Which nail gun ?

[JDarvall]

What nail guns you recommend. The cheapest of the best sort of thing.

my next job is to make up a new fence around our house, and not looking forward to swinging a hammer all day.

I'm not exactly shore what sized nails I'll be using.

But I like the idea of a gun that'll shoot heavy nails ranging 50 mm up to what a framing gun will take. Do they make guns like that. Or will I have to buy two guns.

At work I shoot 65mm pins or less from this one gun. But I don't think the nails are heavy enough for the fence. Any ideas.

Going to town today,...will try to con the misses into buying one.

Any brand I should totally avoid ? (like from bunnings ?) Thanks.

[Big Shed]

Jake, our local Home Hardware is selling a Spear & Jackson nail gun that takes 50-90mm nails, for the princely sum of $129, 1 year warranty.

At that price, look at it as a hire charge!

My framing gun has given up the ghost after quite a few big projects (houseboat, big extension and 2 complete houses) I lent it out so someone and it packed up. As I had bought it s/h I reckon I had my money's worth out of it.

As I am now looking at building a timber framed potting shed for SWMBO, I will buy one of the $129 guns. If it lasts for that jog, like I said it would cost at least that to hire one. If it fails within a year, warranty will take care of it.

Had a look at one, and it seems OK.

[scooter]

Bunnings down here at the moment stocks Trade-air, GMC, & Magstorm nailguns.

Tradeair is made by Spear & Jackson, not a fan of the compressors (bit cheap & nasty) but no feedback on the nailguns to offer. Mate has a GMC coil nailer which he's happy with, but another has been through a couple that have some problem with the firing pin & misfire regularly. Nothing to offer on the Magstorm (we only have the framing gun at our store).

AFAIK there's nothing that will take collated nails up to framing size (50-90mm) other than an actual framing gun.

Other options for fencing would be a coil gun (up to 65mm I think) or a T nailer (don't know max length).


Cheers................Sean

[echnidna]

Framing nails seem a bit thick for holding palings on with.

All my guns are cheapies.

I use a trade air framer - it works ok.
And a T nailer for palings, decking, flooring etc
Plus a bradder 15 to 50mm for light trims
And a stapler for ply, thin mdf and upholstery etc

[echnidna]

My framing gun has given up the ghost after quite a few big projects (houseboat, big extension and 2 complete houses) I lent it out so someone and it packed up. As I had bought it s/h I reckon I had my money's worth out of it.

In most nailguns the common parts that wear are the rubber o rings so you should be able to repair the gun easily enough.

[Big Shed]

In most nailguns the common parts that wear are the rubber o rings so you should be able to repair the gun easily enough.

Thanks echnidna, we did that twice, but this time the piston cracked and we couldn't find a replacement.

[JDarvall]

Thanks for the help. T nailers probably the go.

[echnidna]

aluminium piston?
might be weldable

[mic-d]

Jake, do yourself a favour and get a coil nailer for the fence. Don't use a t-nailer, it is a vastly inferior nail. It is only electoplated and will rust through in a few years. Also because the heads are so small, the palings can easily work loose if the wood shrinks away. I'm speaking from experience here, I don't know how many fences I've repaired because a t-nailer was used. Here's a previous thread.
http://woodworkforums.com/showthread...t-nailer+fence

Cheers
Michael

[Big Shed]

aluminium piston?
might be weldable

yes the piston is aluminium, but reasonably thin. I think welding would be a job for a real expert, to do it without distorting it that is. Anyway, as I can buy a new gun for only $129, I think it is time to send it to the great nail gun heaven in the sky.

[JDarvall]

ok. Thanks Michael. Coil nailer. I'll google that and see what I get. I don't know the jargon too well.

[JDarvall]

Which of these would catch your eye ?
http://search.ebay.com.au/search/sea...trypage=search

[mic-d]

Jake I have an old bostich which is rather heavy and does not take plastic collated nails which offer wider nail variety. So look for a lighter one ( they become heavy if you're fencing all day), one that takes plastic or plastic and wire collated, has a depth adjustment and perhaps offers two triggers, a bump trigger for fencing and a single shot trigger for decks etc...

Cheers
Michael

[JDarvall]

Thanks Michael. I'll bite the bullet on something. just trying to save money uno.

I had a closer look at the 65mm nails we use at work today. 16g. Galvanised. T Nailer. Being galvanised I thought why not use them for the fence. Borrow the bosses. Suspecting they may be a little too thin for palings though,, yes ?

[mic-d]

Thanks Michael. I'll bite the bullet on something. just trying to save money uno.

I had a closer look at the 65mm nails we use at work today. 16g. Galvanised. T Nailer. Being galvanised I thought why not use them for the fence. Borrow the bosses. Suspecting they may be a little too thin for palings though,, yes ?

I did a test last year I think where I put a hot dipped gal nail (coil nail), a bright bullet head and a "gal" t-nail into weakly salty water. several months later, the h/d gal nail was unchanged. The t-nail and the bright nail showed rust after a day. the "gal" nails are only a thin electroplating.

Cheers
Michael