Hi all : I have 1 f/t guy plus myself and we do full time trim in new homes. Naturally we haul in saws compressor and the likes and load it all up again at night. (no thieving then !!) I am considering going cordless for the nailing ( Please note: generally we use 16 ga to set jambs and then 18 guage fro the balance for the work ) that would save hauling the compressor and hoses around the house as well as the trip hazard on scaffolding, stairs , scratch marks on coirners from the hoses etc. I think it would be very convenient but am somewhat concerned about using the Paslode (fumes and $) Dewalt has no plans to bring out an 18 ga battery cordless so it seems that paslode may be the way to go.
Anyone with any experince on this? Any recommendations for alternatives (Senco, Pc ?) Please feel free to comment but I will likely not respond to anyone till Jan 7 as I am taking my family on a cruise. (well deserved by the way..) I have lots of work til April so I can probably swing it (payback) fairly easily.
Merry Christmas to all
First we get good- then we get fast !
Replies
I'm currently trimmimg a house at the NJ shore with just my Paslode 16ga. angle finish and 18ga. brad guns. I trimmed a house several years ago with just the 16ga. right angle trimmer.
The fumes don't bother me; the noise can be a problem, especially in tight areas. And it's nice being able to work without tripping over hoses. I have air guns, but the Paslodes are much more convenient.
I've done a lot of homes(trim)with just my paslodes. Got the 16g and 18g guns.
I don't even notice the gas smell so that wasn't much of an issue and the noise from them didn't bother me anymore then a compressor running all the time.
Doug
I've done a lot of homes(trim)with just my paslodes. Got the 16g and 18g guns.
Sometimes the 16g will split the thin side of casing or shoe mold. Does the 18g solve this problem? I'm thinking about getting one.
Thanks,
Don
Don
Before the micro pinners thats all(18g) that was used to nail the corners on base or case.
I've used 18g to do that for years but now I have a micro pinner and most, but not all of the time, I'll use that. The advantage to the micro pinner is that the nail holes are damn near invisable.
I love the 18g paslode though and dont know what I'd do with out it. Plus it'll shoot a 2" nail so its good for more then just pinning corners.
Doug
Thanks. That was almost like using IM.
Ever since someone posted a link for a CO2 paintball cylinder you hang on your belt to power your nailgun, I have wanted one.
I would plan on getting a second larger tank with a siphon tube so I could do my own refills.
It is somewhat of a compromise as you still have a hose but at least it is attached to your belt.
I forget the name of the company that markets the kit but it cost 199 dollars.
karl
I am sure you could find it if you search the archive.
you mean this?
View Image
No, I actually meant this.http://www.burnstools.com/Mark Cadioli posted a message about it back in september. It looks like it might be cheaper and easier to fill.Karl
Wow - how cool! I can even use my nail guns under water... ;-)
They are basically the same thing a bottle, regulator and coil hose. The only problem you can have with CO2 is frozen O-rings that will crack and cause leaks, especially in the winter or if you are firing repetitively. The liquid doesn't get a chance to expande and destroys everything inside the gun. Paintballers (I play all the time) use expansion chambers which allow the liquid a chance to expand and "gas" before entering the gun.
All in all, you will probably get about 400 shots out of a 20oz tank and you lose alot of that when you break down at the end of the day. BTW it isn't cheap to have a company come in and fill your source tank. The local guy charges 15 bucks to fill up my 20 oz tank but I don't know how much it costs to fill the big one.Jim W.Coventry Woodworking
Jim,
Interesting point on expansion of liquid co2 trashing the gun. Does this happen in single shot firing or mostly with very high rates of fire?I suspect a bulk co2 tank is very cheap to fill. I picture a co2 bottle like the soda pop machines use with a siphon tube to draw off liquid co2 for refills. I would guess they would be around 30 or 40 dollars to refill.I pay anywhere between 25 and 50 dollars when I get Argon, acetylene or oxygen cylinders filled with the volume rangine from 30 to 120 cu ft. The gas is consistently very cheap in large quantities and very expensive in small quantities.I should recheck the website posted earlier (not the CO2 system) and see if they offer a hose for refilling from bulk oxygen cylindeers. That way I could just refill from my oxygen tank currently used just for a torch.The more I think about this Oxygen isn't an option. As an oxidizer it would be somewhat of a fire/explosion hazard in conjunction with pneumatic tool oil.
karl
Edited 12/24/2005 5:02 pm ET by karl
Oxygen by itself is not flamible or explosive. When I took my EMT class the first thing the instructor did was hold a cigarette up to the tubing w/ a 15 lpm flow. But, when you combine oxygen with something else that is flamible, it then becomes an oxidizer and reduces the flash point of that object. Take firefighting turnouts, they are usually made of Nomex (although there are more improved fabrics out there, I won't get into that). Normally at room air (21% O2) the fabric is non-flamible. Bring the O2 concentration up to 25 to 30% or so and the fabric will burn just as easily as cotton.
O2 can become an explosion problem when the gas expands in it's container (bottle) and has no where to go. Saw this happen once when an apartment became fully involved with flames and the heat caused the compressed O2 in a cylinder in the room to expand to the point the thing just blew up. It's not very common, but since they don't have pressure relief valves like propane or CO2 cylinders, it is possible.
Many paitballers use Nitro tanks, which is just compressed air (called Nitro since Nitrogen makes up the majority of room air). These bottles are a bit bulky, have rounded ends, and don't hold as many "shots" as CO2. The plus is that they are free to fill (just use a compressor), don't have problems firing in cold weather, and don't ruin your o-rings.
When I play paintball I use CO2. I've never had a problem with frozen o-rings, but I don't go around spraying shots like some other people do. The main problem is when you fire too quickly the CO2 doesn't have enough time to expand and become a gas, thus sending liquid into the gun and ruining all the o-rings. I'm sure in warm weather or if you are only firing a few shots at a time you would not have anyproblems, but if you are laying base or something similar, you could have problems.
Any other useless factoids I can answer? Just kidding.Jim W.Coventry Woodworking
Go cordless you will never look back. I have the paslode and have been trimming with it for 5 years. Aliitle cleaning every now and then and your good to go. Hang the nailer off your hammer loop and up the ladder you go.
Had a few problems with mine the first time out the gate, called paslode and had a factory rep on my job first thing in the morning with new gun cleaner cells and nails. It was a 4 hour drive and a hotel expense for the guy but they serviced me right.
I don't notice any smells from the gas
I worked on a job where the homeowner had a angled Paslode 16g. I loved it...fumes didn't bother me, noise didn't really bother me unless my ear was within inches of the thing. That my have been my first experience with a finish gun (maybe any nail gun), and since that time, I have driven very few finish nails...Now that I have my compressor and guns, I never will again.
Young, poor, and eager to learn
I just got a killer deal on a Dewalt 16 gauge 18 volt combo kit 2batteries charger hammerdrill and yellow toolbag.it was clearanced at home depot from 499 to 349 and they couldn't find a rebate so I talked them into another 10% off.I am giving the drill and charger to my B.I.L as a christmas gift with a nice tote toolbox.
This gun may be to heavy for all day but it sure is cool for outside on a ladder 2 stories stretched out kind of things.
ANDYSZ2I MAY DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOUR SAYING BUT I WILL DEFEND TO THE DEATH YOUR RIGHT TO SAY IT.
Remodeler/Punchout
That is a great deal. I have the Dewalt as well and have been very pleased with it.Of course I also have several other 18 volt tools from Dewalt so It was the only option that made sense.It is a bit large but I love the fact that that I never have to worry about running out of fuel cells. I am amazed at how long it lasts.I also love the much smaller hole it leaves in my trim.
Paslode impulse trimmer all the way. It's well balanced, very maneuverable, and takes standard straight trim nails. And you don't have to hold it between your legs between shots thanks to the belt hook. I've used it on nearly every trim situation imaginable. I don't even bother getting out the air guns unless I am doing a large stationary trim job (like a fireplace surround), or working in the shop. The noise is not much worse than the compressor but I've seen a couple of client's dogs get freaked out by the pops. At the end of the day, I drop it in the case and throw it in the truck, though I do take it in the house if it's cold outside. No extension cords or hoses to fight, no compressor to hump. Just a little cleaning every few months and it's never let me down.
I looked at the latest models last March at JLC in Providence. The newest modesl have a few extras that the last models didn't, but I'm still seeing the older models on the shelves wherever they are sold so shop carefully.
I have two Trimpulses from Paslode. My sub guys each have a Senco trim nailer. Unless we are in full production mode and need all four guns shooting, the Paslodes are the gun of choice. One mmqajor reason is that when dust exists - say running baseboard - the pneumatics will throw it back in your face
Noise is right there in your face with the Paslode, but no compressor noise or hoses to deal with.
I shoot the Paslode 16ga or generic 15 ga in all the trim. Occasionally use extra screws in jambs
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I have the impulse and have used 16g and 14g paslode nails in it with the adapter. Has anyone tried using 15g nails in one of these guns or would it ruin the machine?
I use 15 in the newer orange one. After a few years now, it seems to flip a nail; and jam sometimes, near the end of a clip. whether thisd is related to excessive wear on the magazine slide, I don't know.I wasn't aware of a kit fir 14 ga
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All the 14g kit is a different size lever that goes in the front of the driver. It came free in a deal when I bought the gun, I bought some 2" 14g nails at the same time. However they seem rarer than hen's teeth!(English expression) to get hold of. I used these nails for face nailing 80sq' of pine boards, which they did ok but without the extra bite of larger ring shank nails. So if I can get away with putting 15g nails in the impulse...
try itIt was a fastener dealer who sold mwe my firsst impulse trhat tipped me off to this -0 and he sold Spotnails 15ga a bunch cheqaper tan paslode 16gawe speak english here too ;)
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!