Hi all,
I am installing cherry trim and base. My Senco 18g brad nailer is not up to the job. Any thoughts on nailing hardwood?
Thanks
Hi all,
I am installing cherry trim and base. My Senco 18g brad nailer is not up to the job. Any thoughts on nailing hardwood?
Thanks
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Replies
The finish carps I know and myself are pretty evenly split between 16 g and 15 g for most base and case. The hard core trim guys I've known and worked with are almost all using 15 g. I like the larger 15 g because it's easier to get into corners due to the angled nail strip orientation. Fans of the 16 g like the lower nail and gun costs and more than one very experienced carp has claimed the 16 g will often not punch into a copper pipe, while the 15 g can with a direct hit.
Either would be fine for what you're doing.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
Fans of the 16 g like the lower nail and gun costs and more than one very experienced carp has claimed the 16 g will often not punch into a copper pipe,
Well I'm here to dispell that myth! I did exactly that, punctured a water pipe. Same house I hit an electric wire and shorted out some can lights.
I was using my 16g Paslode.
Doug
An 18g gun is not enough for fastening 3/4 cherry stock. I would definetly use a 15g or 16g. Some prefer the 15g because of the angled magazine but Paslode now makes an angled 16g finish gun which rated highly in a recent test in I think fine homebuilding or fine woodworking. Only downside is that you are limited to buying the paslode brand nails. Just a thought.
I've got two 18 ga. guns, a makita and a hitachi. Both will reliably set a 2" nail thru oak, cherry, or maple.
If you're trying to keep the nail holes small, I'd try another gun. If it doesn't matter, go with a bigger gauge gun...buic
PS - I assume your pressure gauge is working and you've got it at about 90 psi? No air leaking from the hose, gun, or fittings?
I nail the inside edge of door and window casings with an 18ga Senco, with nails around 1-1/2" long. Base cap and shoe too.
Outside edge of casing, and baseboards, I nail with a 15ga Senco. Sometimes I'll use my 16ga cordless Paslode. I think the 16ga nails hold better because they are square in section instead of round.
Like the others said, 18ga is too small to go through trim, sheetrock, and into framing. Fine for wood-to-wood like at a door jamb though.
more pressure, test on scraps until you get the results you need.
I do exactly the same thing that Woodguy does. If it's casing I go with an 18g 11/2" nail on the inside thinner edge of the taper and then some 15 or 16 guage on the outside at the corners and a few in the run. No need to use a lot, every 2' or so.
If it's flat 3/4" stock then go with all 16 or 15. Most interior trim I end up using my 16g. It's a lighter gun, makes a smaller hole and doesn't seem to blast the nail as hard as the 15, and it has plenty of holding power.
When there is real weight support involved and the trim is heavier, or when I install doors, I always use the 15g.
North American Cherry is one of the softest hardwoods. There is no reason why your 18 ga would not nail this unless it was underpressured or defective.
Brazilian Cherry is one of the hardest of hardwoods. This could be a difficult product to trim with. I've run into samples that refused anything but pre-drilling and hand nailing. Others I could sink nails no problem. The problem is there are several different species that are lumped into the Brazilian Cherry classification, the trees and wood look similar, but some are insanely hard.
As a sidebar: Both change color (darken/ suntan) dramatically over time in sunlight. Which makes the filling of nail holes a difficult match.
Gord