23 Gauge pinner - longer than 1"?

[Jeff Cord]

I'm looking into 23 gauge micropinners and am wondering what longer than 1" pins are used for. :confused:
I've heard good things about the PC pinner but it's limited to 1" while pinners that use longer pins are $75 more than the PC.
thanks,
Jeff

[Don Bullock]

I just bought a Bostitch HP118K 1/2-Inch to 1-3/16-Inch 23 Gauge Pin Nailer from Amazon for $131.68. It does a good job. The only thing I don't like, and is the only "flaw" mentioned in a review of 23 ga. pinners, is that it still "fires" when it's out of pins.

Of course if you need the longest 23 ga. pinner at the AWFS Grex just came out with one that "shoots" 2 inch pins http://www.popularwoodworking.com/awfs.:D I'm sure it's more expensive than the PC, however.

[Richard Wolf]

Like most good tools, once you own them, you will find more and more uses for them. Same with the pin nailer. They are great for prefinished moldings or any time you want to keep nail holes as small as possible. Holding 3/4 inch molding in place until glue dries is a great use for the pin but 1" may not hold very well and you will wish you had the longer version.
Spend the extra money now, you will not be dissappointed.

Richard

[Art Mulder]

I'm looking into 23 gauge micropinners and am wondering what longer than 1" pins are used for. :confused:
I've heard good things about the PC pinner but it's limited to 1" while pinners that use longer pins are $75 more than the PC.
thanks,
Jeff

Jeff, I have no personal experience, but the May '07 issue of Fine Homebuilding has a review of 23-ga. pinners. They advise you to not fall into the "bigger/longer is better trap". "... once you get beyone 1-1/2 in. the pins are more likely to bend..."

They like the PC Pin100, but the Bostitch HP118K got the nod for best value

[Don Bullock]

Like most good tools, once you own them, you will find more and more uses for them. Same with the pin nailer. They are great for prefinished moldings or any time you want to keep nail holes as small as possible. Holding 3/4 inch molding in place until glue dries is a great use for the pin but 1" may not hold very well and you will wish you had the longer version.
Spend the extra money now, you will not be dissappointed.

Richard

Richard is someone here who speaks from a lot of experience. He points out the reasons I went with the Bostitch instead of a "cheaper" model.


Jeff, I have no personal experience, but the May '07 issue of Fine Homebuilding has a review of 23-ga. pinners. They advise you to not fall into the "bigger/longer is better trap". "... once you get beyone 1-1/2 in. the pins are more likely to bend..."

They like the PC Pin100, but the Bostitch HP118K got the nod for best value

Art, it's interesting to see that another reviewer liked the Bostitch HP118K as well. I also have a Bostitch compressor and 18 ga. set that I like.

Please understand that I am in no way an expert or professional when it comes to any tools, especially these. I'm just a hobbiest who needs the tools for working on my own house. I do not use them all that often, but they sure come in handy when I "need" them.

[Gary Keedwell]

Like most good tools, once you own them, you will find more and more uses for them. Same with the pin nailer. They are great for prefinished moldings or any time you want to keep nail holes as small as possible. Holding 3/4 inch molding in place until glue dries is a great use for the pin but 1" may not hold very well and you will wish you had the longer version.
Spend the extra money now, you will not be dissappointed.

Richard
I agree with Richard. If you attach something 3/4" stock to something, you will be holding with only 1/4". Not much.
Gary K.

[John Callahan]

Have you had any problems with your HP 118K not setting the pins deep enough? My first HP 118K worked well at first but then after a time would not set the pins below the surface. I exchanged it for another which worked well at first but then started doing the same thing. Just exchanged it for the PC. A bit frustrated- trying to set pins with a nailset isn't much fun and the 20+ mile trips between the toolstore and the jobsite don't help much either.

[Chris Rosenberger]

I bought a Spotnail 23ga pinner over a year ago off of Ebay. It is a very nice gun. It shoots 3/8" to 1 9/16" pins
Ebay Item #260140101070

[Don Bullock]

Have you had any problems with your HP 118K not setting the pins deep enough? My first HP 118K worked well at first but then after a time would not set the pins below the surface. I exchanged it for another which worked well at first but then started doing the same thing. Just exchanged it for the PC. A bit frustrated- trying to set pins with a nailset isn't much fun and the 20+ mile trips between the toolstore and the jobsite don't help much either.

I had the problem if I didn't wait between "shots." I found that if I took a little longer between firing each pin that there was no problem. The wood I was attaching was oak which may have something to do with the "problem" too. I can understand where a "professional" might have problems, but for me it's working out great.

[Steve Clardy]

I have the PC pinner.

I've never seen the need to go over a 1" pin in 23 gauge.

If I need to go longer, I pick up the 18 gauge gun.

[Scott Thornton]

The newest Grex released this year shoots 1 3/4 inch pins...

[Roland Chung]

I picked up the Grex 1-3/8" pinner a couple of years ago and have loved using it. I passed the action on the 1-3/4" pinner because I couldn't bring myself to buy a second pinner for about $275 for the extra 3/8". Now they have a 2" model - I will be picking that one up on the next trim project.

When the guy was demo-ing the 2" pinner, he was able to show how turning the pinner 90 degrees eliminated the pin from blowing out of the side of the wood piece - seems to have to do with the chiseled tip following the grain. When he turned it the "wrong" way, it blew out every time - turned the right way and it never came out of the side. Even if you buy another pinner, keep this in mind and you might avoid a painful injury - a 2" pin could be sticking out of the other side of your finger by an inch.

I know that there are more experienced carpenters out there that might disagree, but here is my 2 cents worth. For paint grade base and casing, the 2 inch pin goes through the molding and drywall and penetrates the wood by about an inch. The pins hold well enough, but after you add some caulking (like between the jamb and casing and between the casing and the wall) - it's not going anywhere. I'm sure that you will get other testimonials regarding how well it holds prefinished or pre-stained moldings.

The big added benefit is that you don't have to patch and sand all of the holes that you would have made with your finish nailer. Yeah, the finish nails or the 18 ga brads might have better holding power, but it's like getting run over on the freeway - doesn't matter much if it is a mini cooper or a semi truck.

[Bob Feeser]

Here is a rather lengthy review I wrote for Amazon on the Porter Cable 23 Gauge Pin Nailer back in 2004. At the time their were a lot of people bashing the tool, some were jamming it, others complained about it left dents in the wood. I also noticed that their were those who were having good luck with it, so I thought I would give it a try. I am glad I did. It hasn't given me any problems, and it is a nice little unit for the money.
Their may be better units out there though, I haven't done a side by side with the other makes.
Occassionally, but not often, I get a nail in the thicker 18 gauge that will come sticking out the side of a mldg, due to coming in contact with an small internal knot, or less, and see it stick out an inch, at a right angle to where I am driving it. I can imagine what a much longer pin nail would do. I am careful not to rest my finger right along the side of a mldg, while driving the 18 gauge for that reason. Sometimes smaller is better.


Most Helpful Customer Reviews
158 of 162 people found the following review helpful:
http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/customer-reviews/stars-5-0._V47081849_.gif For those who want to take fine to the next level, February 12, 2004
By Bob Feeser
At first I was hesitant to buy the PC PIN100. The reviews were the core of my concern. Does it leave a dent in the work? Will it quickly malfunction? Is the pin visible? Is it a quality tool, or a piece of junk?
I took it out of the carrying case, and the clear plastic wrap, and immediately put 5 drops of the oil that comes in the kit, in the air nozzle. I wanted to ward off any jamming problems.
Upon loading the nails, I noticed that there were multiple arrows printed on the side of the nail strip. That way you would load them in the right direction. If you ignored the arrows, and loaded them upside down, which is possible considering the small size of the pins, the sharp, fine, thin tip would be up, to do battle with the hammer coming down. Certainly, it would veer off to one side, thereby freezing the hammer and pin. In addition that kind of action could score the shaft, and that would lead to other possible misfires. People reporting problems with jams could have done just that.
The top of the pin has a blunt-flat end on it, and the business end is sharp. Since they are so tiny, if you don't notice the arrows on the side, it is easy to load them upside down.
These pins are not serrated, or ring shanked, but rather smooth on the sides. That way they don't receive resistance on the way down. Important considering their fine size.
I was able to take the 3/4" pins, that come with the kit, and drive several into a 3/4" piece of oak, without any problems whatsoever. I first tested it out on a piece of scrap pine. Since I loaded the nailer with oil, it came out of the nose quite readily, which made a slight black mark where the pin went into the wood. Since the pine is very light, it showed. It was worth it, I wanted to break it in properly. After about 20 pins the oil cleared, I then went onto the oak, and it left a pin without any blemish. All in all with all of my testing, the pin nailer never misfired, or even hinted, at a misfire even once. I put it to the test with firing nails, as fast as I could squeeze the trigger, and never a problem or a glitch. You can fire a lot of nails very quickly with this tool.

It doesn't have the safety nose that requires plunging like the rest of the Porter Cable finish nailer line. That way you can get into finely cramped quarters, and get the pin in at your desired angle. What PC did, was put two levers on the handle, one is a safety release, and the other one is the firing trigger. It is well engineered that way, and is easy and intuitive to use.

How about the pin, does it show? On the first test pieces, with 5 drops of break in oil, it showed on the pine. After blowing it out with 20 pins, the oil deposits stopped, and all you saw was the pin hole. Does the pin hole become invisible by wiping water on the wood? I am getting critical here, but yes it does show. I was dreaming of the wood swelling, and making the pin hole completely invisible. That didn't happen in the pine and oak I tested it in. BUT the pin hole is so small, that all but the most critical customers will object to it. I have to admit that it is so tiny, that it couldn't be any smaller without disappearing altogether. Miniscule is the appropriate word here. It makes an 18 gauge finish nail look like a crater in comparison. For light colored wood it is barely visible, and for medium to dark woods it will disappear altogether. So if you are looking to attach really fine work, like 1/4" quarter round mldgs, this is just what the doctor ordered.

I tried to be critical of the impression if any the head would leave in the work. When working with oak, even at the highest pressures, it did not leave a mark. Pine on the other hand, required a gentle touch. If you pressed down on the head while firing, it left a tiny impression. If you laid the head gently onto the surface, and fired, it left no impression whatsoever. Considering that pine is so soft, that you can leave an impression in it with your finger nail, I laid to rest any concerns about dimples in the wood.

The air pressure range prescribed by PC is 60 to 100 PSI. It is advisable to stay within that range, whereas excessive pressures can cause problems. I imagine the firing apparatus is designed to ideally work within those ranges, and subjecting it to excessive pressure is reason for concern. I tweaked my regulator on the wall to 105 pounds, which would give me 100 or less at the gun, and it fired well without any difference in the head impression on the work.

So what does all of this mean? Simply put, I love this tool. It does the job beautifully, appears to do so without any suggestion of malfunctioning. I have the Porter Cable 16 gauge, and the 18 gauge both in the BN 125A and the 200A, and this makes my fourth PC finish level nailer, and not one of them has given me any problems. (They can misfire if you run them dry. I guess that is why PC always includes a squeeze bottle of oil with every nailer.)

This is a keeper. I bought the other size pin nails as well. They come in 1/2", 5/8", 3/4", and 1 inch. It comes with the 3/4", so I picked up the other sizes.
I am looking forward to using the PC PIN100 in doing the fine work. You can spend a lot of time, and get a large project to really look fine, but the small details can make the difference of looking like artwork, or a signature of a less skilled practitioner. This tool will make you an artist, on the detail work. Highly recommended.
__________________

[Steve Clardy]

I picked up the Grex 1-3/8" pinner a couple of years ago and have loved using it. I passed the action on the 1-3/4" pinner because I couldn't bring myself to buy a second pinner for about $275 for the extra 3/8". Now they have a 2" model - I will be picking that one up on the next trim project.

When the guy was demo-ing the 2" pinner, he was able to show how turning the pinner 90 degrees eliminated the pin from blowing out of the side of the wood piece - seems to have to do with the chiseled tip following the grain. When he turned it the "wrong" way, it blew out every time - turned the right way and it never came out of the side. Even if you buy another pinner, keep this in mind and you might avoid a painful injury - a 2" pin could be sticking out of the other side of your finger by an inch.

I know that there are more experienced carpenters out there that might disagree, but here is my 2 cents worth. For paint grade base and casing, the 2 inch pin goes through the molding and drywall and penetrates the wood by about an inch. The pins hold well enough, but after you add some caulking (like between the jamb and casing and between the casing and the wall) - it's not going anywhere. I'm sure that you will get other testimonials regarding how well it holds prefinished or pre-stained moldings.

The big added benefit is that you don't have to patch and sand all of the holes that you would have made with your finish nailer. Yeah, the finish nails or the 18 ga brads might have better holding power, but it's like getting run over on the freeway - doesn't matter much if it is a mini cooper or a semi truck.

I'm having trouble believing that pine paint grade base and trim would stay in place :confused: with a 23 gauge [no head]
Often you have to push the base to the wall. I would think the no head 23 gauge would not hold. :)

[John Callahan]

I'm having trouble believing that pine paint grade base and trim would stay in place :confused: with a 23 gauge [no head]
Often you have to push the base to the wall. I would think the no head 23 gauge would not hold. :) .............. I'd agree. I run 18 ga. or 15 ga. plus construction adhesive to get the base to follow the willy wally walls in the condo and apartment projects we've been on. I' ve had a few cases where the 23 Ga. pins have pulled through- cabinet backs etc. 23 ga. pinners are great for crown and returns but imho but don't have enough holding power for baseboard.

[Larry Rasmussen]

the pinner will hold molding? I would say then fine but perhaps stop at giving purchasing advise. I do have some direct experience with the Grex
1 3/8" 23 gauge pinner. First, I chose the longer pins because I am using it to trim out the interior of our house. Helps to have enough pin length to get through the sheetrock to the studs. It works great to persuade a length of baseboard to stay in place along a typically wandering wall base. If in the shop and I need to pull something a little heavier together I don't choose the Grex for that job, common sense. Can't speak to the other brands but with the Grex the 1 3/8" length is essentially for interior trim work, a little longer would push the amount of holding power I suppose. And yes there is a fair amount of hold regardless of whether there is a head on those pins or not. If I'm worried I use a bit of trim glue.
Regards, Larry

[Gary Ratajczak]

I bought the Grex 1-3/16 (I think) about 2 years ago. Like others mentioned, works great. If you don;t need to pull or pursuade a piece of trim that much, the holding power of the pin alone is fine. They do grab quite well.

Also, you can alternate the angle that you drive in, and run a few close together. Instead of 90 degree in, tip to one side a little, then the next pin tip to the other side. This technique really locks in place.

I put bead board up in my bath, and used that technique to place some hidden pins in the grooves. Held panels in place while construction adhesive set up.

I am also considering the 2" version as I have found the gun in general to be much more useful that I would have orrigionally thought. I also do some small pine primitive crafts, and found the gun a great alternative to my 18ga Senso. Pins a lower cost than the brads, and there are almost no holes to hide.

Bottom line (my 2 cents) - Without a doubt, go longer than the 1". How much longer depends on $$ - If you go for the Grex 2", you'll find a lot more uses than you thought.