I’m going to make the leap to a pneumatic nailer, but would like some advice on size, especially from people who have BOTH an 18ga brad nailer and a 22 or 23ga pin nailer. This will be for furniture – holding moldings etc. where I often end up banging a divot in the wood or bending the brad with a hammer.
Is splitting small moldings a worry with the 18ga brads? If you had only one, which size would it be? If you have both, which do you use more often?
Replies
Depending on the size of the wood, you can split it with the head of a 18 gauge brad. However, they do make 18 gauge brads that have a slight head (very little head) or some with no head at all (headless). This way, you can use these brads for the applications that you're talking about without having to buy a different nailer. Just use your 18 gauge brad nailer.
if your interested in this route, you can go to your local senco dealer and ask them to order the brads your looking for.
AX13EAA 18 ga 1" long regular brad
AY13EAA 18 ga 1" long slight head brad
AZ13EAA 18 ga 1" long headless brad
The price has come down dramatically on all types of nailers. I have an 18 and 23 gauge pin nailer. The thing about the 23 is your limited in length (1"). So it really deppends on what you are making at the time. 18 gauge up to 2", 16 up to 2 1/2" and 15 up to 2 1/2". I have Senco, Porter Cable guns, and cheap china guns. 23 gauge up to 15 in each size. No issues with any of the guns, even the cheap one. The better guns do have adjustable depth which the cheap china guns do not. But thats not an issue for me as I always drive to below surface anyway.
I started with a 2" 18 gauge, then the smaller 18 gauge, bought the 23 gauge pinner last. I have only used them for small projects and trim in the house. So the 18's get most of the work. I have only used the 23 gauge pinner once since I have purchased it. I think as long as your not nailing too close to the end of small trim there should be no problem with starting off with an 18 gauge.
Edited 2/15/2008 3:33 pm ET by benhasajeep
splits with 18g nails can happen, especially if you are holding the gun crosswise to the grain in the trim.
If I only could have one, I would probably go with the 23g. The previous poster was very wrong in saying you are limited to 1" 23g pins. There are 2"+ 23g nailers out there now, though you probably will only need 1 3/8". I have a Grex 635 and it's wonderful. There are times, however, when trying to bend a bit of crown around some crummy framing (I know that's redundant) that you need the extra holding power of a 18g gun. I even have to whip out the 15g from time to time, too, so having only one gun is not really an option for trim carpentry. For furniture, a 23g is enough.
Neither size can be the only gun in your box. The 23 is way too small for anything of 'normal' weight or thickness. And the 18 will obliterate the really small stuff.
If your budget only allows one, I'd get the 18 first. It leaves holes that are quite small, and easy to fill.
Politics is the antithesis of problem solving.
i have a few guns. 18, 18,15, 23. the 18's will do the bulk of your trim work on furniture. i've only used the 23 a few times myself and the pins are very tiny and not real strong. they also like to say that the 23 nose tip doesn't mar the wood, but in reality it does slightly. a 23 that shoots pins over say 1 3/16 will cost you quite a bit more than one that shoots the smaller pins. on the other hand many reasonbably priced 18's will shoot longer brads. i'd go with the small head or no head 18's previously reccomended if it's just one gun.
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