The Importance of Nail Guns

Since nowadays pneumatic nailers are ubiquitous on construction sites, at woodworking shops, and in almost every hobbyist’s garage, it is important if you are a woodworker to be sure that you choose the right type of nailer for the task you are undertaking, since this can greatly improve your results.

Nor should you have any trouble finding a nailer built specifically for what you have in mind, since there is a different kind of nailer for each different kind of woodworking.

The most important thing to consider is what function your nailer will be performing. There are different nailers for house building, shingling, installing flooring or siding, or such delicate tasks as building a dollhouse. If your project is one which requires thinner wood, such as a bird- or dollhouse, a brad nailer is your best choice.

However, because of their small size, brad nails are not very strong, and should have a high quality wood glue to reinforce them. If you are building anything where the final appearance is a key element, such as furniture or interior design, finish nailers have special nail heads which can be hidden with putty, giving your project a clean finish.

Finish nailers use nails with are stronger, and longer than brad nailers. For large construction projects, such as house, deck, or garage building, there are framing nailers, which can shoot nails of anywhere from two to three and a half inches long. Framing nailers are the type of nailers typically used on construction sites.

For specific tasks such as flooring, siding, or roofing, there are flooring, siding and roofing nailers, but these tend to be expensive, so unless you are planning to do extensive projects involving any of these tasks, you would likely be better off renting one of these specialty nailers.

The only type of nailers discussed in this site are palm nailers, which are a category of nailers all by themselves. Palm-impact nailers, which fit into the palm of your hands, have the appearance of closed funnels, and are conveniently sized to fit into spaces too narrow for a hammer or ordinary nail gun.

They load individual nails, instead of coils or strips, by attaching it to a magnetic nail guide. They should always to be purchased with ear plugs, because the noise they make approximates that of a speeding jackhammer.

All air nailers require an air hose and compressor, and other attachments, but for those who don’t want to be limited by the length of the hose, cordless air nailers are available, in two categories, battery or gas. These, however, tend to be slower, less powerful, and more expensive than regular pneumatic nailers.