Air Nailer

[sipa]

Does anyone use an Air Nailer / Stapler for making up frames ?

If so, which one do you recommend and where to buy it.

thanks

 

[blackcavebees]

Does anyone use an Air Nailer / Stapler for making up frames ?

If so, which one do you recommend and where to buy it.

thanks

I use a Bostitch (Stanley) 2 in 1 stapler/brad nailer. Works great, but had it for 10 years or so. Avoid finish nailers as thickness of nail more than brad

 

[Mellifera397]

I dont personally but the fat bee man on youtube does his channel is called 'fineshooter' and if you ask him in the comments on one of his frame making videos im sure he'll answer

good luck

M

 

[Hivemaker.]

Ace and K TY1-1850.

Enter ....Ace & K 18G Brad Nailer AN1002 ..... into Google.

 

[sipa]

Thanks all for the recommendations, I'll read up and make a choice.

 

[Black Comb]

Bostitch 1855-E using 18 gauge brads.
From memory I use 15mm for frames.
A nice light, well made, oil free brad gun.

 

[Into the lions den]

Some very short brads mentioned there. We use 38 or 42 mm 18g brads.

Try a company called Nailfast, they supply nationally, and be prepared to haggle. They will match or beat other prices from online.

They can supply the nailers and the brads together, and all the air connections, even the compressor if needed. If no air either wanted or available then we also have a Paslode bradder for use in the field or away from the air source.

We hand nailed for decades, but once we started with the air ones in particular we would never go back. Set all the frames together un nailed, then nail the lot in about 3 minutes, and with 38 mm brads you are very hard pushed to pull them apart.

 

[Black Comb]

38mm narrow crown staples to affix top bar to side bars.
15mm brads to affix wedge and the 2 bottom bars.

I have a separate staple gun for staples.

 

[oliver90owner]

Arrow electric has helped me make up a lot of my frames. Also have a mastercraft handraulic and now a pneumatic Lidl (at a twenty note with enough ammo for ages).

Lidl machine is likely too clumsy compared with the others and not yet tried it in anger, but not bought for that particularly.

Can't recommend the 18V battery version from Aldi(?). Heap of cr*p.

 

[Tdf]

can anyone reccomend a compressor?
thanks

 

[Black Comb]

I have a "bambi" silent compressor. These are often used by dentists as they are very quiet. You pay more for one of these but it means you can use it wherever you like without the noise annoyance.
I bought the cheapest from their budget range which is more than adequate for one gun. Oil filled but it hardly ever needs topping up.

 

[user 6228]

Ace and K TY1-1850.

Enter ....Ace & K 18G Brad Nailer AN1002 ..... into Google.

ditto ace and k but its swbo's and she does the frames

 

[keith pierce]

i use an electric nailer and put about 4 to 5 hundred frames together each year. I nice and neat and you dont have the bulky compresser to store. i got about 3 years out of it before i had to replace it.

 

[oliver90owner]

can anyone reccomend a compressor?

Use once? Last a lifetime? What size?

Basically you pays your money and get what you pays for.

Slower revving with cast iron cyinder(s) are better for long life but may be slighly less efficient to run. The 'compound' ones are better (compress in a larger cylinder first then transfer to a smaller, higher pressure cylinder), the better ones with some cooling arrangement between the two stages.

Problem is that requirements change - add other tools which require more air ,or consistent high pressure and the small compressors are a pain for anything other than intermittent tool operation, but space and portability is yet another facet to consider.

I have my old compound cast iron 8 Bar machine (large, fixed position, but still only about 15-20 cubic metres per hour) and a smaller 6 Bar machine (for portability). There are a couple of low pressure 'blowers' and a couple other compressors stashed away somewhere, should I ever need one for a project.

So, start with your requirements and buy accordingly. Note that many compressors (most of the highly competing 'bottom end of the market' machines) are rated as swept volume, not delivered free air, so beware - real output could be much less than apparent rating! And tools are always volume rated as low as they can (new and spot on the pressure)

I have never bought a new machine. My main one (had it over twenty years) came from a farm sale and the smaller one from a 'market trader at a rally. Both were cheap enough (£30 & less than £20) although I did my own hydraulic testing to confiirm they were in safe condition. Insurance is another aspect to consider, of course.

Just remember cheap and cheerfull is just that - not long lived and prone to failure (more highly stressed with cheaper components). Repairability might be yet another consideration. Some are 'throw away', and your capabilities need to be taken into account.

Not much of a recommendation but may be of some help when choosing.

RAB

 

[Black Comb]

Well my Hydrovane (in a factory) lasted longest and was least trouble.
If it's only for nailing frames then an electric might be better.
I have other uses for mine.
For single gun use (non factory) these budget ones are more than adequate.
Of course if commercial, safety rules (or insurance requirements) normally say an inspection of receiver every year (for more than 3 years old) meaning it is cheaper to buy a new "budget" one every 3 years if you don't need a lot of capacity.

N.B. this commercial info. is from over 5 years ago. Even then single receiver inspections by a "suitably" qualified person" cost c. £200

 

[REDWOOD]

I have one that I bought from Woolworths 15 years ago, I'm surprised it's still in my shed and not over the garden wall, the old saying buy cheap buy twice

 

[blackcavebees]

As above, depends on what uses you have for it. You can get a portable ( back wheels ) small one with 80l or 100l tank that will sit in your shed and shoot brads all day long. You probably know that the air receiver (tank) can be set for a pressure, the compressor brings it up to that and then cuts off. Mine is about 10 years old now and a bit noisy, but when it's filling up I go and put the kettle on ( maybe only 1-2 mins to fill) then I can shoot away for ages.

I have a paslode gas one I used for second fixing the house build, and a 18v dewalt finish nailer but both too big to bother with if you are only using 38mm brads for frames etc, old air brader is first choice every time.

If this is a Christmas pressie choice, also get a long contractor's hose, the curly ones are a pain, a reinforced but flexible one is best, means compressor can sit out of way and you don't have drag on your gun when you're holding fiddly work (as you don't want to miss and get a 18g Brad in your finger!)

Stephen

 

[blackcavebees]

Also, don't think you can spray the car with it, you'll get one pass, maybe two, then wait for the tank to fill up again. Been there

 

[SixFooter]

i use an electric nailer and put about 4 to 5 hundred frames together each year. I nice and neat and you dont have the bulky compresser to store. i got about 3 years out of it before i had to replace it.

I have a compressor, but air nailers are ott for frames, I have a leccy one like the pic, but I also got one from Throne.

It is much quicker and tidier when you are working than using a hammer and frame nails.
I would say, it is worth having one however many colonies you run.

 

[DanBee]

i use an electric nailer and put about 4 to 5 hundred frames together each year. I nice and neat and you dont have the bulky compresser to store. i got about 3 years out of it before i had to replace it.

Likewise, Keith. I use these, at about £50 quid they more than pay for themselves in the huge difference they make in speed of frame assembly, even if they do eventually fail. The irony is that I glue as well, but 30-minute PU glue is quick to apply from a squeezy bottle if you do a a bundle of sidebars at a time.

15mm brads are fine for pinning wedge top bars or bottom bars, i.e. things you want to remove later, but I use the longer brads for the top/side bar joints.