Different Types of Air Nailers - Part 2
This is our follow-up to Part 1, where we introduced some helpful basics that can help you pick the air nailer that’s right for your needs
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Roofing Nailers
Designing a good roofing nailer is a special engineering challenge.
These tools need to be specially built around the unique ergonomic and productivity requirements of professional roofers. At the same time, they still need to be rugged enough to handle lots of abuse on the job site.
Generally, they’re designed to be compact and comfortable to use in awkward positions, yet still have large storage magazines to allow longer periods between reloading.
Another important feature of these roof nailers is the rapid bump-fire capacity that allows workers to get more work done in less time. Most bump-firing mechanisms rely on a secondary trigger at the nose of the gun which fires out a new round every time it’s pushed against a hard surface.
Finally, you need to look for a unit that offers proper depth adjustment. If you drive the nails too deep, you could potentially damage the roof or compromise the integrity of the shingle. However, if the nail isn’t deep enough or sticks out, it could potentially damage the shingle above it.
Flooring Nailers
In the past, installing flooring meant having to endure the repetitive strain of constantly bending over to hammer nails into the floor. Today, flooring nailers make this job a lot faster and easier on your back.
At first, they might seem a bit expensive for home users. But when you weigh it against the cost of having a professional install your flooring, you can make your money back pretty quickly.
Flooring nailers are operated by applying a kick hammer (yes, literally a hammer) to a button on the back of the device in order to drive in the nails at an angle. The angular direction of the nail helps ensure a stronger, longer-lasting hold.
When working with hardwood flowing, this hammering force also helps tightly push the panels together in as they’re being nailed in.
When looking into an air-powered flooring nailer, I suggest finding something lightweight, with a long handle and large storage capacity.
Palm Nailers/Impact Nailers
Palming nailers are a safer, slower alternative to other devices such as framing nailers. Rather than pushing the entire nail in one shot, it acts like a mini jackhammer that gradually forces pushes the nail in through a series of rapid bursts.
One of the advantages of using a palm nailer is that you can use regular store-bough nails for your project. You simply drop the nail in the tube and apply pressure to activate the piston.
Although it’s slower than other nailers, it’s great for areas that are too small for hammers or nail guns.
Palm nailers are not meant to be a replacement for regular air nailers, by they certainly are an essential tool that’s always handy to have as part of your arsenal.
Pin Nailers:
Pin nailers are similar to finishing nailers, but they’re designed for use with very thin gauges, and leave virtually no hole. It’s recommended that you try to aim close to a seam, or inside a shadow line for minimum visibility.
They’re ideal for fastening 2 pieces of wood when gluing them together. They’re also useful for fixing small splits.
It’s not recommended that you use pin nailers for any projects that might need towithstand heavy loads, since the pins are very weak.
When used in conjunction with other finishing nailers, pin nailers are great because you don’t have to go back and fill as many holes.
[To Be Continued In Part 3]
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