Whenever I’m putting up casing, jambs, baseboard, or really anything – I get to wonder what rules of thumb everybody follows for nail gauges.
What are thoughts on when to use which nails, and how long they should be?
Justin Fink – FHB Editorial
Your Friendly Neighborhood Moderator
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Replies
Oh God ya hadda start this again.
Look, ONE fastner for EVERYTHING, The Piffin screw.
Jambs, stools, chair repair, hanging aunt Mables picture, chin up bars, mirrors, cabinets, kinky trapeze things over the..never mind, toilets don't need brass bolts, toothbrush holders, shevles, window air conditioner brackets, EVERYTHING in the world is Piffin screwed, sometimes twice.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" I am not an Activist, I am, a Catalyst. I lay around and do nothing, until another ingredient is added"
Then when do you use PL200, PL400 and then the mother of all PL's: PL Premium?
Only and ONLY with adequate duct tape.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" I am not an Activist, I am, a Catalyst. I lay around and do nothing, until another ingredient is added"
Well, where does the bailing wire come in? It works better to hold up exhausts than piffins or duct tape or even PL premium. I patched a broken pipe with an aluminum can and bailing wire once. Can burned off in a few miles tho. Had to drive a hunnert miles with fumes and noise leaking through the rusted out cab.
I've used that fix before too. The old tin cans would have lasted longer, so the oldtimers tell me ;-)
Bailing wire is obsolete. Now baling twine is new thread.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" I am not an Activist, I am, a Catalyst. I lay around and do nothing, until another ingredient is added"
Justin. Just so you know there's not always a smart #### answer............at least from me.
My rule. Most trim that needs up to 2-1/2 that has some meat or needs some oomph to hold-15/16 ga.
Edge of thinner casing, anything thin that needs moderate oomph to hold-18 ga, the pinner. Up to 2-1/8''.
very light trim or needing to hold while the glue sets, returns if nailing (usually use "super glue")-micro pinner-23ga.
Length, enough to get into something wood w/o doing damage-nailing copper, wiring or holding the pocket door to the trim.
You do it enough you've taken down something that was put up or you put up, you'll learn how the diff. fasteners hold. Use the best for the material provided.
Jambs, I most 99% of the time, hand nail.
A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Now that Calvin has deservedly reprimanded us smart-azzes, I will be serious.
Usually I have 2 guns when trimming. For example when doing flat casing I have a finish nailer with 2 1/2" nails for nailing into the framing and a brad nailer with 1 1/4" for nailing into the jamb.
Exactly.In the time of chimpanzees I was a monkey.
And for drinking, a shot glass and a beer mug.
Exactly.In the time of chimpanzees I was a monkey.
I'm glad we are on the same page. Pub crawl is going to proceed nice and smoothly.
I hope so.
Did we ever lock down a rally point, and time?In the time of chimpanzees I was a monkey.
another Beck fan, I seeCarl
Yeah same here, but a narrow crown stapler gets a lot of use too.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" I am not an Activist, I am, a Catalyst. I lay around and do nothing, until another ingredient is added"
Never had one of those. Do you use it for interior use also or only exterior.Sidenote: what was the name of that paint you suggested a couple of weeks ago to coat the inside of my galvanized half round gutters?
I promise to write it down this time.
Both for certain! The stapler is awesome, like for T&G cieling stuff, casing, anything an 1 3/8th staple can reach..less splitting, 2 times the hold per shot, galvanized..cheap, light and fast.
But he asked about nails, so quit making me hijack, some smart alec already did from the second post, and got Cals wrath..LOL
OK, G-E-O-C-E-L 2315, brushable fibered coating, ABC has it in stock, the 2310 will work but the gap filling is not quite as good due to lack of fibers.
It will "prep" most metals and it is PAINTABLE, I will try to get to my metal roof with a coat ( maybe 400sqft/gal) then paint. GOOD STUFF.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" I am not an Activist, I am, a Catalyst. I lay around and do nothing, until another ingredient is added"
Are there any adverse reactions with that ptoprietary gutter goop stuff. My seams are not soldered unfortunately, and some are leaking already! The guy who installed them, yep you guessed it, moved to NC, I kid you not.
Add a few pop rivets and brush it liberally on the joints. You dont want to apply heavier than say an 1/8th " per application.
Rivet from the outside so the heads are out not the tails.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" I am not an Activist, I am, a Catalyst. I lay around and do nothing, until another ingredient is added"
New thread... 23 posts... almost all of them irrelevant chatter, the usual cast of characters. You guys oughta go in the tavern and amuse yourselves there. Sorry to have to say it, I do dig you guys, but your off-topic stuff is getting really annoying.
Otay, I started it...my bad.
The tavern is too busy, this is the door out side the tavrn, where we smoke.
hugs?
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" I am not an Activist, I am, a Catalyst. I lay around and do nothing, until another ingredient is added"
Boy, you sure got it didn't ya!
Feed HIM to the lions in that are gobbing up TAV that sit around all day and twiddle digits and NEVER post anywhere else in the whole forum..ya know?
At least I did add something relevant to this thread albeit eventually...
so there, Dave..go reserve us a table and then bite us.
If any thread any where is immune to hijack, tell me your secret.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" I am not an Activist, I am, a Catalyst. I lay around and do nothing, until another ingredient is added"
He must have had a bad day. Didn't know we weren't allowed to be human and communicate. Some conversations are organic and originate out of jest and humor. Wow, were we bad. Twenty lashes.
Well, I never.
Ya did too, I saw ya .
C'mon guys , I know where a great bunch of trolls are sitting drunk, and we can lure them into giving us thier wives ( eech) and wallets...just by sayin that Pino said that Ron said, that Bob said that Bagg said that......and tell Dave, that...I betcha we can make a killin when the stools start flying.
Come back the next day, with finish nails of all sorts and explain how we rebuild the joint for 50 clams an hour...and cartage of the deceased is on Taunton..
Rainy days suck, I am on LT w/o power...when this batt dies, I am gone.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" I am not an Activist, I am, a Catalyst. I lay around and do nothing, until another ingredient is added"
"It will "prep" most metals and it is PAINTABLE, I will try to get to my metal roof with a coat ( maybe 400sqft/gal) then paint"So your usage there is to have the Geocel 2315 function as a primer?My can says that coverage is 60 to 80 sq. ft. per gallon at 1/16" to 1/8" thickness.I can't imagine that the 400 sq ft per gallon coverage would stop any leaks.Rich BeckmanAnother day, another tool.
It works. thats what I know. I never used it to "stop" leaks, just to seal surfaces. I attack a leak, then Cover my azz with a coat as insurance.
Brushing is up the the brusher, I am sure in the winter, ya wont get 400 sqft on cold metal, but it does flow well in the heat..YMMV.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" I am not an Activist, I am, a Catalyst. I lay around and do nothing, until another ingredient is added"
So, I gather from your reply, that you see 15 and 16 gauge nails as being essentially interchangeable. I just bought a Senco 15 gauge angle nailer. I had hoped to find a 15 gauge angle nailer, but no luck, so went with 16 gauge. I am hoping that it won't split the oak baseboards. If I remember from an earlier post, however, the problem was stated that 15 gauge might bend rather than penetrate some types of oak.
Casey, sort of like F-stops. Higher the number, smaller (thinner) the nail. 15 / 16 are so close, I couldn't find the diff. with my naked eye. Brads 18 are still headed, tho small. 23, I have no head, they are available I've heard for some of the better micro pinners.
My senco brad nailers 18 ga. old and newer both can penetrate oak. If you try to toenail, they probably will shear off, 15's too if your aim isn't good.A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
If you don't have a 23 ga yet, you should get one...
handy little suckers
Sorry to confuse you. I have a micro, but only headless pins. There are a brand or two that you can shoot a 23ga Brad. You are absolutely right, handy. Good thing there isn't gun control.A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
15g for 4/4 or nearly so, 18g for smaller stuff, and returns, basically like others have said.
But I use trim head screws for jambs- sometimes I tack it in place with 15g first, but the screws have much more holding power.
zak
"so it goes"
I like to do my framing with my 23 guage. 1" pins do fine.
Install kitchen cabs to the wall with my 18 guage. 11/2" nails will work but I like to use 2" because I'm me. Also to be safe , bring a tube of liquid nails (the one with that busty babe in the cowboy hat on the label), to add to the back of the cabs where the nails are being shot through. A little dab'll do ya!
When it comes to blasting pressure treated sills to the fondation, I like to drag out old reliable, my 16 guage Porter Cable. That Baby takes 21/2" fasteners...in galvanized no less.
For piecing together the real load bearing beams I step up to the big boy...my 15 guage Bostitch. The sheer strength alone on these babys will get you through any building inspection. I don't even have to use the white glue.
Well that's about a wrap for me. I hope I was of some help to you. Maybe next week I'll tell you what I do with my coil nailer. Oh man....oh man....! and it has nothing to do with construction if ya know what I mean!!!
Time for my psyllium fiber and warm milk.
"(the one with that busty babe in the cowboy hat on the label)"Didn't The Donald marry her?
Alright alright. But c'mon...it's Friday. I do exactly what TGNY does. Two guns on hand with 2 different hoses so I'm not always changing. And my nc stapler gets used on tons of casework. The 23 g is to hold it till the glue dries.
Like a lot of the serious ones here (oh lord, I must be getting old) I also use a lot of different nailers.
16 gauge for most of the thicker stuff like full 2 1/2" or better baseboard. I prefer the 18 for most of the rest except for returns, where I use Collins clamps and glue, or the 23.
Trim head screws for thicker base like 3/4" or occasionally door jambs.
Quality repairs for your home.
AaronR Construction
Vancouver, Canada
With any of the trim nailers, if splitting is occuring it's better to go down a size.
Length should be selected based on the amount of material needed to securely hold the nail, usually about 1" for larger 15g and 16g, and 3/4" for the 18. Without a head, the 23g will only hold as well as the thinest material it's joining.
Framing standards require nail plates if wires or pipes are closer than 1-1/4" to the face of framing. Nails long enough to drive deeper than the 1-1/4" are a sure way to eventually tag a pipe or wire.
The 15 g is the usual go-to gun for most trim. Compared to the 16g, the 15's angled design gets into corners better, the larger head is harder to pull through once installed, and the slight increase in size makes a noticable difference in overall strength.
Unfortunately, the extra strength of the 15g also makes it more likely to puncture copper pipes that usually resist the 18g and 16g. Some finish carps have a 16g specifically for running base near bathrooms that are likely to have water lines lurking nearby.
The 15g is also a great tool for tacking larger material in place, allowing corners and the length to be double checked before a larger gun is used to secure it permanently.
Large facia is much easier to install if it can be tacked into place. If the board needs to be trimmed the smallish heads of the 15g nails easily pull through and the nail is easily cut with end-nippers.
While a Senco SFN40 isn't supposed to shoot 3/4" nails, it does so without problems. These are mainly for constructing jigs and temperarily tacking material in place.
Installing doors and windows is where the 2-1/2" nails shine since there aren't pipes or wires to worry about.
Most base can be installed without much more than 2" nails. The outside of casing also gets 2", while the thinner inside areas are better served with a short (1") 18g.
The 18g brad nailer is also great for tacking material together before committing to the larger gun. The same can be said of the 23g.
While cutting very small pieces of trim, it can sometimes be wise to pin the small piece to a larger board so fingers can stay out of harms way.
1/2" 23g pins can be quite helpful when straightening wildly bent boards on the table saw by quickly attaching a straight section of 1/4" ply to the top or bottom to rest against the fence.