Finish Carpentry Tool Questions

[michael.roback]

I am finishing up a remodel and need to mount some 4 1/4 inch baseboard. I am going through 5/8" drywall and the guy at home depot told me to get a 18 guage 11/4 inch brad nailer which I did. After thinking about it I realize that with quarter inch moulding that would only leave 3/8" of brad to penetrate the wall studs. I am thinking that perhaps I should be using a minimum of 1 1/2". So much for the $69 home depot compressor I bought! I want to get a quite compressor as I will be using it indoors and a gun. Should I go for a 18 G 5/8 - 2" or should I go for a 16 G 2

1/2?? From the reading I have been doing it seems that the finish carpenters generally feel that the 16 G is a waste of money and recommend getting a 18G 2" and a 15 G 2 1/2 " but I am not sure. Given that I do everything in my house but don't often do finish work, I would like to get one gun to start that will handle installing door and window trim, door stop, jams etc. as well as small ledgers for shelving etc. Is a 18G brad robust enough for these applications. If anyone has recommendations for a good compressor under $500 and a gun or two if that is the consensus to get me started I would appreciate it.

[dpb]

18GA isn't stiff enough for reliable use in oak or other hardwood trim imo other than very light stuff such as window casing (but if firing into edge of hw window frame may still be an issue).

I went the single larger finish nailer for the first one; more specialty choices are for after find and have specific uses imo.

There is no such thing as a "quiet" compressor; some are a little less loud than others. The general "best-buy" imo is one of the pancake compressor packages. Frankly, there's not a whole lot to choose between any of the "name" names. I've used Bostitch since forever, but that's just cuz it's what I started w/ and have stuck w/ out of habit...

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[RicodJour]

In your situation I'd recommend the Paslode Trimpulse nailer. You don't have to muck about with the compressor and air hose, and it takes a wide range of nails lengths - something like 3/4" to 2 1/2". It will handle pretty much all of your trim needs. I wouldn't install a door using only a trim nailer. I like something with a bit more heft, so I use a few hand driven finish nails or some screws hidden behind the stops. Unless you're doing a lot of doors, it's not worth getting another nail gun.

R

[Joe]

If you want to buy just once and use the tools for a decade or more, get a Senco compressor and both the 16 and 18 gage Senco nailers. Sure there are cheaper options, but if you would like years of trouble free service these will outlast most of the box store cheapies by a factor of three or more. And they make really great nails, too. Even if you are budget constrained, both large and small gage nailers are a must for trim work. Your choice.

Joe

[Tony]

A little less loud? Maybe not a quiet one, but there is one hell of a difference between the cheap oilless ones compared to a belt driven reciprocating / Piston Air type. The oilless ones are probably at least

4 times as loud. Plus the oilless is higher frequency and the sound is more objectionable to most people.

[DD_BobK]

[michael.roback]

Also want to mention that I might be needing to nail some 1/2 - 3/4 inch oak threshold material onto a hardwood floor so the gun will need to shoot into oak. Will this compressor with a 18 guage brad nailer do that?