Good air nail gun for crating

For crating you may be better off with a narrow crown stapler, Porter Cable makes a nice one. Crating it's like framing with 2x material so a framing nailer isn't very good and a finish nailer isn't appropriate either. Many of the crated items I've dealt with are stapled.

Pete C.

Pete, I agree with you. What gauge do you think is apropriate?

How about this one

Don't piss around with little brad nailers for that work. If you want the stuff to stay together, look at the staplers that are used to put sheathing on houses these days.

Coupla shots with one of those, and stuff stays put.

Cheers Trevor Jones

I think a medium crown stapler is what you're after. This tool is used for fastening down roof decking on houses. I saw a Duo-Fast for $249 at Home Depot this morning.

My favorite heavy crating gun is a Senco MK III. It shoots 7/16" crown staples up to 2-1/2" long. Great gun.

Here is one on ebay now, Auction # 320069013337

I agree with Pete.

Senco also makes good examples.

I would use drywall screws. Cordless driver and you don't need as many. Also easier for the buyer to disassemble and not totally destroy the lumber.

The NS150A is the one I've used. It's less than half the price as well. The 1/4" narrow crown staples are easy to find, not sure about those

Pete C.

Jim, I think that my 18ga gun can shoot staples too. I will try them today on my last crate (4th out of 4). What gauge is your gun?

A stapler is definitely the way to go for crating or other uses where appearance is not an issue. For about the same price as the 18 ga brad gun HF has an 18 ga narrow crown stapler the shoots up to 1 5/8" staples. If you need even more holding power, use a 1/2" crown 16 ga stapler and the OSB will break before a staple pulls out.

Stapler is the only way to go. I have a Bostich 1" crown unit that I prefer for crates although the 1/2" and 7/16" sheathing staplers will work fine. 1/4" staples are too narrow, they will pull out. I usually do

IME, drywall screws tend to be brittle, and have come apart under minimal shear. If I were to use screws, I'd use general construction or decking screws instead.

Trevor, thanks for suggesting staples. Since my nailer is also a stapler, I tried 1 1/8" 18 gauge staples, they work much better than little finish brads, and I find this basically acceptable, though not perfect. I think that I will stick to the tool that I have (18 ga nailer/stapler), for now, and will use staples for crating.

Problem solved. Thanks to all for good food for thought and great suggestions.

Yep, I tried 1 1/8" staples, they work okay. Thanks Pete.

Not an expert but when you buy staples perhaps check to see if they're coated, it makes a big difference in holding power. Also the type of cut on the points is a variable on some as well; this controls how the staple behaves as it passes through the wood (I always wondered why you'd use anything besides straight driving staples though).

Also a general note: Some guns need oil lubrication, others can be harmed by lubrication, even if earlier models, by the same manufacturer, were not built that way. Check your literature or check with the manufacturer and you may avoid costly time-consuming repairs.

dennis in nca

On Sat, 06 Jan 2007 21:29:53 -0600, with neither quill nor qualm, Ignoramus13959 quickly quoth:

It's definitely not. Finish nails have too small a head.

Staples or cut/full head nails would work much better. Ring shank nails are available and would withstand more vibration than a standard nail in a crate. Gluing the panels to the frames would be even better.

With OSB on the outside, I'd use carpenter's glue between the OSB and boards, and probably use an HF 1/4" (already own) or 7/16" crown (I should buy one for upholstery work) stapler for putting them together. Just don't glue the removable top or side on, eh?

Or use one of these with standard 2" ringshanks:

Most commercial craters I know, use a staple gun.

Gunner

"Deep in her heart, every moslem woman yearns to show us her t*ts" John Griffin

If no one takes it..perhaps a trade for something?

Gunner

"Deep in her heart, every moslem woman yearns to show us her t*ts" John Griffin