Subject: Re: Brad Nailers ... What size do I need?

From: Dan Krueger <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 1997 01:40:53 -0600

Bill Moore wrote:
> 
> David Misevich ([email-masked]) wrote:
> : I have the 18 ga. Porter Cable 2" and I love it. You will not believe the
> : holding power of those little suckers. I even used it to hang a door the
> : other day. Solid as a rock. (Flameproof suit ready...)
> 
> I've heard that the brads are coated with something that melts upon insertion
> due to friction, and then hardens again when it's in the wood. Acts like an
> adhesive at that point, giving the brads some extra holding power.
> 
> For the record, I have an Airy 18ga that takes up to 1 9/16" brads. Love it!

Hanging doors with a 18ga brad is NOT recommended!  You should always
use a minimum of a 16ga!  The coating, while great for "pull-out"
strength, does nothing for shear strength.  Doors just endure too much
movement for a brad of that diameter.

BTW-My pick for a 2" Brad Nailer is the Bostitch BT50.  It is US made,
can bury a 2" brad into solid oak, and sells for under $200.

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 13:27:28 UNDEFINED

In article <[email-masked]> Dan Krueger <[email-masked]> writes:
>From: Dan Krueger <[email-masked]>
>Subject: Re: Brad Nailers ...  What size do I need?
>Date: Sun, 09 Feb 1997 01:40:53 -0600

>movement for a brad of that diameter.

So you use more of them, no big whoop.  If you have an 18g nailer, and don't 
have a 16, then you use the 18.

Personally, I use trim head, square drive screws.  That way I can take them 
back out to adjust if I have to (yeah, I'm anal about hanging doors).  I place 
most of the screws where the stop will go, so I need not worry about puttying 
over the heads (yeah, I also make my door frames and stops.  Goes back to that 
anal thing).

S
>can bury a 2" brad into solid oak, and sells for under $200.

So, what gauge is it?

My concern with gauge is that the 16g I used had bigger heads - not finishing 
nail heads.  The hole is MUCH bigger than an 18g brad hole - real annoying.

Rich

---

From: [email-masked] (Bennett Leeds)
Date: 14 Feb 1997 21:34:43 GMT

[email-masked] writes
> back out to adjust if I have to (yeah, I'm anal about hanging doors).  I 
> place most of the screws where the stop will go, so I need not worry about 
> puttying over the heads (yeah, I also make my door frames and stops.  Goes 
> back to that anal thing).

I've recently hung two entry doors that I built. I didn't even bother with
trim heads - just full on square drive wood screws. I used what is known
as a "hidden stop." Ugly ascii cross-section art follows:

                                OUTSIDE

         _________________                        _______________
________|_________________|_                    _|_______________|_______
                    |    | S|                  |S |   |
                    |    | T|                  |T |   |
                    | J  | O|                  |O | J |
                    | A  | P|                  |P | A |
    WALL            | M  |__|__________________|__| M |       WALL
                    | B  |                        | B |
                    |    |                        |   |
                    |    |          DOOR          |   |
____________________|____|________________________|___|____________________
         |______________|                           |______________|

The door swings inwards. The casing on the outside of the house completely
covers the jamb and some of the stop, which extends from the outside face
of the door to the outside face of the exterior wall. Thus, it appears as
if there's no stop. 

This makes for a very clean look (which fits with the Arts & Crafts style
of the woodworking in my house). It also lets me screw the jamb to the studs
with impunity as long as I stay in the area covered by the stops. In the 
area covered by the door, I've used long screws through the hinges (holding
the hinge to the jamb through the wedges into the studs), and long screws
that are covered by the latch plate. I've found this to hold a hardwood
jamb very well, but the addition of the interior casings will further
strengthen the jambs.

- Bennett Leeds
[email-masked]

Opinions are mine alone.