2005 05:09am | #5

    Both. Get an 18 and a 23 guage while you're at it. Live a little, it's only money.

    1. Dave45 | Jul 20, 2005 06:11am | #6

      I have a 15 ga angle finish nailer, an 18 ga brad nailer, and a 23 ga micropinner.  I also have three 14.4 cordless drills.  Would you believe that it's not uncommon to have all of them within reach. - lol

  3. FastEddie1 | Jul 20, 2005 06:58am | #7

    If you weree starting from scratch, I would say get an 18 and a 15.  Different size nails in the 15 can handle pretty much everything, and the 18 can do the quarter-round and small stuff.

    So, if you have the funds, go ahead and get the 15.  I have the Bostich magnesium, and it's nice and light and dependable.

     

    I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.

    1. jerseyjeff | Jul 20, 2005 07:10am | #8

      I found a hitachi 65MA2 for cheeep on ebay and the seller sent me a stack of nails too (bonus for me)  I have had only one problem,  which is that it does not drive nails without air pressure (I didnt know I tripped a breaker)   Other than operator induced error,  it has been a great gun,  and it shoots up to a 2.5 in nail,  with a very small nail hole.

  4. User avater
    Mongo | Jul 20, 2005 07:26am | #9

    I've had no problems hanging any type of trim, even heavier MDF, with a 16ga.

    I like my 18ga, I think with time you might settle in on where and when to use it and find it useful.

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