How to choose a weekend warrior's finishing nail gun?

Question

BACKGROUND

I am not planning to use it with any regularity, just when maintenance projects come up. 15 residences are maintained: ranging from 20-50 years in age.

My next project will involve nailing in shoe molding. Current context includes an existing eco-system of Ryobi battery driven drills / weed whackers etc. A portable air tank is also in the tool crib.

QUESTIONS

• Is a "brad" finish nailer (vs. finishing nailer) the better choice for shoe molding?

• Is the first feature-decision will need to be made between electric vs. pneumatic air gun?

• What other features are important to evaluate and what is the order of such a list?

• What is the thought process to correctly choose finishing nail gun features?

I am not seeking specific make / model recommendations, as this would have the question run afoul of rules and result in deleting the question.

Answer 1

I know Brad

Also you need to get to know brad really well since that is the exact type of nail to use for shoe molding.

What is the difference between a Finishing nail and a Brad nail

Well the nails are different gauges with the brad nail being thinner. And also brad nails usually have smaller heads. But really the best way to describe a brad nail vs a finishing nail is a brad nail is not made to be hammered into anything by a human - maybe Zeus on a good day. Brad nails must shot into the material on one go as they will deform with any sort of non-straight pressure. We have messed around on sites to see who can get a brad nail the furthest into a piece of scrap wood... if you made it half way without bending you win!

A finishing nail therefore is something that can be hammered. Finishing nails can be shot from a gun but it will require a bigger gun and quite frankly you don't do this much as the point of using a brad nail is to create less of a hole that has to be touched up. Using a finishing nail often defeats the purpose (there are times when it may be required but quite few). Also finishing nails for the most part are round, while brad nails are usually a rounded rectangle.

Can I hammer in my finishing nail?

If you don't know the answer then the answer is no. Hammering in finishing nails and using a punch - shown below - is a skill. First you have to get the finishing nail hammered in the right direction, precisely. Then once you get close to even with the wood you have to use a punch to embed it.

On a carpentry skill range this is a solid 8 out of 10 in difficulty and unless you feel you are already a pretty skilled carpenter this is not a skill you should practice developing.

Shoe molding?

Installing shoe molding now... well that is a 10 out of 10 on the difficulty range hammering finishing nails. Even using a nail gun with finishing nails is extreme for shoe molding and you will inevitably split the molding.

I usually set shoe molding with a bead of caulk, give it some time and finish with 1.5" brad nails.

What do you need to buy?

Given that space is not an issue every homeowner that is going to venture into their own repairs is best to buy a nail/stapler combo kit and a compressor. There are just so many uses that it pays for itself quickly and saves you loads of time.

Here is an example... not a recommendation at all. The basics that any home owner needs is a framing nailer, a brad nailer and a stapler. As long as your kit includes those that is a good start. Some kits may include more than one size stapler, some may include air attachments, and some may include two sizes of brad nailers.

This kit was $230. You can get other kits like this with more or less things in the $180-300 range. You get a 5+ gallon compressor for ~$100 and you are good to go. You can go electric but these have more problems and are way more costly individually. Also the compressor has a TON of uses around the house from blowing up tires to painting to floor jacks.

Framing nailer = framing walls, building big things

Brad nailer = trim/molding

Stapler = repairing furniture, securing thin wood panels, crafts

Isherwood's answer does a good job adding the benefits to the air compressor and pneumatic nailers. I would add though that the biggest benefit is that you will be able to adjust your pressure better with these. For example for your shoe molding, your pressure needs to be just right. Too much and you have a divot. Too little and you have 1/4" sticking out and those things are hard to punch in.

Answer 2

I don't know Brad

There are no "brad nailers" in my lexicon as a former pro and perpetual home improver*. There are only finish/trim nailers that accept either 18ga. or 16ga. nails. Which you need depends on the job.

• Most 18ga. guns only shoot up to 2" nails. Some only do 1-1/2". That's inadequate for things like heavy base trim and door jambs, let alone almost anything outdoors.
• 16 ga. guns are larger and heavier and leave a larger hole. They can also split delicate moldings more easily. They're more versatile, though, since they offer more holding power. Keep in mind that the surface area of a 16ga. nail is dramatically greater than that of an 18ga. nail. That means a lot more grab. It's not just about length.

To Hose or Not To Hose

The benefits of pneumatic air nailers:

• Relatively inexpensive to purchase and operate (assuming you already own a compressor)
• Endless fuel supply
• Dependable power
• Speed (compared to gas-powered nailers--I've never used electrics)
• Lighter weight for easier operation and less fatigue

The benefits of cordless (gas or electric) nailers:

• More portable
• Quicker jobsite setup

Features? We don't need no stinking features.

In air nailers I look for ease of use and longevity. Simpler is better, as they tend to get banged around and weight is a concern. Good ergonomics are also important. There are many types of safety triggers, so find one you can live with. A well-designed nose is also helpful in positioning shots precisely. A big looped wire plunger can make that challenging. A poorly-designed nose can scar your woodwork.

OK, I guess those are features.

• Light weight
• Good ergonomics
• A precise nose with a soft plunger
• Simple design

Getting there from here

I might ask myself these questions when shopping:

1. What jobs will I be required to complete on a regular basis with my nailer?
2. What jobs would be nice to do with my nailer?
3. What are my portability and ergonomic requirements or preferences?
4. What's my budget?

It's a fairly subjective thing. There's no one recipe for success. Buy or rent, try, trade if necessary. Good luck.

_{* The term is just too nebulous to be useful for describing pneumatic nails. In fact, I think of brads as short, fat nails for making shoes and other olde fashioned crafts, closer to the diameter of a 16ga. nail. The term is centuries old and has been casually and inconsistently applied to modern nails.}

Answer 3

"I am not planning to use it with any regularity"

So, small hammer, nailset, perhaps a pair of nail-holding pliers. Perhaps a toolbelt to hold those and a supply of finish nails.

If you don't have production-level needs, you don't need the hassles and complexity and more things to go wrong of production-level tools. Complex mechanisms you don't use regularly have a tendency to not work sometimes when you pull them out to use them.

Simple ones are less prone to this problem (as well as generally costing less and taking less storage space.)

Naturally you won't see this on TV shows that are filled with tools that advertisers want to sell. That does not mean it is not viable, just that you won't be exposed to it on the media that wants to sell you overcomplicated methods of doing things that make no sense at the scale you are actually doing them.

Answer 4

I have an air compressor (oil-less 2 gal basic unit). I use it occasionally (mostly for filling bike tires) but I also have had experience with weekend warrior nail guns.

I used to use a "basic" air nailer. It was an 18 gauge and I was never impressed with it. The main problem there was it didn't support long nails (I want to say it did like 1.5" maximum). I also wasn't oiling it regularly so I think I burned it up. Cheap tool, though.

I currently use a Hitachi 16 gauge and it's excellent for what I have had to use it for. This includes projects like

• Building some cheap end tables for our patio
• Attaching boards to frames for furniture and other projects (nail gun + wood glue = win)
• Attaching baseboard
• Attaching shoe (I recently laid vinyl plank flooring and trimmed it out)
• Installing crown molding

16 gauge is a heartier nail overall, but the biggest advantage it gave me is it supports up to 2.5" nails. Even for shoe, sometimes you need a longer nail.