Help for a rookie

[Mike Daimler]

I am trying to learn more about woodworking and found this forum in a web search. It looks really great with a lot of people helping each other. This is my first post so here it goes.:)

I am an absolute rookie to woodworking and as my first project I am going to try and put up crown molding and some window trim in my home. I went out and bought a Craftsman compressor and three gun package and would now greatly appreciate some hints and advise. I have never used a nail gun so I don’t know the first thing about how to use it effectively.

Some of the questions I have are:

1) I plan on using a 16 gauge “finish nailer” with 2 ½ inch nails/brads. Does that sound OK?

2) The manual says to adjust the air pressure to the lowest setting that will drive the nail in. Then there appears to be an adjustment that lets you raise or lower the nose piece, I guess to fine tune the counter sinking depth. Any hints or words of advice would be appreciated.

3) If I set the pressure up with a sample molding being nailed into a stud, will the nail go right through the molding if I do not hit a stud when I actually start putting the molding up?

Any other help or words of advice, hints, etc… are most appreciated.

Thank you,

Mike…

[Kyle Kraft]

Mike,

Welcome to the creek!! As far as the nail gun questions go see what works and run with it. You may have to fill nail hole here or there but that's woodworking.

Kyle in K'zoo

[Chuck Trisdale]

1st: Welcome. Obviously I am pretty new too. I lurked for a long time and then signed up so I could converse with these guys.

I have used 16 gauge to hang crown before, so it will work. I do have a new PC Crown Stapler though and it works like a champ.

I think I was using 2 inch nails in mine, so your length is OK. You are going to have to hit the top and bottom of the crown - not down the center, but that is how I hang it anyway

I hardly ever change the depth on the gun. I usually adjust the pressure for my different guns.

Usually it will stop even if you do not hit a stud. I am notorious for not hitting them and it does fine :rolleyes:

Most of all - enjoy the gun. I love using them. Just keep the hands clear. You dont want them to become attached to your work!!

[Brad Townsend]

As to the pressure/depth question, you might try experimenting on a piece of scrap similar to what you will be installing. Get the feel of the controls, etc. before doing the real thing. Nails are pretty cheap - it won't hurt to waste a few beforehand. Maybe even install a "practice" piece on a window you plan to do. The practice nail holes in the wall will be covered by your finish trim anyway. Could save you some installation headaches later on. Good luck!;)

[Vaughn McMillan]

Welcome to the Creek, Mike. Just to pass along gun advice I've read here in the past, be sure to keep your hands and body away from the business end of the gun at least the length of the nail when shooting. In other words, if you're shooting 1" nails, make sure you're holding the piece at least 1" away from the gun. If the nail hits a hard spot, it can bend and change direction. You don't want it going your direction. ;)

- Vaughn

[tod evans]

welcome mike! use caution on this forum....we`re all addictided to tools, powered/handheld/spinny/manual it doesn`t matter. save money and garage space and the wife giving you the "eye" when the next catalogue or copy of finewoodworking arives, return the compressor and guns post-haste and hire out the work. take up fishing and hunting they`re far less demanding of your time and wallet plus it`s easier to explain a wiley dear or fish than the smart board that keeps winning.....02 tod

[Steve Clardy]

Welcome Mike.
Two questions. Is the crown going on the top of the walls?
Do you plan on putting up a nailer on the ceiling to nail the top of the crown too?
I run all my guns at 120#'s

[Mike Daimler]

I was just planning something real simple... just nail about 3 1/2 " crown molding right through plaster board by ceiling.

[Dave Brandt]

Interesting that your concern is with the nailing of the crown!?! I've put up crown several times and always wind up scratching my head when trying to cut it to length. I know you didn't ask, but remember the crown goes in the miter box upside down. And don't forget to coping process! Good luck!

P.S. Use a stud finder and mark the wall where each stud is (also mark the joist locations).

[Charles Bruno]

Hello and welcome Mike!

Get a stud finder that way you will increase your chance of hiting a stud. Wear safety glasses! Try the gun out on a scrap piece of wood first, just to get the feel and to make any adjustments to the air psi.

After your done with this project your next ones will probely require more tools!!! Table saw, band saw, jointer, planer, routers oh what fun it is to be new to WW!:D :D . Most of all be safe and enjoy yourself and you are required to post some pictures our you'll here from the picture police!

[Ray Bersch]

Mike, Hello and welcome. I know you will end up asking many more questions and will get good advice here. One thing I would like to pass along - a nail gun is a great tool, but remember every time you pull the trigger you will have a hole to fill and sand before finishing!! So resist the urge to go crazy with the thing. That is from experience.
Ray

[Julio Navarro]

Welcome Mike,

Just my 2 cents..If you are installing the crown molding at the ceiling wall junction there is usually a 2-2x top plate so depending on your crown molding height you should hit something most of the time. You should locate the studs before putting up the molding. Use regular nails to locate the studs with in the area where the molding will go. Any 'miss' holes get covered up with the molding.

Try to set the nail gun pressure so that every nail is counter sunk, its a pain to use a nail sinker as it will make a hole larger that the actual nail and often I miss the nail all together and make an even larger hole. Trying to counter sink the nail while on a ladder nailing up is a real pain! So making sure all your nails are counter driven is a good idea.

Ive never done this before but I use double sided carpet tape to pre loacte other stuff, I wonder if you can use it to pre attach the moulding so you can nail better. I am thinking your nailer is heavy and holding it up while you are holding the molding with the otyher hand can get difficult.

Just my 2 cents, good luck and put up lots and lots of pics, we love pics.

[tod evans]

julio, double sided tape ain`t so good on paint. if you install crown by yourself cut a few pieces of pine 1x stock 3/4x3/4 a few inches taller than the ceiling and spring them into place under the moulding, they`ll help hold it up but still alow you to tweek the position...02 tod

[Jesse Cloud]

Welcome to the creek Mike. Tod had it right about your new hobby taking all your money and time, but I don't know a single woodworker who is bored:cool: .

Crown is not really a simple project. I've been woodworking for about twenty years now and crown still drives me nuts - probably because I don't do it often enough to build the skills.

I agree with the other posts that the nail gun is probably the least of your worries. They work well without a lot of skill or precision.

For cutting the crown, go to the Dewalt web site or google 'cutting crown'. Dewalt has a nice chart showing how to set up your saw for inside right, inside left, outside right and outside left pieces. You will also need a fence you can clamp onto your miter saw or crown stops to hold the molding at the correct angle. (You can cut it flat, but setting the exact bevels on your saw will drive you nuts).

I would suggest that you nail together a few boards to dummy up the corners you will be working with and cut a few practice joints. Its real easy to make mistakes and sacrificing a board for practice will save $ in the long run. Plan on wasting some wood. An amateur like me can easily waste a third of the total wood.

Don't expect your corners to be 90 degrees or your ceiling to be totally level. You will probably have to tweak the corner angles a little. If there is a large gap at the top of the molding where the ceiling is not straight, reach for the putty, don't try to bend the molding too far.

You can make your life easier by making the corner joints with fairly short pieces (2 or 3 feet) and then scarf them on to longer pieces to go the distance of the wall. You can save some grief by cutting joints from the same board. The molding you get at the BORG is pretty crappy and one board will vary a little from the next, makes your joints look sloppy.

And finally, if you are going to paint the molding, just fill the nail holes with some wood putty and sand lightly after it dries. If you are going to stain the molding, put on the finish, then find a touch-up stick (a crayon colored like varnish) and use it to fill the holes.

Good luck, be patient, and for your next project, try something easier like making fine furniture :rolleyes: .

My two cents.
Jess

[Julio Navarro]

good point Tod, nix the tape idea

[Mike Daimler]

Interesting that your concern is with the nailing of the crown!?! I've put up crown several times and always wind up scratching my head when trying to cut it to length. I know you didn't ask, but remember the crown goes in the miter box upside down. And don't forget to coping process! Good luck!

P.S. Use a stud finder and mark the wall where each stud is (also mark the joist locations).

As I said, I am a REAL ROOKIE, I don't even know what questions to ask about cutting the molding!

Stud finder sounds like a great idea... back to the store. I can see what you guys are saying about how the tools will begin to add up and accumulate.

What is the "coping process" you are talking about?

Thank again,

Mike...

[Mike Daimler]

....
For cutting the crown, go to the Dewalt web site or google 'cutting crown'. Dewalt has a nice chart showing how to set up your saw for inside right, inside left, outside right and outside left pieces. You will also need a fence you can clamp onto your miter saw or crown stops to hold the molding at the correct angle. (You can cut it flat, but setting the exact bevels on your saw will drive you nuts).

I would suggest that you nail together a few boards to dummy up the corners you will be working with and cut a few practice joints. Its real easy to make mistakes and sacrificing a board for practice will save $ in the long run. Plan on wasting some wood. An amateur like me can easily waste a third of the total wood.

Don't expect your corners to be 90 degrees or your ceiling to be totally level. You will probably have to tweak the corner angles a little. If there is a large gap at the top of the molding where the ceiling is not straight, reach for the putty, don't try to bend the molding too far.

You can make your life easier by making the corner joints with fairly short pieces (2 or 3 feet) and then scarf them on to longer pieces to go the distance of the wall. You can save some grief by cutting joints from the same board. The molding you get at the BORG is pretty crappy and one board will vary a little from the next, makes your joints look sloppy.

And finally, if you are going to paint the molding, just fill the nail holes with some wood putty and sand lightly after it dries. If you are going to stain the molding, put on the finish, then find a touch-up stick (a crayon colored like varnish) and use it to fill the holes.

Good luck, be patient, and for your next project, try something easier like making fine furniture :rolleyes: .

My two cents.
Jess

Wow... Thanks for all of the great advice! I will try all of the tips you provided and go to the web sites you suggested.

By the way, what is "BORG"?

[Mike Daimler]

Thanks to everyone the the hints, tips, and warnings!:)

Does anyone actually use the "depth adjustment" that moves the tip on the gun in and out, or does everyone just adjust the air preasure to get the nails to counter sink to the right depth?

As someone said, I don't want to go around and manually counter sink everything with a hammer and punch.


Thank again!!!

[Julio Navarro]

By the way, what is "BORG"?

AAhh, the eternal question is asked again.