Which finish nailer for 1" trim?

[Thomas Heck]

I am putting up new trim in our house that is similar to old farm house trim using 1 in. wood. I put up some with an 18 ga nailer and 2 in brads. They don't seem to hold that good and don't pull the wood against the wall. I'm sure it wouldn't shoot a brad thru the metal corners under the Sheetrock. What gun would you suggest? Thanks for the help.

[Bradley Gray]

Most people use a 15ga nailer with an angled magazine. Significantly stronger than the 16 or 18ga.

[lowell holmes]

I have a Spotnail pin driver that shoots 23ga pins. I also have a Porter Cable 15ga finish nailer. I use whichever is appropriate.

I use lip mold to wrap cabinet doors. The 15 ga splits the trim.

I also have a Porter Cable finish nailer.

I use whichever is appropriate.

[Jim Becker]

Aside from small moldings, for interior trim like you describe, a 16 gage brad gun and/or a 15 gage angle finish nailer are going to give you more holding power than the smaller 18 gage brads. Most finish carpenters are going to use a combination of 3 or three of these guns to do that work. The 15 gage fasteners also tend to have heat activated adhesive on the nails which further increased holding power. 23 gage pinners also have a use, but not for "pure holding power".

I don't own a 16 gage gun, but use a combination of 18 gage brads and 15 gage nails for this work in my own home.

[Thomas Heck]

Thanks for all the replies. I do have a 23 pin nailer, but have never used it. I guess I need to make sure I'm hitting the studs with the 18 ga nailer and then either hand nail for get a bigger nailer for the corner where the Sheetrock metal would be. I am using pine. Will 15 or 16 ga bust pine normally? Thanks again.

[Rich Riddle]

If you mean you are applying 5/4 trim to the wall, then a 15 gauge is in order. If you are indicating you will be putting in tiny 1 inch trim pieces into other larger trim then a smaller gauge is in order.

[Jim Becker]

BTW, if you do use your pinner for small moldings, be sure to shoot them in at random angles for best results... ;) Glue is also helpful. :D

[keith micinski]

I think he means 1" thick. I have never understood the reason behind using anything other then 18 gauge on trim. All the trim is going to do is sit against the wall, no need to have a bunch of holding power. 2" 18 gauge brad should hold more then well enough if your hitting studs and it will absolutely shoot through a corner bead. Every once in a while it won't make it through if you have it at an angle though.

[Dave Zellers]

A 2" nail in this case would give a half inch into the stud. Not enough IMO

[sebastian phillips]

A 2" nail isn't long enough to secure 1" thick trim through drywall and into studs or blocking.
Use a 2.5" 15ga nail.
18ga nails are fine for some things (like nailing a casing edge into a jamb, or most crown profiles), but they aren't stiff enough to hold things that may move..(think wide trim that may expand or contract, especially if not back-primed..plus framing moves...)
To see what I mean try bending a 2" 18ga nail in half with your fingers.....like tissue paper
Now bend a 2" 15 ga nail in 1/2 with your fingers..........

[Jim Dwight]

I use 23, 18, 16, and 15 gauge at times and will use narrow crown staples if I really need holding power and if their 1.5 inch length is enough.

I use the 23 for little returns on pieces under the windows. With glue.

I mostly use the 18 gauge cordless. But if it doesn't hold the piece, I get the 16 or 15. The latter is my most recent addition so I use it more. I am not sure there is that much difference between the two in performance but the 15 gauge costs a lot more. If you have it, using a 15 makes sense but if you are just starting out and trying to save money, I think the 16 is a good option.

The casing I am using is 1 inch thick at the outer edge. But it's also 3.5 inches wide. There is typically not a stud behind the 1 inch part. So I nail an area inside further that is more like 1/2 thick. That lets 2 inch 18 gauge brads hold fine.

Pneumatic nails hold better than hand driven nails. I have to do a lot of demo in this house and it mostly has hand driven but has some pneumatic brads. The pneumatic brads pull through the molding sometimes but rarely come out intact. The hand driven nails are much easier to pull.

[Thomas Heck]

Thanks again. I am using 1 x 2, 1 x4, and 1 x 6 pine on the trim.

[Jim Becker]

I think he means 1" thick. I have never understood the reason behind using anything other then 18 gauge on trim. All the trim is going to do is sit against the wall, no need to have a bunch of holding power. 2" 18 gauge brad should hold more then well enough if your hitting studs and it will absolutely shoot through a corner bead. Every once in a while it won't make it through if you have it at an angle though.

In an ideal world I would agree with you, but "houses move" over time and the heavier trim can easily pull through the tiny heads on an 18 gage brad. The 15 gage nails have an actual head that helps avoid that issue.

[Rich Riddle]

Thomas,

If you purchase your 1 x 2, 1 x 4, and 1 x 6 trim in the store, it will be 3/4" thick. Or are you using real 1" (called 5/4) thick trim boards?

[sebastian phillips]

Pneumatic nails don't hold any better than a correctly sized and galvanized hand driven nail.
I insist on hand drives in some cases. They always leave a round hole to fill, which looks much better than a t-head when filled in some finishes.
Use galvanized nails-they hold tenaciously, and don't leave oil on your fingers(and your boards) like bright finish nails.
Hand driven nails give instant feedback when you don't hit anything.
Hand driven nails don't shine out the side of the jamb when squirrly grain is encountered, or the operator can't hold the gun square.
If you encounter a casing/jamb situation where the casing has to be "rolled" a little to fit tight to the jamb, use a 6d gal finish nail:
This will pull the casing tight to the jamb, and keep it there.
I've seen way too many "pro" finish carpenters treat air guns like shotguns, not noticing when they run out of nails, and firing blanks..
Leaving behind casings that don't stay tight or worse.
Or, the nail doesn't set, but they're too busy blasting away to notice.
Hand nails or air driven, take your time, place your nails in a consistent well spaced pattern, and set them properly for those who follow.

[Thomas Heck]

I bought it at Lowes , so it's actually 3/4.

[Justin Ludwig]

15g or 16g with 2-1/2" nails. Either will do the job.

I nail the casing to the jack stud with a 16g 2-1/2 nail, then use an 18g 1-1/4 nail on the inside of the trim nailing it to the jam/sill. YMMV.

[Ken Kortge]

Is there any way somebody could post a picture of a 15 gauge nail along side a 16 gauge nail? I've looked and looked online but can't seem to find such a picture!

[Jim Becker]

15 gage finish nail--almost round head:

http://www.fastenersplus.com/15-gauge-DA-angled-finish-nails-button.jpg

16 gage brads look just like the 18 gage brads (tee-head) but are slightly heavier.

[lowell holmes]

If you are having a splitting issue, you can drill a small pilot hole and hand drive a nail. It works.

[keith micinski]

An 18 gauge nailer will nail 3/4 material up as trim all day long if you hit studs or a bottom plate. If you don't, no nail gauge or length will help.

[Rich Riddle]

Keith,

This is absolutely correct. A larger nail hitting only sheetrock won't help at all. For 5/4 I do like a 15 gauge though. It penetrates through the extra 1/4" a little better than an 18 gauge.
An 18 gauge nailer will nail 3/4 material up as trim all day long if you hit studs or a bottom plate. If you don't, no nail gauge or length will help.