Hi everyone,
I was the lucky recipient of a Senco 3-piece finishing kit for Christmas.
This consists of a 15-gauge angled finish nailer, and 18-gauge brad nailer
and an 18-gauge narrow stapler. This is in addition to a 16-gauge finish
nailer (Porter-Cable) and 23-gauge pin nailer (Senco) that I already had.
I'd say other than possibly a framing nailer (not something I really
anticipate needing, honestly) I should be all set as far as nailers go.
The question I have, however, is are there generally good rules of thumb or
individual preferences of yours as to when to use which tool? Personally,
since I only had a 16-gauge and 23-gauge nailer in the past, I used the
larger nails for things like attaching case backs, nailing drawer backs in
place to the drawer bottom, shelf edging, etc. Usually only in paint grade
pieces, other than the pieces that wouldn't be seen. For small and/or thin
pieces of molding or trim I would use the pin nailer. I find the holes from
this almost undetectable, so I have no problem using this even on naturally
finished or stained pieces, as well as painted ones.
Now that I have such a diverse arsenal, can you all offer me advice for
specific jobs that each one would be best for? The 15-gauge angled nailer
is pretty big, but I'm a little unsure why it would be any better than the
16-gauge one. I'm really happy to get the 18-gauge brad nailer, as that is
the one I have most often felt I needed for things like larger moldings or
shelf edging, etc. The stapler I'm not sure about - maybe for case backs
and similar jobs it probably would hold better. I've seen staples used a
lot for attaching subfloor materials or underlayment and similar things. I
would guess staples have better holding power than brads, but I'm not really
sure.
Thanks for the advice.
Mike
The angled nailer is useful to get into tighter spots like shooting
vertical trim in an inside corner.
The 18 ga brad nailer is gonna give you more holding power than a 23 ga
would, but as you mentioned, at the cost of a biger hole. Since brads
are cut from flat stock, they have a wide side and if you make sure you
line that parallel with the grain, the holes will be smaller.
The stapler is great for very soft woods, like pine, when the head pull
out might be real easy with a brad or finish nail. It;s also good if
you are nailing thin stock, like a 1/8 or even 1/4 luan back, etc.
I have the 15 ga. and 18 ga. nailers as well as the narrow crown
stapler. The 18 ga. is useful for very thin pieces while the glue
dries. Probably not that much better than the 23 ga. pins.
The 15 ga. or the 16 ga. work with crown molding. The angled magazine
will permit nailing in smaller spaces and the 15 ga. nails are less
likely to deviate if a knot is encountered in the wood.
The narrow crown stapler has more uses than you may have considered:
- cabinet backs will be held more securely with the staples
- interior paneling won't pull through the staple as it will the
finish nails
- trim around windows and door frames will be more secure with a
staple through the thick part of the trim into the edge of the door
frame - door slamming may cause the nailheads to pull through the
molding leaving a gap.
On Wed, 29 Dec 2004 00:24:39 GMT, "Mike in Mystic"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Hi everyone,
>I was the lucky recipient of a Senco 3-piece finishing kit for Christmas.
>This consists of a 15-gauge angled finish nailer, and 18-gauge brad nailer
>and an 18-gauge narrow stapler. This is in addition to a 16-gauge finish
>nailer (Porter-Cable) and 23-gauge pin nailer (Senco) that I already had.
>I'd say other than possibly a framing nailer (not something I really
>anticipate needing, honestly) I should be all set as far as nailers go.
Yeah. I heard him say that.
Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
> "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >
> > IMHO sell the PC nailer and keep the Senco.
>
> Leon is right. You can trust his judgment. Leon also thinks it is worth
> tops, 10 bucks, and you probably should sell it locally so you don't have to
> bother packing it for shipment.
On Tue 28 Dec 2004 09:54:30p, Thomas Kendrick <[email protected]> wrote
in news:1104292279.1ef9ddb52ae8a50b3fab914f464fe081@teranews:
> The narrow crown stapler has more uses than you may have considered:
> - cabinet backs will be held more securely with the staples
> - interior paneling won't pull through the staple as it will the
> finish nails
Is that also the kind of stapler I used to put in the underlayment for the
vinyl sheet in the bathroom? The guy at the floor store said it had to be
stapled, not nailed or screwed so I rented one. It was a combination finish
nailer/stapler. Worked great.
"Mike in Mystic" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Now that I have such a diverse arsenal, can you all offer me advice for
> specific jobs that each one would be best for? The 15-gauge angled nailer
> is pretty big, but I'm a little unsure why it would be any better than the
> 16-gauge one. I'm really happy to get the 18-gauge brad nailer, as that
> is the one I have most often felt I needed for things like larger moldings
> or shelf edging, etc. The stapler I'm not sure about - maybe for case
> backs and similar jobs it probably would hold better. I've seen staples
> used a lot for attaching subfloor materials or underlayment and similar
> things. I would guess staples have better holding power than brads, but
> I'm not really sure.
Mike IMHO you already have a pretty grasp of when to use which tool. IMHO
sell the PC nailer and keep the Senco. Senco is top notch and has been
around longer than any other brand nailer. The stapler will be handy for
the reasons stated and will hold at least twice as good as a brad or finish
nail with length being equal but leaves an ugly reminder that you used
staples.
Personally I have a Senco finish nail gun that I purchased in 1989. I use
1.25" and 1.75" exclusively in this gun. My Craftsman Brad nailer only sees
5/8" and 1" brads. Both are OILLESS guns. My stapler is a Harbor Freight
model that I picked up for a single task of attaching soffit panels.
"Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> IMHO sell the PC nailer and keep the Senco.
Leon is right. You can trust his judgment. Leon also thinks it is worth
tops, 10 bucks, and you probably should sell it locally so you don't have to
bother packing it for shipment.