Product Code Database
A nail gun, nailgun or nailer is a form of hammer used to drive nails into wood or other materials. It is usually driven by gas compressor air (pneumatic), electromagnetism, highly flammable gases such as butane or propane, or, for powder-actuated tools, a small pyrotechnics. Nail guns have in many ways replaced as tools of choice among builders.
The nail gun was designed by Morris Pynoos, a civil engineer by training, for his work on Howard Hughes' Hughes H-4 Hercules (known as the Spruce Goose). The wooden fuselage was nailed together and glued, and then the nails were removed.
The first nail gun used air pressure and was introduced to the market in 1950 to speed the construction of housing floor sheathing and sub-floors. With the original nail gun, the operator used it while standing and could nail 40 to 60 nails a minute. It had a capacity of 400 to 600 nails.
The smallest size of fasteners are normally 23 gauge ( in diameter), commonly called "pin nailers" and generally have only a minimal head. They are used for attaching everything from beadings, mouldings and so forth to furniture all the way up to medium-sized baseboard, crown molding and casing. Lengths are normally in the range , although some industrial tool manufacturers supply up to . The 23 gauge micro pin is rapidly gaining ground as users find that it leaves a much smaller hole than brad nails, thereby eliminating the time normally taken to fill holes and presenting a far better looking finished product.
The next size up is the 18 gauge (1.02 mm diameter) fixing, often referred to as a "". These fastenings are also used to fix mouldings but can be used in the same way as the smaller 22 to 24 gauge fastenings. Their greater strength leads to their use in trim carpentry on hardwoods where some hole filling is acceptable. Most 18 gauge brads have heads, but some manufacturers offer headless fastenings. Lengths range from .
The next sizes are 16 and 15 gauge (1.63 and 1.83 mm diameter). These are generally referred to as "finish nails". They come in lengths between and are used in the general fixing of much softwood and MDF trim work (such as baseboard/Baseboard, , etc.) where the holes will be filled and the work painted afterwards.
The largest sizes of conventional collated fastenings are the clipped head and full head nails which are used in framing, fencing and other forms of structural and exterior work. These nails generally have a shank diameter of although some manufacturers offer smaller diameter nails as well. General lengths are in the range . Shank styles include plain, ring annular, twisted, etc. and a variety of materials and finishes are offered including plain steel, galvanized steel, sheradizing steel, stainless steel, etc. depending on the pull-out resistance, corrosion resistance, etc. required for the given application. These sizes of fastenings are available in stick collated form (often 20° to 21° for full head, 28° to 34° for clipped head) or coil form (for use in pallet/roofing nailers) depending on the application. Full-head nails have greater pull-out resistance than clipped head nails.
Another type of fastening commonly found in construction is the strap fastening which is roughly analogous to the large head clout nail. These are used in conjunction with a strap shot nailer to fix metalwork such as joist hangers, corner plates, strengthening straps, etc. to timber structures. They differ from conventional nailers in that the point of the fastening is not sheathed so it can be exactly positioned before firing the nail gun.
Other specialist nailers are also available which can drive spikes up to long, fix wood to steel, etc.
A palm nailer is a small, lightweight tool, typically pneumatic, which fits into the palm of one hand. It is convenient for working in tight spaces and can drive both short and long nails. Repeated hammer blows (of around 40 hits per second) rather than a single strike drive the fastener.
Injuries to the fingers, hands, and feet are among the three most common, but there are also injuries that involve other body areas such as arms and legs as well as internal organs. Some of these injuries are serious and some have resulted in death.
All kinds of nail guns can be dangerous, so safety precautions similar to those for a firearm are usually recommended for their use. For safety, nail guns are designed to be used with the Firearm muzzle contacting the target. Unless specifically modified for the purpose, they are not effective as a projectile weapon.
The most common firing mechanism is the dual-action contact-trip trigger, which requires that the manual trigger and nose contact element both be depressed for a nail to be discharged. The sequential-trip trigger, which is safer, requires the nose contact to be depressed before the manual trigger, rather than simultaneously with the trigger. Approximately 65% to 69% of injuries from contact-trip tools could be prevented through the use of a sequential-trip trigger, according to the CDC.
There is recoil associated with the discharge of a nail from a nail gun. Contact triggers allow the gun to fire unintended nails if the nose hits the wood surface or a previously placed nail following recoil. Nailers with touch tip (contact) triggers are susceptible to this double firing. According to a 2002 engineering report from the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), the recoil and firing of the second nail occurs well before the trigger can be released. Acute injury rates are twice as high among users of tools with contact triggers.
In September 2011 The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) issued a nail gun safety guide that details practical steps to prevent injuries including use of tools with sequential triggers, training prior to use, and use of appropriate protective equipment such as eye protection. Nail Gun Safety: A Guide for Construction Contractors NIOSH/OSHA, Sept. 2011 In June 2013, NIOSH released an instructional comic providing information on nail gun hazards and ways to use the device properly. CDC - NIOSH Publications and Products - Straight Talk About Nail Gun Safety NIOSH, June 2013.
Research aimed at reducing nail gun accidents among frame carpenters, among the heaviest users of nail guns, continues. Prevention of Nail Gun Injuries in Residential Construction CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training
A pneumatic nail gun is also limited by the size and rebound rate of its compressor in the number of fasteners it can drive consecutively.
Historically pneumatic air guns required daily oiling (at a minimum), though "oil-free" versions are also produced.
Either type can, with the right cartridge loads, be very powerful, driving a nail or other fastener into hard concrete, stone, hardwood, steel, etc., with ease.
Electric nail guns are commonly used in construction and woodworking for framing smaller items such as baseboard installation, and securing trim.
There are two main styles of electric nail guns, corded and battery-powered nail guns. Corded relies on an electrical outlet for power and requires a cord to extend from the nail gun to the wall; battery-style nail guns offer increased mobility and easy use when needed. While electric nail guns provide advantages such as ease of use and quiet operation, they do have limitations like power dependency, battery life and increased weight, especially with higher capacity battery packs.
Pin nailers are often used on molding for furniture, cabinets, and interior millwork. They can also work as temporary fasteners for pieces with irregular shapes that are impossible to hold down with a clamp securely.
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