# Nail gun question



## guy2 (Apr 30, 2009)

I just started a new job in home remodeling ,iv been using nail guns allot. These nail guns do not belong to me they are just community tools for whomever. My problem with these gun are that they require this safety push force mechanism to fire ,the reason this is such an issue is because i often find my self forcing trim and small pieces of wood out of my desired placement to fire the gun due to the springs force to safely fire. I would like to know if a push less , safetyless nail gun is available so i can fire nails with out displacing my trim. A trigger activated gun will due as long as i can aim and shoot of 2 inches from the wood but im not sure if this longer flight path will obstruct the nails accuracy into the wood. I also run into these problems when firing on angles ,the safety teeth for the firing mechanism will not grip correctly causing the teeth and gun to slip plus nails damage the wood causing more time for further repairs.

I know these guns might be dangerous or even illegal but this is my business and safety concerns to handle and no this will not be a community tool.


----------



## Knotbored (Jun 5, 2004)

Simple answer is no there is no nail gun available, and no way to alter a nail gun to do what you propose.
If any gun could be altered to "fire" nails without contacting the surface it would be just as dangerous as a "real" loaded gun with no safety-a very dumb thing to carry onto a jobsite.
Never-NEVER alter any tool to remove any safety feature-one its dangerous to yourself and your helpers, two-it will get you fired immediatly by any reasonable foreman with any regard for his crew.
If you are somehow displacing trim or other small pieces while nailing them something other then the nail gun is the problem-get advice from someone with more experience.


----------



## K7M (Feb 27, 2000)

I use an 18 ga. nailer for trim in trailers and have been able to get it into almost every spot I need. I have a swivel on the air line which allows me to orient it a little better than if it had a straight fitting,


----------



## guy2 (Apr 30, 2009)

I well know dangers of this and it is possible to fire nails with out applying force to wood iv seen this a few years back on a site when i was just a laborer and now i see the reason first hand why one would want to do this. This gun would have an advantage because of the none action ,like i can nail quickly between ceiling studs without the gun constantly banging into the stud behind it. Air line is not an issue ,we even have the electronic nailer's but it's no different with the force issue. 

Im not going to modify a nail gun if it would cost me my job even tho it's not impossible and quite easily done ,as a DIYer im not stupid ,i just wanted to know if they existed and now that i know i wont push it into that area. 

I wounder if there is a brand that list specs like ''pounds to fire'' ,maybe i can get a gun that wont take all that force i hate.


----------



## K7M (Feb 27, 2000)

I just checked mine out and the one I use the most hardly takes any pressure at all to release the safety. Just the weight of the gun with no pressure on it will depress the safety. My other gun takes quite a bit of force to depress it. I would just go shopping and see which manufacturer has a gun that does not require a lot of force. I cannot identify the manufacturer of my guns, they are cheapies I got at oceanstate job lot.


----------



## guy2 (Apr 30, 2009)

Iv noticed a difference in other guns also

Most of the time i cant even push the thing to get it to fire in small areas reaching upward with out a few hits and the lose of leverage in my arms wont help me much in full stand.

I think most likely the valve release mechanism is greatly influenced by the psi's air force on the valve and the negative spring force in the safety

Will ask around maybe in the wood working forums ,im sure that they have had this problem


----------



## Knotbored (Jun 5, 2004)

Reducing the pressure and firing from 2" distant is two different things. If you need to press hard to offload the safety then squirting a little airgun oil on the mechanism will help. If the gun is passed among the crew then its unlikely it gets enough lubrication-which should be every couple hundred nails into the air line hole-or at leaste once a day a couple drops of oil.
Another tool for getting into tight places like between joiists is a palm nailer such as http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93496
It works great in tight spots-but don't use it all day-it can fatigue your wrist if used for hours on end.


----------

