Nail Gun Advice

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

I've just purchased my first 18g air nail gun, (https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke- ... il-gun-ki/ ) and am pretty impressed with it. The only issue I have is that sometimes it dents the wood around the nail hole

What's causing this? Is it too much pressure from the compressor, the way I'm holding the gun, the nail gun itself, or something else?

TIA

Obi Wan

 

[Doug71]

No expert myself but I think the combined nailers/staplers have a wider firing pin so they can fire the staples but can leave a mark with nails because the heads are smaller.

Doug

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

No expert myself but I think the combined nailers/staplers have a wider firing pin so they can fire the staples but can leave a mark with nails because the heads are smaller.

Doug

Thanks Doug. Any idea how to get around this?

Obi Wan

 

[RogerBoyle]

It will always leave the dent if you are only firing in the brads . If you fire in the staples it still leaves a slight dent but its not as noticeable.
My work around was to accept it and only use it on areas that it doesn't matter lol and where it does matter I got a Dewalt air nailer the DPN1850

Roger

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

It will always leave the dent if you are only firing in the brads . If you fire in the staples it still leaves a slight dent but its not as noticeable.
My work around was to accept it and only use it on areas that it doesn't matter lol and where it does matter I got a Dewalt air nailer the DPN1850

Roger

Thanks Roger, guess I'll just have to put up with it in that case

Obi Wan

 

[novocaine]

I'm going to type this again as it got lost thanks to the entire internet going doing, it wasn't just my connection, no sir.

there should be a drive depth adjuster on it somewhere, normally attached to the safety, all it does is change how deep the safety goes before it will let you fire a nail, it moves the bit the nail fires out of away from the work piece. along with adjusting the air pressure you should be able to eliminate the pock marks, drop the pressure till the nail doesn't quiet go in, then add 5 psi.

I don't have a clarke gun, but mine is similar, you'll have to adjust it when you change wood species. hope that helps.

 

[Droogs]

After you have nailed everything, you could try to remove the dent using a steam iron. Have it on high and full steam over the dent for around 10 seconds and the steam should re-raise the grain in the affected area. It will also do so around it too, so once dry a light sanding will be needed. I've gotten some pretty big dings etc out this way

hth

 

[RogerBoyle]

I'm going to type this again as it got lost thanks to the entire internet going doing, it wasn't just my connection, no sir.

there should be a drive depth adjuster on it somewhere, normally attached to the safety, all it does is change how deep the safety goes before it will let you fire a nail, it moves the bit the nail fires out of away from the work piece. along with adjusting the air pressure you should be able to eliminate the pock marks, drop the pressure till the nail doesn't quiet go in, then add 5 psi.

I don't have a clarke gun, but mine is similar, you'll have to adjust it when you change wood species. hope that helps.

There is an adjuster but it makes no difference unfortunately. to eliminate the dent you have to adjust the pressure so the nail head is proud of the timber. Then use a nail punch to drive it fully home which kind of makes a mockery of the nail gun in the first place.

Yes you could use steam but again that kind of defeats the whole point of getting a nail gun as you are creating more work for yourself. I took the lazy option and got one that does what its supposed to lol

Roger

 

[novocaine]

I've managed to set mine not to leave marks and set the nail just fine but I guess it depends if you want the nail beneath the surface or sat at the surface, if it's being punch below then you are right, it won't do that, the hammers the wrong shape as you said, take it back and by the nail gun version, although I don't know if thats all that much different in hammer design.

I don't consider that a nail gun is for fine work anyway, it's a quick and dirty tool for carcassing and the like, surface and finish nails are done by hand.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Thanks again Roger, and thanks Novocaine and Droogs for your advice.

I think I'll have a good look at the gun for adjustment and have a play around with the pressure.

Obi Wan