I learned the hard way about nail gun positioning. I was adding trim to a bookshelf I built for my daughter and almost every nail blew out. I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. I used a Dremel with a little cut-off wheel and managed to smooth everything out. It was a year or so later watching a RUclips video about nail guns that I learned what I did wrong. It seems like it wouldn't matter, to the uninitiated, so this video is a valuable tool.
Thanks! I did read that footnote. Also, I noticed on page 713, that it mentions that the word is "orient," rather than orientate. It's a great tip. Plus, it is good that homeowners mess it up, it keeps some of us in the money.
I didn’t have to read that one from the nonexistent carpenters handbook. Orient is a lot shorter to say than orientate! Haha and it turns out it’s the correct way to say it.
Orientate, as he said, is also correct (British English). This is RUclips and so an international audience - he can say what he pleases since he’s offering advice and good advice at that.
I was trained to always keep my finger off the trigger until ready to shoot (@ 31 seconds).😂 TFC, you are wealth of knowledge, my go to source. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the vid! Will see if you have one on the best gauge and length nails for casing, trim, etc. You should've just said "hold it gangsta style," and further have commented on whether grasping your groin while you're nailing somehow improves the overall experience.
Inside nail goes into the jamb, outside nail goes into framing. If you put the nail where you showed, it will most likely hit air unless you angle the gun toward the center if the opening. If your hjamb material is 5/8" (most are closer to 1/2" these days) and you leave a 1/4" reveal on your trim, then you pretty much have to place the inside nail within the first 1/4" to 3/8" of the casing. This way your casing is strengthening the total door system and the veneered OSB and particle board jambs that come on most doors these days really need all the help they can get.
Thanks for the tips, and thanks especially for your video on caulking. It really transformed the caulking part of my life. For anyone who doesn't have perfect caulking, watch that video!
Wish you did this video 4 months ago when I put up my trim. I did mail it on the flat side but I wish I knew about the orientation of the mail/gun. Will remember for next time.
Awesome video! Regarding brad gun orientation, I have found that rather than vertical or horizontal, if I rotate it to 45 degrees it also prevents the blowouts. Now, the nail holes will be turned too, so maybe that's not the best option either.
One minor note.. depending on the type of trim you can't avoid nailing into the small curved edge because if you only hit the flat part you won't get it into the wood. If the trim isn't attached to the inside of the case then the caulk line will fail sooner than it should because they won't expand/contract together. Side-note: pre-made doorcases use staples on that edge for better holding power. My best trick for filling holes on any place in trim, edges and all, is to fill too much (using non-shrinking spackle, never caulk) and then use a putty knife to skim it to the exact profile that is already there. When you skim do it slightly diagonally rather than straight across for better results. With practice you won't even need to sand it.
A minor note on your minor note: If shooting into the curved edges, remember to set the depth on your gun, especially if you're using crown staples. You'll save yourself much time by not having to go over everything with a nail set.
I know this is an old video, but I'm gonna ask anyway. I don't have a nail gun, and plan to use a hammer for the nails. I know when manually nailing you're not supposed to try to nail flush so I have a nailset to drive them in the rest of the way in. My questions are, will the nails split the trim, or am I ok to do it this way, and is there a "best way" to drive them manually? We've already spent more than my wife is comfortable with, and due to "safety concerns" she doesn't want to rent a nailgun, and compressor. (She's afraid I'll end up nailing myself to something, and she's not necessarily wrong since I've never used one, lol).
Just started renovating my house ( built early to mid Seventies, before nail guns where in common use for second fixing) pulled the door stop one side it had three different sized bullet head in the one piece.
great video, thank you ... for those painted, prefinished white moldings that you can get from home depot... how do you fill the nail holes? seems like there is a layer for thick paint that needs to be sanded
I should have seen your video before. Especially the jam part. Thankfully I messed up thay part only on a closet. Also, it would have been good to explain why the top casing chips when nailing the top with the side. I don't have a nail gun so maybe it's because of hammering on the nail.
Placing your nails can be difficult because you want them to go into the wood on the other side of the trim, this sometimes makes it impossible to select the location you want on your trim what is more important is that the trim actually stays on?
Great vid, and very informative w/ stuff everyone should know about if gonna use a nailer, or even a hammer, tbh/imo; b/c even hand driven brads can do same thing as a nailer. Really liked this vid, thx🙏🏻👍🏻👍🏻 2:40 Sadly, the contractor who installed my parents vanities (3 baths) and cabinets (kitchen) DID NOT pay attention or maybe didn’t care at all about gun position/placement. How do I know this…..easy! Every single kitchen cabinet and bathroom vanity has MULTIPLES of blowouts EVERYWHERE! Sad, is what it was and is….just sad. Cheers✌🏻
3:32 yes that is good advice. Yes I have shot myself with a brad nailer. Yes I was installing door architraves. Yes I became complacent and yes it hurt. Putting a 2 inch nail through the centre of your knuckle will do that. Yes I removed it with pliers and yes I had the next day off work when my hand seized up for 24 hours.
A Video I would like to see. . . AirNailing Trim on a Studless wall My Condo has no wood stud, it has no metal studs. It is fire rated drywall (5/8”) stuck on Masonry Blocks with “blobs” of drywall mud. The result is 5/8” drywall, 3/8” space (or mud), and then masonry blocks. I assume the solution includes 1” air nails and PL caulking.... any tips?
Great video bud!!! I have a question, do you prefer the air powerd nailguns or the battery powered nail guns? And why? Also i have a compressor but i cant adjust the pressure of it. Is there a attachment that can or do i have to buy a new one? Loved the video bud always great tips, thanks! Have a great weekend🍻🍻🔥
Pressure regulators for air compressors are available, they generally have a knob on top for pressure adjustment and a glass or plastic bowl on the bottom to capture some of the condensation that builds up in the tank over time. Speaking of the condensation, in case you’re not aware, there’s a valve on the bottom of the compressor tank that is there to drain the condensation buildup. Compressor tanks will rust from the inside out if not drained regularly and they can (and do) explode with enough force to rapidly un-build the corner of your workshop when that rust gets bad enough after a few years of bad/no condensation maintenance. People have been killed by exploding air compressors. As for the cordless (battery or gas powered) vs. pneumatic nail guns, there are pros and cons to both. Battery/gas guns are more expensive to purchase, more expensive to service and weigh considerably more than pneumatic. They are, however, extremely convenient because you don’t need to carry an air compressor in your vehicle/trailer and you don’t need to run air lines through your customer’s house. They’re also easier to use in tight/awkward positions because they don’t have an air line tethered to them, dragging them around and getting caught on stuff. Pneumatic nail guns have the opposite pros and cons. I own both and I don’t even remember where my pneumatic one is stored, it hasn’t seen the light of day in at least a few years. Make of that what you will.
Air compressor should all come with a regulator attached that can be adjusted. If not I’m sure you could order one off Amazon. Have a great weekend buddy 🍻
This is maybe an old debate or a bit off topic for this time but I always wondered why carpenters don’t fill the wholes they’re making when using that type of tool. As a painter I have to do this job of filling while it could be so much easier if carpenters would fill them. Is it too much to ask ?
Filling nail holes is the painters job. Every painter has a preferred filler and method of filling. Usually theyd rather you leave it for them then use a product they arent used to using
@@nicholaserkelenz6431 Thanks for the info. I forgot to mention I don’t deal with the situation often. If I was working with a team I would say to the carpenters to fill the wholes, even if it shink and is roughly made, I would fine tune at the end. A sort of way to deal and share the wholes issue.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. As a 40 plus year veteran painter I'll say that the invention of the nail gun has made my job much harder. Many of the carpenters I know use way to many nails, never set the proud ones, and love to hide the nails in the grooves. Ever tried to patch and sand one of those? And blow outs, don't even get me started.
You say orientate (instead of orient) like a British person! I'm curious, are you in Canada maybe? Or possibly a part of the US that also says orientate. Just wondering
And don't forget my number one tip...when a friend calls you over to help him with his trim for free...grab your gun and compressor and go. It's a great opportunity to practice on a job you can't see from your house. LOL
The thing is, you should also orient the nail head so that the T is across the grain not with it if possible without risking the nail running off course.
Why would you go to all that effort to sand your 18g brad nil holes???. Just splotches a little squirt of liquid nail in them thangs and run your finger over it before it hardens. Pain, and move on to more important tasks.
I learned the hard way about nail gun positioning.
I was adding trim to a bookshelf I built for my daughter and almost every nail blew out. I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. I used a Dremel with a little cut-off wheel and managed to smooth everything out. It was a year or so later watching a RUclips video about nail guns that I learned what I did wrong.
It seems like it wouldn't matter, to the uninitiated, so this video is a valuable tool.
Cheers😂🍻
I also read the book and it says if the work you're performing is for your own home, they you're entitled to by paid double time with beer or pizza :)
Can confirm.
*takes a swig while chewing*
You meant beer AND pizza, right?
Thanks! I did read that footnote. Also, I noticed on page 713, that it mentions that the word is "orient," rather than orientate. It's a great tip. Plus, it is good that homeowners mess it up, it keeps some of us in the money.
Just wait until I have my newly designed orientated shirts ready! Hopefully they come in the next couple weeks😀
I didn’t have to read that one from the nonexistent carpenters handbook. Orient is a lot shorter to say than orientate! Haha and it turns out it’s the correct way to say it.
There is no such word as “orientate”!
orientaters
(My new nickname for Japanese sweet potatoes)
Orientate, as he said, is also correct (British English).
This is RUclips and so an international audience - he can say what he pleases since he’s offering advice and good advice at that.
I was trained to always keep my finger off the trigger until ready to shoot (@ 31 seconds).😂 TFC, you are wealth of knowledge, my go to source. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the vid! Will see if you have one on the best gauge and length nails for casing, trim, etc. You should've just said "hold it gangsta style," and further have commented on whether grasping your groin while you're nailing somehow improves the overall experience.
Inside nail goes into the jamb, outside nail goes into framing. If you put the nail where you showed, it will most likely hit air unless you angle the gun toward the center if the opening. If your hjamb material is 5/8" (most are closer to 1/2" these days) and you leave a 1/4" reveal on your trim, then you pretty much have to place the inside nail within the first 1/4" to 3/8" of the casing. This way your casing is strengthening the total door system and the veneered OSB and particle board jambs that come on most doors these days really need all the help they can get.
Glad to hear someone who actually knows what they are talking about, I’ve been a trim carpenter for 40 years and this video is very misleading.
Thanks for the tips, and thanks especially for your video on caulking. It really transformed the caulking part of my life. For anyone who doesn't have perfect caulking, watch that video!
Thanks Chip, glad the caulking vid was a help
Straight to the point, no filler. Excellent video.
Wish you did this video 4 months ago when I put up my trim. I did mail it on the flat side but I wish I knew about the orientation of the mail/gun. Will remember for next time.
Thanks for the tips ! Love the bloopers.
Thanks buddy
ha ha ha the blooper at the end..they are so great. I love it.
Thanks Luc I appreciate you watching all the way to the end!
can you adjust the power on this? It's ripping through some vinyl trim and I need to lower the punch- is this possible?
Awesome video!
Regarding brad gun orientation, I have found that rather than vertical or horizontal, if I rotate it to 45 degrees it also prevents the blowouts.
Now, the nail holes will be turned too, so maybe that's not the best option either.
How did I miss this one. Thanks Funny Man 😊
Very timely video for me. I just put on a new front door! Thank you for posting this.
One minor note.. depending on the type of trim you can't avoid nailing into the small curved edge because if you only hit the flat part you won't get it into the wood. If the trim isn't attached to the inside of the case then the caulk line will fail sooner than it should because they won't expand/contract together. Side-note: pre-made doorcases use staples on that edge for better holding power.
My best trick for filling holes on any place in trim, edges and all, is to fill too much (using non-shrinking spackle, never caulk) and then use a putty knife to skim it to the exact profile that is already there. When you skim do it slightly diagonally rather than straight across for better results. With practice you won't even need to sand it.
Excellent tip
A minor note on your minor note:
If shooting into the curved edges, remember to set the depth on your gun, especially if you're using crown staples. You'll save yourself much time by not having to go over everything with a nail set.
DIY’ers and their “YoU dOnT EvEn NeEd To SaNd” gets me every time 😂
@@Zcasey1932 I'm a full-time painter. How perfect you want the finish will depend on what part of the country/world you live in.
Thanks for this! You just earned a new subscriber.
Solid golden nuggets. Thank you.
Thanks Joey
Thanks for the tips! I'm about to do some trim work. This helps a lot.
which nails are more preferable, 16 or 18? Should I use Brad or Finish nailer?
18 gauge is good for trim; 16 is overkill. Although I have occasionally used 16 for thick baseboard.
Can you please do videos on hanging, nailing stuff on bricks and vinyl sidings outside of the house
Ya I read that too but I must not of been paying attention lol Great Video again!
Wow, very nice video tutorial, thanks for sharing!!!
Always helpful videos
I know this is an old video, but I'm gonna ask anyway. I don't have a nail gun, and plan to use a hammer for the nails. I know when manually nailing you're not supposed to try to nail flush so I have a nailset to drive them in the rest of the way in. My questions are, will the nails split the trim, or am I ok to do it this way, and is there a "best way" to drive them manually?
We've already spent more than my wife is comfortable with, and due to "safety concerns" she doesn't want to rent a nailgun, and compressor. (She's afraid I'll end up nailing myself to something, and she's not necessarily wrong since I've never used one, lol).
Nice tips! Thank you - just bought my first Brad nailer.
best wishes on future projects!
Just started renovating my house ( built early to mid Seventies, before nail guns where in common use for second fixing) pulled the door stop one side it had three different sized bullet head in the one piece.
Lol. Similar experience for me as well
great video, thank you ... for those painted, prefinished white moldings that you can get from home depot... how do you fill the nail holes? seems like there is a layer for thick paint that needs to be sanded
Is it ok to use 18 gauge brad nailer on 1/2 inch thick baseboards? Or do you need to use a 16 gauge or 15 gauge finish nailer?
Nice tips, I took the rubber foot off mine, made it easier to see where brad placement would be.
Watch out for little indentations from the tool without the rubber foot. Softer woods will have noticable dents
Hi any thoughts on how best to protect the service of casing from being damaged by the brad nailer tip? Thank you.
Hey what model of a nail gun do you use here?
I should have seen your video before. Especially the jam part. Thankfully I messed up thay part only on a closet.
Also, it would have been good to explain why the top casing chips when nailing the top with the side. I don't have a nail gun so maybe it's because of hammering on the nail.
I want a video on 4/1/23 of you being upset and angry. :) These are great tips, and I appreciate what you do.
This is a great video!!!
Thank you
Good information
Placing your nails can be difficult because you want them to go into the wood on the other side of the trim, this sometimes makes it impossible to select the location you want on your trim what is more important is that the trim actually stays on?
Great vid, and very informative w/ stuff everyone should know about if gonna use a nailer, or even a hammer, tbh/imo; b/c even hand driven brads can do same thing as a nailer. Really liked this vid, thx🙏🏻👍🏻👍🏻
2:40 Sadly, the contractor who installed my parents vanities (3 baths) and cabinets (kitchen) DID NOT pay attention or maybe didn’t care at all about gun position/placement. How do I know this…..easy!
Every single kitchen cabinet and bathroom vanity has MULTIPLES of blowouts EVERYWHERE!
Sad, is what it was and is….just sad.
Cheers✌🏻
Thanks for checking out the video!
@@TheFunnyCarpenter thank YOU for m,imo them👍🏻
can you adjust the power on this DCN681? It's ripping through some vinyl trim and I need to lower the punch- is this possible?
3:32 yes that is good advice. Yes I have shot myself with a brad nailer. Yes I was installing door architraves. Yes I became complacent and yes it hurt. Putting a 2 inch nail through the centre of your knuckle will do that. Yes I removed it with pliers and yes I had the next day off work when my hand seized up for 24 hours.
Ouch!!! 🍻
Hi my friend, great job
🍻cheers
Fine video. Good info. Like it.
You’ll learn real quick on gun orientation when the nail goes into your finger while holding 2 pieces together.
A Video I would like to see. . .
AirNailing Trim on a Studless wall
My Condo has no wood stud, it has no metal studs.
It is fire rated drywall (5/8”) stuck on Masonry Blocks with “blobs” of drywall mud.
The result is 5/8” drywall, 3/8” space (or mud), and then masonry blocks.
I assume the solution includes 1” air nails and PL caulking.... any tips?
I would put on some contact cement along the top and some Dap or PL along the bottom.
@@TheFunnyCarpenter interesting....... thank you
Great story
How long should the nails be?
Thanks!
Great video bud!!! I have a question, do you prefer the air powerd nailguns or the battery powered nail guns? And why? Also i have a compressor but i cant adjust the pressure of it. Is there a attachment that can or do i have to buy a new one? Loved the video bud always great tips, thanks! Have a great weekend🍻🍻🔥
Pressure regulators for air compressors are available, they generally have a knob on top for pressure adjustment and a glass or plastic bowl on the bottom to capture some of the condensation that builds up in the tank over time.
Speaking of the condensation, in case you’re not aware, there’s a valve on the bottom of the compressor tank that is there to drain the condensation buildup. Compressor tanks will rust from the inside out if not drained regularly and they can (and do) explode with enough force to rapidly un-build the corner of your workshop when that rust gets bad enough after a few years of bad/no condensation maintenance. People have been killed by exploding air compressors.
As for the cordless (battery or gas powered) vs. pneumatic nail guns, there are pros and cons to both.
Battery/gas guns are more expensive to purchase, more expensive to service and weigh considerably more than pneumatic. They are, however, extremely convenient because you don’t need to carry an air compressor in your vehicle/trailer and you don’t need to run air lines through your customer’s house. They’re also easier to use in tight/awkward positions because they don’t have an air line tethered to them, dragging them around and getting caught on stuff.
Pneumatic nail guns have the opposite pros and cons.
I own both and I don’t even remember where my pneumatic one is stored, it hasn’t seen the light of day in at least a few years. Make of that what you will.
Air compressor should all come with a regulator attached that can be adjusted. If not I’m sure you could order one off Amazon. Have a great weekend buddy 🍻
@@TheFunnyCarpenter thanks bud🍻
@@TheIdeasGuy thank u so much bro!!!!
@@RPmusic06 you’re welcome mate.
Great video
Thanks 🍻
How do you avoid “pogo-stick” bounce on baseboards?
Thanks man!!!!
This is maybe an old debate or a bit off topic for this time but I always wondered why carpenters don’t fill the wholes they’re making when using that type of tool. As a painter I have to do this job of filling while it could be so much easier if carpenters would fill them. Is it too much to ask ?
Filling nail holes is the painters job. Every painter has a preferred filler and method of filling. Usually theyd rather you leave it for them then use a product they arent used to using
@@nicholaserkelenz6431 Thanks for the info. I forgot to mention I don’t deal with the situation often. If I was working with a team I would say to the carpenters to fill the wholes, even if it shink and is roughly made, I would fine tune at the end. A sort of way to deal and share the wholes issue.
It’s an interesting quandary
Good points!
Jason Bateman getting ready for his new role.
Thank you for this video. I would appreciate it if you and Vancouver Carpenter would collab on a book…maybe even a few vids…
what length of the 18GA nail did you use for this trim?
How many area codes does that hose cover?
25’😂
Thank you, thank you, thank you. As a 40 plus year veteran painter I'll say that the invention of the nail gun has made my job much harder. Many of the carpenters I know use way to many nails, never set the proud ones, and love to hide the nails in the grooves. Ever tried to patch and sand one of those? And blow outs, don't even get me started.
You say orientate (instead of orient) like a British person! I'm curious, are you in Canada maybe? Or possibly a part of the US that also says orientate. Just wondering
Canadian
GREAT .
Muy buena clavadora
And don't forget my number one tip...when a friend calls you over to help him with his trim for free...grab your gun and compressor and go. It's a great opportunity to practice on a job you can't see from your house. LOL
thank u
I would have made every mistake you mentioned, but not now. Thanks.
👍👍👍
How to fill a small hole on a wall??
You forgot to mention nails size. That would be useful too.
The thing is, you should also orient the nail head so that the T is across the grain not with it if possible without risking the nail running off course.
Why would you go to all that effort to sand your 18g brad nil holes???.
Just splotches a little squirt of liquid nail in them thangs and run your finger over it before it hardens.
Pain, and move on to more important tasks.
Lol except for this guy Al that I worked with he shot himself 7 times…. Bro you may want to move your hand slightly out of reach of the nail🍻
Please increase your audio levels. I watch videos on my phone.
"Fill and sand"? What are you talking about? The clowns who built my house didn't do any of those...
Use no nail glue
no nail holes to fill
Simple
Definitely not
You're not that funny...but you are informative. Thanks for the videos!
You seem nice:)
@@TheFunnyCarpenter I actually am lol. I was trying to be funny....but for real, from a fellow carpenter, thanks for the content!
@@martin3911 🍻
"Orientate"...Ahhhhh!!!!!!!
They need to explain this to all the illegal invaders that are taking over all the commercial jobs...
I think you meant “orient” not “orientate”.
Good video, but pretty much common sense
no doubt
This video is worthless.
This is all common sense.
Cheers Joe always appreciate your adding to the discussion with words of epic wisdom.