Introduction:
Designed to drive nails into a variety of materials, including wood, metal, steel and concrete, nail guns significantly speed up tasks historically undertaken with a hammer. There are two main types of nailers:
- Pneumatic Nailers – Designed to fire nails with the help of compressed air, provided via an air hose connected to a compressor.
- Cordless Nailers – Manufactured in two forms, 1. Gas nailers, which use both batteries and fuel cells, or 2. Battery nailers, which use just batteries. Cordless nail guns do not require an attached air hose, meaning they are more convenient to use, although they are heavier than pneumatic air nailers.
Pneumatic and cordless nailers are available in both straight nailer and angled nailer variations. Angled nailers are particularly useful for helping workers reach tight areas and corners. The bigger the angle of the tool, the less space required to reach the target area.
The range of nail guns on the market is vast and provides workers with a wide array of options, whatever environment they may work in. Nail guns can be grouped into two main categories, first fix nailers and second fix nailers.
First Fix Nailers:
Designed for use in heavy duty and structural applications, these nail guns provide more power and use larger nails than 2nd fix nailers. On the downside, they provide a less aesthetic finish, meaning they should be used mainly in jobs where their visual appearance is not important. 1st fix nailers are produced in both coil nailer and strip nailer variations. Coil nailers are powerful, heavy duty and hold a large volume of nails, allowing the user to work for long periods of time without reloading. Strip nailers are also powerful, however they tend to be lighter and carry less nails, meaning they require reloading more often. They are generally a more popular choice than coil nailers.
- Framing Nailers – The heaviest duty nailer on the market, the framing nailer is an essential tool when working on large building projects and construction sites. Some applications this tool can be used for include timber frame manufacturing, stud partitions, roofing, sheathing, crate and box assembly, sub flooring, pallet assembly, decking and siding.
- Flooring Nailers – An absolute must when fitting hardwood flooring to subfloors, the flooring nailer will help both speed up the process and produce a better result. In general, depending on the option chosen, these nailers use either L-shaped cleats or T-shaped cleats. As well as this, the tool comes with a mallet which is used to hammer the device and drive the fastenings in place. A pneumatic version will assist the user, whereas a manual version relies solely on the force of the user’s strike.
- Roofing Nailers – Designed to attach roofing materials, such as roof shingles, insulation boards, tar paper, fibreglass and asphalt, to roofs, a roofing nailer must be durable enough to allow it to withstand the weather conditions they are used in. It is advisable to use nails with shorter lengths and larger heads, when using a roofing nailer, so they can properly fire through thinner materials and be removed easily, if required.
- Positive Placement Joist Hanger Nailers – Using a probe attached to the tip of the nose, or the nail itself, a positive placement nailer is designed to easily find holes in hardware. The protruding design allows either the nail, or the tip of the gun, to be placed right up to where the user intends to shoot the nail gun. Therefore, they are ideal for being used in applications with rafters and joists, roof trusses and roof joists.
Second Fix Nailers:
Designed mainly for finish and trim applications, where the visual appearance of nails is important. These nailers use thinner and smaller nails, which provide a more aesthetic finish. However, these tools are less powerful than first fix nailers and their fastenings provide a weaker hold when fired.
- Pinners – Generally available in either 23 gauge or 21 gauge variations, pinner nailers provide a weaker hold than both brad nailers and finish nailers, although they leave a more aesthetic finish. The size and type of fastenings they use mean that when fired, the pin is virtually unnoticeable. However, this means that it often must be combined with some sort of glue, to provide it with a strong enough hold. Therefore, the tool is suitable for use in applications such as invisible fixings, door and window trim, molding, picture framing, mirror framing and furniture assembly.
- Brad Nailers – An 18 gauge tool, brad nailers provide a compromise between headless pinners and finish nailers. They are a good option for applications that require a stronger hold than pinners can provide, but a more aesthetic finish than finish nailers produce. These applications include door and window beading, decorative trimming, light wood assembly, furniture assembly, moulding, exhibition stand building and shoe manufacturing.
- Finish Nailers – Available in 16 gauge, 15 gauge and 14 gauge variations, a finish nailer fires thicker nails than both brad nailers and pinners, thus providing a stronger hold, albeit a less aesthetic finish. They are designed for second fix applications that are larger and require a stronger hold. Such applications include panelling, skirting, beading, craftwork, interior finishing, sub flooring, crown moulding, door and window casing and furniture assembly.
Safety:
When working with nailers, upholding safety is paramount and must not be compromised. Workers should implement precautionary measures before even firing their tools. Such measures include:
- Having the correct training and understanding about the tools one intends to use
- Wearing the correct Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Inspecting, maintaining and correctly storing tools before and after usage
- Using the correct fastenings for the specific nailer a worker intends to use, otherwise the user risks jamming and damaging the tool
As well as this, nailers have their own integrated safety features to avoid accidental firing:
- Contact trigger – The nailer will only fire when both the trigger is pulled and the nose of the nail gun is depressed. It does not matter which occurs first and therefore allows for bump firing, which increases the rate at which an individual can work. This however is not optimal for safety.
- Sequential trigger – This also requires that both the trigger be pulled and nose of the nail gun be depressed, however it must be done in a specific order for the nail gun to fire. In this case the nose of the gun must be depressed first and then the trigger pulled. This significantly reduces the chance of accidental firing and bump firing, when the nose of the gun is depressed. There are two types of sequential triggers:
- Single sequential trigger – Only the manual trigger must be released and pulled again to fire the nailer, while the nose remains depressed. This allows the user to fire multiple nails at a faster rate. This however is not as safe as the full sequential trigger option.
- Full sequential trigger – Both the nose must be lifted and depressed again and the manual trigger released and pulled again, to fire the nailer. This is the safest option.
Often nailers will have the option of both a contact trigger and a sequential trigger, allowing the user to switch between them.