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Pneumatic nailer advice


RXX

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I am a total newbie here, so excuse the question if it sounds stupid or I omit critical information.

I am about to nail 60+ pieces of plywood inside my barn. The pieces will be 3/8-3/4" and will be secured on to untreated, but painted 2X4's.

I want to get a pneumatic nail gun for this. I want cheap, so I am thinking HF. What size nails should I use, and what type/size nailer should I get to do this more or less one time job?

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Are you attaching them to the walls, floor or ceiling? Will you be installing anything over the plywood? Personally I would use screws rather than nails but if you want to use a nail gun you'll want to shoot a nail with a head so my suggestion would be a framing nailer using 7D or 8D nails. You might also consider a crown stapler instead of nails. All depends on how concerned you are with the plywood shifting/moving/loosening as the framing and sheathing swells and shrinks.

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Are you attaching them to the walls, floor or ceiling? Will you be installing anything over the plywood? Personally I would use screws rather than nails but if you want to use a nail gun you'll want to shoot a nail with a head so my suggestion would be a framing nailer using 7D or 8D nails. You might also consider a crown stapler instead of nails. All depends on how concerned you are with the plywood shifting/moving/loosening as the framing and sheathing swells and shrinks.

The majority will be on a 14' wall. Nothing over the plywood, I will be attaching stuff like shelves, cabinets, tool hangers, a metal the medallion and medal the cross.

There will be some interior ceilings on a couple of sections. I will probably use OSB for that, so 3/4" will be most likely, since it will serve as the floor of my loft also.

I have used screws basically all my life. Talk to me..... I just assumed a nailer would be the way to go in terms of speed and economy. I have a lot of experience screwing. Would I just use 1-1/2" coarse drywall screws or is there a better screw for plywood?

BTW, i got a line on plywood, $5 a sheet. Seconds off barges over on the Cumberland River. No damage, whole sheets. A lot have that black metal powder stuff on them, and forklift tire marks. I got all I could haul Tuesday, 30 sheets.

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Are you attaching them to the walls, floor or ceiling? Will you be installing anything over the plywood? Personally I would use screws rather than nails but if you want to use a nail gun you'll want to shoot a nail with a head so my suggestion would be a framing nailer using 7D or 8D nails. You might also consider a crown stapler instead of nails. All depends on how concerned you are with the plywood shifting/moving/loosening as the framing and sheathing swells and shrinks.

The majority will be on a 14' wall. Nothing over the plywood, I will be attaching stuff like shelves, cabinets, tool hangers, a metal the medallion and medal the cross.

There will be some interior ceilings on a couple of sections. I will probably use OSB for that, so 3/4" will be most likely, since it will serve as the floor of my loft also.

I have used screws basically all my life. Talk to me..... I just assumed a nailer would be the way to go in terms of speed and economy. I have a lot of experience screwing. Would I just use 1-1/2" coarse drywall screws or is there a better screw for plywood?

BTW, i got a line on plywood, $5 a sheet. Seconds off barges over on the Cumberland River. No damage, whole sheets. A lot have that black metal powder stuff on them, and forklift tire marks. I got all I could haul Tuesday, 30 sheets.

I would NOT use drywall screws. They are made to go into a soft surface and you might end up popping a lot of heads off of them. I would use deck screws and you would probably be ok with 1-1/2 "" or 1-5/8", 2" if you want to be extra secure (probably 2" on the OSB ceiling would be good). Nailer would definitely be faster/cheaper but I personally like the extra holding power of screws and the fact that you can easily unscrew them later if need be without fucking up the sheathing.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I'm just a "weekend" handyman so there may be others on the forum that have a more professional perspective of your inquiry and my advice may be crap. It's just the way I would do it.

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I'd use a 16ga stapler for the walls. I agree screws would be better, but it's going to be much, much slower. Having pulled up a few stapled roof decks in my life, I can tell you those things hold just fine when nails tend to just pop through the plywood when stressed. Fully threaded screws are optimal, but very labor intensive Save the screws for the ceiling, IMO, and I'd probably even use staples there, just more of 'em.

If you decide to go with staples, shoot me your address and I'll drop an appropriate staple gun in the mail, you can keep it as long as you need it. I have four 7/16" crown 16ga pneumatic staplers and we only use them for cedar installs, which I don't do many of. They sit on a shelf about 350 days a year, might as well put one to work.

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I'd take Redbird up on his offer.

What length staples would you recommend, Redbird?

RXX, these plywoods will not be weather exposed, correct?

And to address the HF nailer...I can only comment that mine has worked very well from day one, both before and after being submerged in 8 feet of muddy water for a couple days, and then drying out on its own.

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8 penny ring shanks and a Hammer for the walls... (oh a nailer would be nice... but do you really need to Buy one? I'ld let you borrow mine... except the shipping would be a killer)

The ring shanks nails will Not come out.... it's like nailing screws.

Screws for the ceiling. (if doing)

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Hammer? What is this, the dark ages? :P

Curious side note- I have guys working for me, mostly under 30, that don't really know how to use a hammer. Yeah, they can bang down a nail or two and not look like morons, but truly competent and efficient hand nailing is becoming a lost art, even in the trades. These guys all came up with guns.

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Eric, I cannot use a hammer much anymore due to weak (arthritic, not limp) wrists and a compromised right shoulder. Plus starting a nail takes two hands, holding the plywood takes one. Go figure.

Tim, thanks for the advice and the offer, but I will pass on your offer. I imagine this will be a project of a few months minimum and I could not guarantee, should you need your tool back, that I could deliver in a timely fashion. I will keep My eyes peeled for a CL buy, or just go ahead and use decking screws. Thanks for the tip re: drywall screws, Bio.

All of the wood will be interior, and the "ceiling" wood will not be within 4' of the roof.

I am not really worried about the shear strength and all that stuff, the structure was overbuilt against wind as it stands now, and anything over this is simply lagniappe.

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Years ago... 20 ish... I framed houses... had to be proficient with a hammer before the Boss would let you use a Nailer... Used to have races nailing walls (studs) and floors (plywood to joist)

I can still drive 16 pennys with a set and one swing. It's like riding a bike...

and no you dont need 2 hands to hold a piece of ply wood and nail etc.

Ps... Glue? and Nail?

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Years ago... 20 ish... I framed houses... had to be proficient with a hammer before the Boss would let you use a Nailer... Used to have races nailing walls (studs) and floors (plywood to joist)

I can still drive 16 pennys with a set and one swing. It's like riding a bike...

and no you dont need 2 hands to hold a piece of ply wood and nail etc.

Ps... Glue? and Nail?

No glue. It's a barn. And yes, I need both hands. No, I am not proficient with a hammer. I'm not very good with any of this, really. It is just something I am doing to occupy my time.

Tim, I got the nailer yesterday. Thanks! I may practice this weekend.

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Years ago... 20 ish... I framed houses... had to be proficient with a hammer before the Boss would let you use a Nailer...

My boss was the same way, late 80's. He wouldn't put a gun in your hand until you'd done a few months hand nailing everything. Decking, underlayment, shingles. You learn to use a hammer pretty quick when you're working by the square and there are guys with guns to keep up with. It sucked at the time, but I've thanked him since for bringing me up right, as I know now that actually costs an employer money initially.

Tim, I got the nailer yesterday. Thanks! I may practice this weekend.

No problem, Phillip. Here's the only practice you need- reach as high as you can on a wood wall with your off hand, up on your tippy toes. Then use the gun in your strong hand to nail your off hand to the wall.

Not only will this exercise bring to bear a specific set of problem solving skills, it will instill the appropriate respect for the tool. ;)

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Years ago... 20 ish... I framed houses... had to be proficient with a hammer before the Boss would let you use a Nailer...

My boss was the same way, late 80's. He wouldn't put a gun in your hand until you'd done a few months hand nailing everything. Decking, underlayment, shingles. You learn to use a hammer pretty quick when you're working by the square and there are guys with guns to keep up with. It sucked at the time, but I've thanked him since for bringing me up right, as I know now that actually costs an employer money initially.

Tim, I got the nailer yesterday. Thanks! I may practice this weekend.

No problem, Phillip. Here's the only practice you need- reach as high as you can on a wood wall with your off hand, up on your tippy toes. Then use the gun in your strong hand to nail your off hand to the wall.

Not only will this exercise bring to bear a specific set of problem solving skills, it will instill the appropriate respect for the tool. ;)

More direct and to the point. Keep your Phucking thumb out of the way.

I've seen more than one guy have to take a staple out.

Bonus, they are hot and burn on the way in and until your flesh cools them off. not that you will notice they've cooled off.

You have safety glasses also, I presume?

(They are fun to run though)

B)

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Dude, that thing is the SHIT!

Dialed it in to 100 psi and it is a rocking machine......

Unfortunately no one in town stocks 16 GA staples, so I am going to have to wait a day or two before I can get a pack.

BTW, for all you fuckers who think I have to pay my dues swinging a hammer, I am still having to frame just like Jesus.

So far today:

post-1606-0-09557700-1398034513_thumb.jp

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  • 2 weeks later...

Dude, that thing is the SHIT!

Dialed it in to 100 psi and it is a rocking machine......

Unfortunately no one in town stocks 16 GA staples, so I am going to have to wait a day or two before I can get a pack.

BTW, for all you fuckers who think I have to pay my dues swinging a hammer, I am still having to frame just like Jesus.

So far today:

OK, OK, I lied. I just bought a framing nailer, so no more swinging a hammer. Damn, that thing is making my life better.

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  • 1 month later...

Dude, that thing is the SHIT!

Dialed it in to 100 psi and it is a rocking machine......

Unfortunately no one in town stocks 16 GA staples, so I am going to have to wait a day or two before I can get a pack.

BTW, for all you fuckers who think I have to pay my dues swinging a hammer, I am still having to frame just like Jesus.

So far today:

hey i have a troy built tiller like that.

well had, father in law borrowed it 3 yrs ago and haven't seen since.

how is the barn coming along phil?

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Dude, that thing is the SHIT!

Dialed it in to 100 psi and it is a rocking machine......

Unfortunately no one in town stocks 16 GA staples, so I am going to have to wait a day or two before I can get a pack.

BTW, for all you fuckers who think I have to pay my dues swinging a hammer, I am still having to frame just like Jesus.

So far today:

hey i have a troy built tiller like that.

well had, father in law borrowed it 3 yrs ago and haven't seen since.

how is the barn coming along phil?

Thanks for asking, Dave!

Between doing all the election stuff and my grandson being underfoot whenever I am outside, things are going very slowly. Seems I can only perform meaningful work in 30 minute increments.

Paid a guy $100 last Sunday to dig down and expose the pipes for 3 of the faucets so I can finally get them installed, hopefully this weekend. I will have to leave them exposed for a few days before I put gravel in the holes and close them up. (Freeze-proof hydrants)

Once that is done I can pour the concrete for the floors, but will only be doing it in 12 X 12 sections. That will be the determining factor for when I can do interior finishing.

My shop area will probably be poured and finished in September, the greenhouse room, over the winter. The tool storage/maintenance bay, over winter.

I have almost finished my water retention system. Hope this weekend. I will post up when I do. It is fucking SWEET!

I just cleaned out an area and put my MINI in it to replace the A/C compressor and rebuild the supercharger. God knows how long that will take.

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Are you attaching them to the walls, floor or ceiling? Will you be installing anything over the plywood? Personally I would use screws rather than nails but if you want to use a nail gun you'll want to shoot a nail with a head so my suggestion would be a framing nailer using 7D or 8D nails. You might also consider a crown stapler instead of nails. All depends on how concerned you are with the plywood shifting/moving/loosening as the framing and sheathing swells and shrinks.

. I have a lot of experience screwing.

I bet you do! lol Just don't nail your foot to the floor is the only advice I can give.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Yeah, little ones wanna watch and help always. I showed mine how to cut grass this weekend. Gave me time to weed eat.

Curious to see your water system.

For Father's day I got a bubble mower. Don't know if they were being made when I was a kid, but crap, does he like to mow with it! Best toy for a little boy ever! He graduated to driving the tractor around in circles last weekend while standing between my legs. I created a monster.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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