by Dean Bielanowski
When it comes to choosing and purchasing an air nailer, it amazes me how many people purchase the wrong nailer for the job they wish to undertake. I am even further amazed at how some power tool retail staff provide the wrong advice to customers when it comes to air nailer purchases. So this mini-article will help you choose the correct type of nail gun for many common building and renovating fastening tasks.
Air Nailers (or nail guns) come in several shapes and sizes, many of which are designed for a small range of tasks. I will discuss them from smallest to largest.
Pin Nailers
These are generally the “smallest” air nailers you can buy. The shoot small nails called or “pins” which are essentially a shaped piece of hard wire. Pin nails do not have a nail head on them, so there fastening ability is somewhat diminished as they provide much less of a hold on material than traditional round head nails. Pin nails and pin nailers are most often used where a temporary fastener is required that can be removed or hidden later. They are often used in workshops or furniture shops to temporarily “tack” pieces together after glue application, the nails holding the piece in position while glue sets (so no hand clamps are required). They are also used for jig building or where pieces can be pulled apart later. The main advantage of pin nailers is that they leave a very small entry hole, often so small it is difficult to see. They are a handy device for temporary fastening but have no real place where permanent or stronger fastening is required.
Brad nailers as their name suggests generally use 18 gauge “brad” nails, which are essentially similar to pin nails, but they have a small rectangular head. They are used for light duty fastening where a small entry hole is desired. Commonly they are used for attaching small moldings to cabinetry and furniture pieces, for stronger fastening of workshop jigs and can be used also as temporary clamping solution for glued pieces. They provide more grip than a pin nail but nail holes will need to be filled with putty or other fillers if they wish to be hidden or made less obvious in a furniture piece. Brad nailers are extremely popular in workshops and for home users and are available widely at good prices. They are often used for window casing trim, mitered joint strengthening or for toe-nailing in shelf joints.
Next up are finish nailers. These use 15 gauge nails which are larger still, but most often still have rectangular heads like brad nails, but larger. The nails have a larger diameter as well which provide better holding power. I personally prefer to use finish nailers over brad nailers for any molding, casework or trim installation, simply because they hold MUCH better than a brad nail and the nail hole is not all that larger in the end, and you would still have to fill holes with a brad nailer, so I am happy to sacrifice perhaps a 15% larger nail hole for the benefit of perhaps twice the holding power. Finish nailers also come with straight and angled nail magazines. The angled magazines allow the nailer to be used in tighter areas and in corners without obstruction and are a popular choice. Nails up to 3” can also be used in some finish nailers, although the majority can use nails from ½”up to 2-1/2”in length which is more than suitable for most finish trim installation needs.
This is the “big gun”, so to speak. Again, as the name suggests, this nailer is mostly used for house and structure framing tasks. It can use either full round head nails or clipped head nails, but local building codes may stipulate whether a full round head nail must be used for frame construction, so check local codes before you choose as most framing nailers use either one type of nail or the other, generally not both. The nails are generally wire collated because of their larger size and these nailers can fire fasteners up to 3”or 3-1/2” long. This is a heavy duty nailer that packs a bunch and serious care should be taken with its use. It offers the most holding power of any nailer mentioned so far because of the large nail diameter and large nail head of the fasteners it drives. Framing nailers are basically construction nailers used for framing and building where nails or structure will be hidden. The nails are always generally visible and flush or near flush to surfaces when driven and are difficult to hide. A frame nailer can also be used for securing fence palings, fascia boards or anywhere a solid fastener is required.
Coil Nailer
Coil nailers can usually shoot nails similar to a framing nailer but generally not in as longer lengths as a framer can. Coil nails are also wound into a coil shape as opposed to a straight collation. Coil nailers are popular among wooden fence erectors and roofing installers with special roofing coil nailers also available. They have a smaller overall size compared to a framing nailer because of the drum-type magazine which doesn’t extend as much in length as opposed to a framing nailer, hence reducing its length. They are popular because of this, and generally weigh a little less than a larger frame nailer. Coil nails are also available in many types which make them more suitable as decking nailers too.
Air Staplers
These too come in numerous types, usually narrow crown, wide crown or upholstery staplers. Staplers are best used for fixing thin sheet goods to a furniture piece, say the backing for a wall cabinet, or where material is likely to “tear out” or pull through if normal nails are used. Staples offer great holding power but are readily visible and difficult to cover over so they are best used in places that will not be visible. Upholstery staplers are great for securing upholstery or materials to wooden frames.
That about sums up the common nailers… There are of course flooring nailers, palm nailers and other specialized types out there too. But it is also important to select the right type of nail for the job. Galvanized or stainless steel nails must be used in outdoor applications or where material or nails are exposed to moisture to prevent nail corrosion. Certain nail types like ring shank nails will also hold better over time than standard straight shank nails and might be preferred for decking applications, for example. If you are unsure of the nailer you need, or that is best suited for the job at hand, consult your specialist power tool retailer for advice.
