How to Toe-Nail Using a Brad Nailer?

I would like to know how to setup a Senco brad nailer in order to use it to toe-nail two pieces of woods together.

I have seen Norman using his brad nailer to toe-nail woods together in his New Yankee Workshop TV show many many times. I thought this must be very easy to do. But when I tried doing this, I found that the nail head always sticking out. I have adjusted the nail head depth to as deep as I can; but I still get at least 1/8" nail head sticking out.

What have I done wrong? Does this have something with the air pressure of the compressor? I simply leave the air pressure to the original setting, and I am not sure if I have the option to adjust it either. The air compressor and the nailer are both Senco and come in a kit. The air compressor is an one-hot-dog style and is very quiet.

Thanks in advance for any info.

Jay Chan

Reply to
jaykchan
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If you have and if the show was broadcast in HD you might see the brad head sticking out. Also, in many cases what you think you see is not really what you see. His gun may not have brads in it at all and he is simply demonstrating what can be done.

I thought this must be

Typically a nail gun will not shoot a nail much more than 1/8" past the end of the gun tip. If the center of the tip of the gun is farther away you may never sink a nail all the way. Also if you let the gun recoil the nail will not go in all the way. IIRC you need 90 lbs or more to fully sink a nail on most all woods.

Reply to
Leon

Low pressure can cause this but in your case, I doubt that's it. When you angle the nailer like that the head isnt contacting the nailed surface and IME this always results in the nail heads being proud. The simple fix is a nail set and a hammer, drive the heads on down.

Reply to
LP

This is frightening advice, especially if the user has a bump-fire trigger. With a bump-fire gun, double fires /will/ result from fighting recoil. The gun should be able to sink a nail/brad with no problem using only it's inertial mass.

Here's an exerpt from the Porter Cable brad nailer saftey instructions:

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Reply to
Mike Reed

Maybe after shooting thousands of nails you will better understand what I said. The OP is shooting the gun to memic the operation that Norm uses as he to nails pieces of wood. Seldom does Norm shoot repeadedly as is indicated when when bump-firing a gun. When shooting a single nail at a time in a specific spot you should absolutely hold the gun down to firmly enough to disengauge the safety and keep the gun from moving. Additionally if you are laying the gun over on its side or it is being used upside down more effort is requiared to keep the gun from recoiling and not prolerly settin g thenail. Bumb firing is a procedure more often used when framing or roofing and you need to get a bunch of nails driven in a short period of time and the appearance is not a factor. Typically when bump firing you let the weight of the gun bring the gun down onto the surface, read that as a controlled drop, while always holding the trigger in. When the gun safety bottoms with the momentum of the gun mass behind it the gun fires and tends to bounce back. Not always does the nail set perfectly.

With a bump-fire gun, double fires /will/ result from fighting

Reply to
Leon

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to throw this out here, but I just can't keep laughing about section 7 :)

Reply to
A.M. Wood

pressure

But he doesn't want to drive the heads down because the brads are only in there " . . . until the glue sets." You would leave holes like divots trying to remove them. :)

FoggyTown

Reply to
foggytown

I don't know why I'm gratifying your sarcasm, but I've shot 5000 framing nails in a single project. I've shot 2000 15 guage finish nails doing trim work. I've only shot a couple hundred 18 guage brad nails, but I understand how the stuff works. The funny thing is that you don't need to use a nail gun even once to read the manual and know that your advice is incorrect and dangerous.

I'm not suggesting that anyone try to bump-fire to toe-nail. See my post below, where I said "With a bump-fire gun," which is talking about the gun's trigger configuration, not it's usage.

You are absolutely wrong, from a safety standpoint, with respect to fighting the gun's recoil. That is dangerous, and if you have a bump-fire trigger, you're going to double fire much more often when fighting recoil.

Fighting the recoil will certainly drive the nail deeper, but that's not my point. The point is to get the nail into the wood, and to prevent nails from getting into your body. I'm not trying to attack you, but your post condones dangerous behavior, so I want to correct it for a new user of nail guns. Nail guns are extremely dangerous tools, and ignoring the manufacturer's safety warnings is, well, ignorant.

-Mike

Le> >> Also if you let the gun recoil the nail will not go in all the way. > >

Additionally

upside down

prolerly

controlled

instructions:

Reply to
Mike Reed

A word of warning, when you tip the gun at an angle to the piece, you put yourself at increased danger of a ricochet. Read, safety glasses....

Dave

Reply to
Dave

I was not intending to be sarcastic, I truely thought that you were a novice with a nail gun as I still believe that you have the warning mixed up with the sugestion that I made. Sorry.

All 3 of my guns will bump fire and in 16 years of using them I have only had an unexpected double fire once or twice. If I gingerly hold the nail gun when pressing the safety in and pull the trigger the recoil will push the gun back and then the gun goes back down and fires again. If I hold the gun down the gun WILL NOT fire again untill I lift the gun enough to let the safety come back out. Holding the trigger and keeping the safety depressed into the wood will not shoot another nail on a gun that is operating properly.

I have never ever experienced that condition. Again the only time I have had a double fire is then I let the gun bounce back.

I think one of us is seriously misunderstanding what the other is describing.

Reply to
Leon

I don't have a HDTV; therefore, I didn't see the brad head sticking out. May be I can justify purchasing a HDTV by telling my wife: "We need a HDTV; then we can see the nail head sticking out in one of the wookworking TV show." :)

This means I will never be able to sink the brad head into the wood if I toe-nail, and I will need to use a nail-set if I really want to do so. OK. Thanks.

Jay Chan

Reply to
jaykchan

I am sorry I don't quite understand your suggestions. Do you mean I should remove the nail after the glue dry? Or do you suggest _not_ to remove the nails? I am a bit confused.

Jay Chan

Reply to
jaykchan

I always wear a safety glasses. Thanks for the warning though.

Jay Chan

Reply to
jaykchan

He is suggesting to remove the nails after the glue has dried. This may be almost impossible to do especially if you use glue coated brads.

Reply to
Leon

Yeah, I think I see the problem.

My experience in my first day with a nail gun was that when I fought the recoil, sometimes I lost, and I'd get a double fire. Especially inverted, one-armed, hanging out in some rafters, with a heavy framing gun. The weight, fatigue, maintaining balance sitting on a 2x4, and the recoil are sometimes too much, and I was getting double fires.

I found that once I got the feel for letting the gun recoil, it would gracefully jump completely clear, and the nose would not contact again, and I never got a double fire. I also discovered that this was less work, and certainly less stress on the tool. Plus it made me a believer in the product manual.

I agree that you won't get a double fire if you prevent the nose from lifting, but in practice, I find it's easier to just let it bounce back. I don't get double fires, and I don't fatigue as fast as I did that first day.

To each his own, but I have the safty instructions on my side. Of course, as I read this I think how much better I like my TS without that stupid guard on it...

So is this at least understandable? :)

-Mike

Reply to
Mike Reed

Yeah, lately I've even been wearing them when conversing in the wreck ;)

Reply to
Mike Reed

Yes If you tire and the gun recoils and you are not intending to pull the gun away after shooting you can get a double fire.

When I use my finish nail gun I am often in coinfined spaces. Letting the gun recoil back can often cause the gun to bounce off of other objects and back down against the safety. Ecentially simulating an unwanted bump fire mode.

This is what I do to prevent the above situation and meant to convey to the OP Typically I always use both hands when shooting a nail gun.

I find it's easier to just let it bounce

I some times think safety instructions are for those that have never used a tool of a particular type. Letting the gun recoil and then preventing it from falling back in contact with the surface probably is ultimately safer and especially with a framing gun that has much more recoil than a finish or brad nailer.

Yes it is.

Reply to
Leon

I was wondering about that too.

I likely use nail-set to take care of this.

Jay Chan

Reply to
jaykchan

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