Framing gun with a pancake style compres
PaulGC
| Posted in Tools for Home Building on
I have a Porter Cable pancake style compressor that I use with my finish nail gun and now I was thinking of getting a framing nail gun to use at odd jobs around the house. I have no intentions of using it all day long for days, just some small jobs for myself around the house. My question is – Is it okay to use a framing nailer with a pancake style compressor? I have doubts as it may burn up my compressor. What do you think?
Paul
Replies
Keep the compressor pump full of clean oil. It will not keep up with speed nailing but it will run the gun just fine.
It's the type of compressor that you don't have to oil it.
Paul
I would probably take the bump fire trigger off the gun and put the sequential trigger on it.
That would be one small step towards not toasting your compressor. Then make sure it's stick nailer. Coil framers go forever without having to reload, your compressor could use that reloading time for a small break.
Matt
I've been running a Makita MAC 5200 and a couple of guns, often one coiler in the mix. I won't be surprised if it starts smoking. There's definitely a big wheelbarrow compressor in my future, although I hate the thought of moving it around.
I can run 1 framer off my panacke all day long, 2 framers if both guys are kinda hunting & pecking.
I also am a DIYer and have a PC pancake compressor. I use it to run a framing gun for odd jobs. I have found no problems. For example, I nailed down deck flooring for a 10 by 20 deck in about 6 hours and the compressor ran nowhere near 50 percent of the time, whcih, if I remember right, is the mfgr's recommended limit.
It will without a hitch as long as you aren't bump firing all day long. I use one for small framing jobs all the time since it's easier to haul into a finished home.
Quite honestly, I would highly recommend forgetting about an air nailer and get a Hitachi cordless framing nailer instead. I have two air framers and a cordless. Unless I am framing all day long, I go cordless (bathrooms, kitchens, small decks, etc...)
I think the Hitachi cordless can be had for less than the Hitachi air nailer these days.
Actually Greg I was thinking about that. A tool company I found on the internet up here in Canada, sells reconditioned tools by some of the big name tool companies, and has the hoseless nailer on for $254. A local industrial store near me (Hitachi dealer) has the same gun brand new, reduced to $499. So you think these guns are good to use? I wondered if the user would get very long out of the fuel rods that go in this nailer. Does it last long? What about the battery in that Hitachi model?
Paul
It will work fine for the conditions you are asking about.
fka (formerly known as) blue
PC pancake will do fine with a framing gun used as you described.
You will have to wait for it to catch up sometimes, I have a 6 gal PC pancake which I use with a Hitachi framing gun, I can only shoot about 6 nails and the compressor kicks on - wait a minute and shoot some more.
The compressor won't last long if you do this all day - but that is not the use you are proposing.
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.