# Nail gun spliting wood



## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

What is the pressure set at and where are you hitting the board.

Should not be splitting it if you are locating them right, sizing the fastener right, and not over driving them.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

You may have some brittle 2x4s----hemlock splits like that---does this happen when toe nailing or when nailing through the bottom plate into the end of the 2x4?

What size nails?


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## kirwinjd (Dec 31, 2012)

Windows on Wash said:


> What is the pressure set at and where are you hitting the board.
> 
> Should not be splitting it if you are locating them right, sizing the fastener right, and not over driving them.


I'm probably doing all the above wrong. The Hitachi framing gun is a loaner by a friend. Any idea what the pressure should be? 
Thank you.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

framing guns should be run at 110 psi.. some will argue this though.. i run them at 110 so im not having to finish the nails by hand, now mind you i also use quite a bit of engineered lumber which requires more pressure to sink air spikes


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

What are you trying to do with it?
And as already asked what size nail are you trying to use.


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## sublime2 (Mar 21, 2012)

kirwinjd said:


> I'm probably doing all the above wrong. The Hitachi framing gun is a loaner by a friend. Any idea what the pressure should be?
> Thank you.


Shouldn't be any more then 90 psi.


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## kirwinjd (Dec 31, 2012)

joecaption said:


> What are you trying to do with it?
> And as already asked what size nail are you trying to use.


Basic framing of a garden shed with 2x4's. 
wood splits mostly within 3" of the end. 
Using mostly 8d nails. 
Thanks.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

If you build the walls laying down with 10 d nails though the tops and bottom plates there will be no splitting.
Your trying to nail at to steep an angle or to close to the bottom of the stud. Need two nails on one side and on more on the other side in the middle.


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## md2lgyk (Jan 6, 2009)

Though I'm an experienced DIYer and have a couple of smaller air nailers, the framing nailer scares the heck out of me. When we built our log home a couple of years ago, I did all the framing the old-fashioned way, with a hammer.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

My wood shop teacher said this." A power tool is just a hand tool with malicious intent."


I have seen more injuries with a brad gun,than with a framer----the framer is obviously dangerous so people are careful.

The brad gun looks safe---but the nails fish hook frequently and stick the finger of the careless worker that holds the trim to close to the gun nose.---

Always be careful with any tool----Mike----


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## hand drive (Apr 21, 2012)

I keep the pressure at 120 for most of my air guns and adjust the nose piece on the guns accordingly. for toe nails if you set the pressure around 110 to 120 and max out the nail depth setting on the nose piece then toe nails should set just fine, if it splits stick it again and make it hold...


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

sublime2 said:


> Shouldn't be any more then 90 psi.


 framing guns should be run at 100.. other wise you'll be driving nails home all day with your hammer to finish off shiners


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## md2lgyk (Jan 6, 2009)

oh'mike said:


> My wood shop teacher said this." A power tool is just a hand tool with malicious intent."
> 
> 
> I have seen more injuries with a brad gun,than with a framer----the framer is obviously dangerous so people are careful.
> ...


Excellent advice for sure. I shot a finish nail side to side through the top of my thumb while building my house. Thing was, it didn't hurt. I pulled the nail out, and I didn't bleed. Now I don't even have a scar.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

I had a similar experience---no pain---pulled it out and finished the day-------


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

md2lgyk said:


> with a hammer.


Never heard of this. Could you please post a picture?

My fave nailgun story was helping a friend with a project who had these crazy Ukrainians working for him. I was just hanging pre-hung doors since they had a habit of just eyeballing the frames and not checking whether they would open or close. I was working my own nailer so was not paying attention to the extra pops. 

I kept feeling like I was getting insect bites in my ankle. I looked down and there were about 8 long aluminum nails sticking out the side of my work boot. These idiots were shooting framing nails at 120psi to secure FOAM trim from the other side of the wall, of course not into studs (like that would have mattered. You cannot nail faux foam trim.). I finished that door and left the jobsite. 

He was a flipper, not a true home restorer. We seldom talked after that experience. 

Good time to mention it is a good idea to keep yourself boosted with a tetinis vaccine for situation like this. The new one comes with a whooping cough protection too which my doc warned me last week could be a problem this coming year. Insurance should cover the vaccine.


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## kirwinjd (Dec 31, 2012)

Thanks all for the input.
The nailer doesn't scare me as much as the M16 I qualify on envy year. Both have about the the same recoil and both barrels should be pointed downrange at all times


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Listen Army Ranger Dan. I was qualified on some interesting weapons too. Not anywhere near lately since I am old, fat ugly and blind if I forget where I put down one pair of continuous lenses. 

But, don't brag until you know for sure the weapons of the construction trade that can make you wish your shoulder was still in its socket.

Imagine, .22 caliber, semi-automatic.

http://www.ramset.com/ramset__pwdr_intro.asp

I cannot use the G word or will be banned. Know that ramset will make you register and take a test to use the same charges that go on the back of bul...ts before you can place an order. You could buy a semi-automatic G easier than a powder charged construction tool. I would not use your M16 to nail things though. 

You know, I introduced Paslode's first gas powered nailer to the World. Because of the stench the gas gave off, we called it the Fart n Nail. It was consistent. Pressure of the cartridges was consistent. I limp to one side because of the Redwing fencing/framing hammer I carried for ages to nail things. I would have loved something like the fart n nail from Paslode.

I've never used one but there are cute little mouse/palm nailers for driving 16p nails home.


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## RoyalAcresRod (May 27, 2009)

Ditto to the last thread. My doctor said research had shown that the problem stems from illegal immigrants who have not been immunized. And that the disease is making a comeback because of that.


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## hand drive (Apr 21, 2012)

sdsester said:


> Listen Army Ranger Dan. I was qualified on some interesting weapons too. Not anywhere near lately since I am old, fat ugly and blind if I forget where I put down one pair of continuous lenses.
> 
> But, don't brag until you know for sure the weapons of the construction trade that can make you wish your shoulder was still in its socket.
> 
> ...


we re sheathed an entire roof with osb back in the 90's with the gas paslode. it wore the poor thing out and did not work the same afterwards, I kept tellin the boss that it was not a good idea and to save the gun for cramped spaces/small jobs that did not need the compressor but he did not listen. I finally ended up hanging/hooking the gun onto a nail from a hole in the magazine and the magazine did not work right after that. good gun for certain things though.


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## kirwinjd (Dec 31, 2012)

That's so cool. I got my introduction to the paslode nailer just a few months ago while working on a navy project in Hawaii. What an awsum tool.

By the way, I'm not an army ranger. I'm a member of the infamous fighting Seabees. Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 303 Port Hueneme, Ca.
Not only do we shoot nail guns, we shoot the M-16, M-9, M-500, M-203, Mark 19, the 50 CAL, the 60 CAL, the 240 Gulf and numerous other crew serve weapons.
Thanks for your post shipmate.


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## Willy M. (Jun 10, 2014)

*wood spliting with farming nailer*

I am using a Paslode gas fueled nailer to toe nail 2 x 4 studs. About 80% of the nails split the studs. I'm using 3" x .120dia. nails. The wood is kiln dried. 
Has anybody experienced this? And what solution worked for you? I have successfully angle screwed and pocket screwed this wood without splitting it, but the nailer would be a lot faster.


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## Nailbags (Feb 1, 2012)

kirwinjd said:


> That's so cool. I got my introduction to the paslode nailer just a few months ago while working on a navy project in Hawaii. What an awsum tool.
> 
> By the way, I'm not an army ranger. I'm a member of the infamous fighting Seabees. Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 303 Port Hueneme, Ca.
> Not only do we shoot nail guns, we shoot the M-16, M-9, M-500, M-203, Mark 19, the 50 CAL, the 60 CAL, the 240 Gulf and numerous other crew serve weapons.
> Thanks for your post shipmate.


So if you are with the 303 CB's why are you having a hard time using a air framing hammer? Sorry Just wondering.


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