I may be re-doing ALL of the trim in my house.. base boards and around all the doors, and then some crown molding in the bedroom. I need some kind of nailer for this. I have a large 29 gallon air compressor which is not very easy to move around the house, so I’m kind of starting from scratch. Or I could just get another 100′ of air hose to add to the 50′ I have, and run it through the house. Otherwise…
I’m looking at the Paslode stuff, or just picking up one of those small 4 gallon round compressors and a nuematic nailer. I’m looking to get something from HD or Lowes.
First question is, what’s the best type for the job? Is this a job for a 16g finish nailer? Or are staples better?
Assuming finish nailers are the way to go, the Paslode kit is about $370. For $300 I can get a Porter Cable 4 gallon round compressor and a finish nailer kit. This gives me a portable compressor that I can hook other types of nailers up to if necessary. I guess my biggest question is, how is the quality of the PC nailers and compressor? The other brands HD/Lowes carriers are primarily Bostitch and Hitachi.
What’s the best route to head?
Edited 7/24/2004 12:24 am ET by ESM
Replies
If I were you, I would buy a cheap 100' hose and a PC 16 ga. nailer. 16 ga. is a good compromise and one nail size will simplify your life. Since you already have a good compressor, why spend more money. A cheap hose will not be flexible and might not seal well, but you won't be movin it much.
Jon Blakemore
I'll disagree just slightly ...
since my favorite gun is my 15g Senco ...
I vote for more hose and a new Senco ...
but ... Jon's 16g will get ya thru too ...
actually .. a hammer and a box of 4's and a box of 8's would do ...
throw in some 6's and yer really living ...
JeffBuck Construction, llc Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
My vote would be a long hose and the 16ga finish nailer for casings and the like, plus an 18ga brad nailer (I like my PC) for quarter round and other small stuff. While I do mostly furniture, I rarely use my finish nailer; the brad nailer is a permanent fixture on my workbench. The new PC 18 ga can drive up to 2" brads, I believe...mine will only do 1 1/4", which still seems to be fine.
I now have a small compressor (my first) and a large capacity unit. The little guy has not been used since I got the bigger one. It works fine for nailing, but every time it kicks in I jump about 18", usually in the wrong direction. I'd say forego the small compressor if your big one will suffice...and if you are working close by the big boy.
Last week I picked up a Flexeel air hose, and boy is is sweet! Small, flexible and light. Not cheap, though.
Definetly get a 15g finish nailer. Also get a 100' of large id hose (the larger id will counteract the preasure drop you get in long runs). Then get a 25' flexeel to conect to your gun.
I have a 15 ga Bostitch finish nail that has served me well for about 10 years. I just had it repaired (air leak around trigger) at a professional tool shop. The tool guy told me my repaired old gun is now much better than the new Bostitch units.
I use inexpensive polyelthylene hose. I don't remember what it cost, but it couldn't have been much. When a leak develps at the fitting, I simply cut it off, heat the fitting stem with a flame and shove it back in. Good to go!
Al Mollitor, Sharon MA
I have finish guns in 15, 18, and 23 gage. My next will be a 16.
For what you want to do, get a good 16 gage finish gun, but get it in a model that shoots the longest nails available. That shoud do everything you want to do.
As for air, you have a nice big compressor with oodles of capacity. Just get more hose, as everyone is saying here. Get a nice 100 footer in 3/8", then one of the 25 foot blue flexeels.
You will be in heaven. The flexeel is easy to whip around a room, and the compressor will be far away. The few times it will need to run, you won't even hear it.
I'm still torn between hose + gun or the Porter Cable combo kit. The PC kit is the 4 gallon round pot compressor and a finish nailer, $300. The nailer itself is about $189 to by seprately.
Hose will cost me $50 with the fittings I need and the gun around $200, so costs are similar. In one situation I can probably get a better gun (will probably choose Bostitch or Senco, leaning towards Senco at $240), but in another case I have a portable air compressor. Not sure which is going to be more valuable long term.
As for guage, most people are saying 15ga instead of 16ga because it's more versatile for other work I may do with it. Is this really the reason to go 15 over 16?
Spend an extra 25 bucks and get the senco 16 and 18 with a small compressor
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00022HNG0/qid=1090705047/sr=1-8/ref=sr_1_8/104-8542426-8431960?v=glance&s=hi
might want to call toolcrib and make sure both of those guns are included in the deal.
800 884 9132
but for the money it isn't a bad little combo pack, 350-minus 25 bucks with the current promotion, so 325 for 2 guns a baby compressor and a short hose.
If you're setting up for a while, a big compressor is fine. If you do a lot of moving around, a small one is easier on the back. Right now I'm using the big wheelbarrow and running two 50 foot hoses to the work area. Then I put in a manifold with three outlets and run a pair of 25 foot lightweight hoses to a pair of guns--usually one Senco finish nailer and one Paslode brad nailer, but sometimes a stapler gets in the mix.
Having the compressor far away is good. Sometimes it's not even necessary to get it out of the truck. Why carry it upstairs? Why listen to it run? And definitely don't run 200 feet of thin extension cord to your compressor.
My finish nailer is a SFN40, which is not current production, but shoots 1-1/4" to 2-1/2" nails and is the right nailer for just about all trim. Some folks like to nail their trim with 1/4" crown staples. Make sure your painter knows about it.
I'd go with a 15 or 16 gauge gun and just run a cord from your current compressor, don't go with a 18 gauge or a stapler. I've found that I always felt better shooting the bigger fastener.
-Ray
That Senco kit from Amazon looks very good. 16ga and 18ga nailers and a 2 1/2 gallon compressor for $325 shipped. I noticed that neither gun is an angled unit, and many people recommended an angle guun. Is having a straight gun going to hinder me?
If I were you, I would jump on that deal from Amazon/ToolCrib.
But extend yourself and get a 25 foot eel hose.
Don't worry whether the nails are collated straight or angled. I have found that in most all trim work, a straight gun will do just fine.
I'm with Bob D. on this, sounds like a good deal, you wont have much problem not having an angled gun, you can usually figure out a way to get that nail in!
The one thing that I wondered about though, is the guns with that outfit the original Senco guns or are they the ones that are replaceing the Accuset guns that Senco discontinued making? There is a difference. The better Senco's do not use oil, where as the "homeowner" ones do. Dont know the #'s for the different guns.
Doug
The kit comes with a FinishPro 18 and a FinishPro 32, both appear to use oil. Looks like I may pass on it. I'd rather spend more and have one quality oilfree gun for now, since I don't need multiple guns yet.
Both of those guns do use oil, the 32 is a 16ga nailer which is why it has a straight magazine, I'm not aware of a 16ga nailer with an angled magazine. I do own the 18 and it's been a truly reliable gun.
You can go oil-less with a senco 15ga, 41xp and the 18ga 25xp.
I have the 41xp and again it's been a trouble free gun. I don't really see the necessity to having an oil-less gun, they are mostly new inovation from what I know. I have 4 senco guns, only the 15ga is oil-less. I've also owned serveral oiled guns and never had a problem with oil coming out and staining wood. So long as you don't over-oil and don't use excessive pressure and blow seals it shouldn't be a problem either way.
I know the 18ga in the kit is a good gun and judging from my experience with the 4 senco finish guns I have I'd bet the 16ga the kit comes with is high quality.
either way you go I think you'll be happy with the senco guns, I'd lean toward a 15ga and some hose if I were you, but that kit does have an attractive price and the guns are probably pretty solid.
CAG
I think senco started making the oil guns when they quit making the Accuset brand, not sure if thats correct though, but it did happen about the same time.
Accuset was an alright gun, just more of a home owner tool, not quit the same as their Senco brand.
I've had the 15g angle Senco finish for a long time, its oil-less, never had a problem with it. At the place where I work they have a bunch of the Accuset guns, they take a beating, some even still work!
The oil-ess is not only a convienece of not getting oil on your material, its a better design, I think thats what makes it such a good gun.
BTW, I dont ever see a problem with oil on the material when I use a gun that uses oil.
Doug
The common thread I see through all my nail gun posts on various forums is 15ga, so I'm pretty sure I'll spend the money on the Senco 41XP (or perhaps Bostitch, have to put themi in my hand) and a 100' spool of hose. Together I'll spend about $300 with fittings.
I just want to re-verify however, that for crown molding, 15ga will be good? Would I go for the longest nail for crown molding like I would for trim?
Also, what other type of wood work would 15ga be adequate for. Is it a good size if I was building some boxes out of some 1/4 or 1/2" MDF/plywood/some other wood?
15g is ok for heavy trim, but for fastening the door casing to the door jams, you should have a lighter gage. I use 18g.
let me clerify. 15g for outside of door casing, 18g for inside of door casing.You get out of life what you put into it......minus taxes.
Marv
When you say inside of door casing, are you talking about the pieces were the door hindges actually screw into? And when you say outter, do you mean the trim that surrounds the door on the face of the door to hide the gap between door jamb and the wall ?
Is 16g OK for crown molding?
Depends a little on how you install the crown. We rip bevelled backing material on the table saw, cut it into chunks, predrill it, and then screw blocks to the wall against the lid every 16 to 24". Make a small mark everywhere there's a block so you know where the nailing is when nailing up the crown. Shoot a pair of 2.5" nails thru the crown into the blocking. For me it's faster and easier to do this than think about where the studs are, and in half the ceiling area there aren't joists/trusses to shoot for anyway.
I thought you said you were going to pop for the angled pro Senco gun... in which case you will be shooting the same .069 diameter nails that are a basic item on just about every pro jobsite. I guess they're 15 gauge but it doesn't say that on the literature that came with my gun or anywhere on the Senco nail boxes I have.
Someone else said shoot the casing into the jamb with lighter nails. Not sure I agree.... I usually do that with 1.25" nails out of the same gun. It depends on the shape/dimensions/species of the materials. You are depending on a good connection there to stiffen the jambs, especially where hinges and latches are.
This is how I do it. a 15 gage nail on the thin part of the casing will sometimes split the wood.You get out of life what you put into it......minus taxes.
Marv
This is how I do it. a 15 gage nail on the thin part of the casing will sometimes split the wood.
Turn the gun 90 deg ... splits are gone.
I do most all my trim with the 15g ... if it's an angled mag ... it's 15 ... someone asked about that ...
I will reattach the trim on a split jamb with my stapler ... because that's what they used at the factory? Unless ... my 15 is sitting there right next to me ...
I use 2.5's on the outside of the casing and into the framing ... 1.25's into the jamb.
I haven't had ... or missed ... my 18 g for some time now ...
that tools replacement money went to the narrow crown stapler ...
all the fine line stuff gets a 23 g and glue ...
hey ... I just might have talked myself into the next tool purchase ... an 18 ...
it'll be senco ... it'll be oil less ...
Jeff
Buck Construction, llc Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
Jeff-
Do you change nails in the middle of the job or have two nailers?You get out of life what you put into it......minus taxes.
Marv
I have one each of the 15g, 23g and stapler ...
I swap out nails in the 15g ... 2.5 and 1.25 as I go ...
nail around the jamb ... then nail around the outside ..
then move on to the next door.
With the Senco I have ... takes about one mil second to swap then out.
JeffBuck Construction, llc Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
Pasolde has two cordless 16 ga. guns. One is straight and one is angled.
Something to keep in mind when considering the two. The angled nails are about 50% more, with no competition currently.
Jon Blakemore
I've gotta think those tools are the low-end stuff. All three for $325, but a good Senco nailer is probably close to $300 by itself, and so is an Emglo pancake. If you're DIY and not going to use them continuously, OK, but if you need reliable daily use I'd spend more, or at least try to read some reviews on those specific items first.