# Brad Nailer



## J-Bees (Jul 12, 2008)

R U using red gas or yellow??

also maby use some oil sure helps free things up.

JB:}


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## elsyr (Dec 2, 2008)

Some oil in the air inlet of the nailer may clear things up. Also, this sounds dumb (well, it is dumb, but I've done it once or twice) but do you have the right size brads? It's amazing how goofy a 16 guage nailer is when you're trying to feed it 18 guage nails.

Doug


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

well doug... not so dumb. when it comes to building... sometimes i think i should just stay in the kitchen!  

yes, same brads they are. My air gun says "greaseless". Should i still add a little grease to it?


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## beemused (May 25, 2008)

Greaseless means just that. Moving parts are not greased due to greater manufacturing tolerances and materials used. However all air tools need to be oiled thru the air inlet point as previously stated. Go to your local neat toy store and get a small bottle of "air tool oil" as it will be labeled. A couple drops will *usually* do it, but just don't over do it. If you get a lot of oil spray from the air discharge port just cylcle the action until you have no oil coming out to contaminate your workpiece. 

If this does not fix the problem look carefully at the business end of the tool for a small steel sliver from a previous brad jammed in the way of the action. I am sure you will disconnect the air supply before poking around in the action end of the nailer. Poking around in a charged nailer with an awl could cause a firing that has body damaging results.
If these do not do it take it to a tool repair shop and they can diagnose the problem. I have found many brad nailers in pawn shops for some reason and that may be cheaper than the tool repair shop.:scratch:

Good luck, Bruce


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## Bizzybee (Jan 29, 2006)

There aren't that many parts that make up the gun. If your going to take it apart for inspection, go ahead and disassemble it completely. Just the front, not the entire gun. Use some light oil on a shop rag like 3-in-1 or WD40 and clean everything up.
The steel is harder than the brads so that if anything wears it's the brads and not the gun. They leave behind splinters and filings over time that need to be cleaned up or they will start fouling the gun. You don't need to leave the oil on the parts when you're finished so wipe them off good. But you don't have to use a cleaner to take off what you can't wipe off either.
It should only take 5 or 10 minutes to clean up and be ready to go again. And no more than you probably use it, twice a year would probably be a good idea for cleaning intervals.


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## 67630 (Jul 17, 2008)

check your air pressure, mine did the same thing. I bumped up the pressure til it stopped skipping.


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

All of the above. From time to time, I spray the heads of all my air guns with some carb cleaner or WD40. Then you add air tool lube to the end of a gun, just a little comes out every time you drive a fastener. Used against wood, the combination of oil and sawdust makes for wonderful "gunk" that tends to create problems.


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## sweetacres (Nov 12, 2008)

I've found that mine tends to jam if I put in multiple pieces of a nail strip vs. a single piece.

It does make it a pain when I want to use up the little short pieces, but no jams.


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## beehoppers (Jun 16, 2005)

NO!!!
Oil free guns never need oil in the air inlet!
NEVER EVER USE WD40 in the inlet!! It will ruin the Teflon rings!

You need to take the top off and clean the upper part of the cylinder. What is probably happening is the driver pin is not going up far enough to allow the row of nails to slide under the pin. It may be bouncing back down a bit to cause the nails not to move if the internal valving is acting slow and the nails are moving slow.


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## Josh Carmack (Dec 19, 2008)

Something I learned years ago, oilless or greasless doesn't mean that it doesn't need it, or it wont help it. Is the gun leaving an impression in the wood, but no nail? if thats the case it means it is dry firing, or firing the piston and hammer but it is not striking a nail on the way down. If thats the problem then for some reason or another the magazine is not allowing the brads/nails to advance far enough to be struck by the piston and hammer other wise it means it is jammed at some point either at the magazine or above. Use a light machine oil on the magazine and everything else that moves and move everything by hand and the hook it up and try again. Also either using a light transmission oil you can lube the air mechanism or use the same machine oil or purchase some over priced air tool oil. Some guns even have a large headed screw that needs to be removed in able to lubricate other moving parts that cannot be accessed from the outside.


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## peletier (May 5, 2007)

"Beehoppers" is right. If the gun says "oiless" (never seen one say greasless), don't put oil in the air inlet. All the other advice given is worthwhile. One thing I've learned after thirty years as a cabinetmaker...the nails themselves can cause problems. They are not always manufactured as pecisely as they should be. Try to find a brand that gives you the best results and stick with it.


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

a lot of mixed advice.... should or oil the parts? Yikes!

Yes, it is miss firing too... and leaving an impression on the wood 

I have used the same brads before with good results. I went with a smaller brad then now it seems like it miss fires and jams more.


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

*I went with a smaller brad then now it seems like it miss fires and jams more.*

merry X-Mas
Can you provide me with the name and model # of your brad nailer.
Plus the same for your brads including their length.
Thank you,
Ernie


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## soupcan (Jan 2, 2005)

*Nailer*

Knock on wood but we have been using the cheepie $25 dollar little China Men specials for the last 3 or 4 years with darn near no trouble at all.
A slight bit of oil before every use & no problem.
We have found that there are some cheep brands of staples & brads to avoid.
They have been the only problems.


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## Josh Carmack (Dec 19, 2008)

Chef Isaac said:


> a lot of mixed advice.... should or oil the parts? Yikes!
> 
> Yes, it is miss firing too... and leaving an impression on the wood
> 
> I have used the same brads before with good results. I went with a smaller brad then now it seems like it miss fires and jams more.


Beings it is leaving an impression that means the anvil/hammer/piston or whatever else you want to call it is performing it's job. First lightly oil with a lightweight oil (not wd 40) all the moving parts and the track/magazine that the brads ride on. the nose of the gun should fold open or down depending on the make. either way there should be a way to open the nose in case of jams and maintenance. lubricate everything liberally and wipe up runoff. insure that the magazine is not lose misaligned or otherwise amiss. Insure the spring that advances the brads is still firm and smooth in action. It should exert a pound or two of force when contracted. It should not hang at all when you slide it back and forth. You might have to disassemble the gun to check and lubricate everything something you'll have to tackle at your own risk. Let me know the results!


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

Unhook the air, then check the nose and slide for glue buildup. I have to clean mine off pretty regularly.


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## Josh Carmack (Dec 19, 2008)

soupcan said:


> Knock on wood but we have been using the cheepie $25 dollar little China Men specials for the last 3 or 4 years with darn near no trouble at all.
> A slight bit of oil before every use & no problem.
> We have found that there are some cheep brands of staples & brads to avoid.
> They have been the only problems.


I hope thats the case for me. About a year ago I bought a brand new Porter Cable 18GA nailer for 40 dollars. It was an open box used for a display in a store that stopped carrying PC tools. They had routers and tons of other displays I just had little expendable cash. Could have bought a 2HP plunge router for 40 bucks. 

My wife knew how much I liked it but heard me complain that it didn't shoot staples, so she picked me up an 18GA stapler nailer for Christmas. It's a made in china special she got for 23 bucks. I hope It last a year or so It's still in the blow package right now I'll give it a shot tomorrow. 

Hey chef, that's what I meant to post last night if you can't get it working pick up one of those cheap jobs until you can have the other repaired. If you subtract the cost of staples and nails that came with it, she only paid 15 bucks for it.
PS the video of you on the intertubes, is that your account? I'm asking because it has the sweetascanbehoney name, but it doesn't show you have ever logged in and watched other vids with the account, in other words it looked like a forgotten account. I was going to add you if you didn't mind.


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## HVH (Feb 20, 2008)

I used my Bostitch for about twenty years and then bought a rebuild kit. I am hoping for another 20 years. With a newer gun and the problems you describe, it is likely a gunked up nose as others have stated.


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## scsasdsa (Jan 23, 2004)

sounds like good advice but have you drained your compressor lately? Moisture in the lines from condensation in the tank can make the nailer malfunction, this is the main reason to add oil to the tool inlet before use it helps to displace the moisture and lube the cylinder. dirty compressor, dirty hose, dirty gun = lots of jams. never use WD40 where it can get to the seals. pneumatic tool oil is formulated to not eat the seals. The tool head can be removed to expose the piston and cylinder. The cylinder should be clean inside, if not wipe out with clean rag and add a light coating of tool oil. Reassemble tool being careful the seal is intact and in place. no need to send out unless parts are broken or damaged.


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## Hampton (Apr 24, 2007)

Take it apart and clean it. Check the slide that the nails go through for any burrs or rough edges. Then check the piston and driving slide for excessive play or grooves. If the nail gun has excessive wear you may need to have a rebuild kit put in. Then put it back together with a bit of tool oil or use 3 in 1 oil. I put two drops of 3 in 1 oil in the guns inlet every other time I reload the nail gun. I clean and wipe down the insides about every 5000 nails. Draining the compressor and tool care and oiling are important.


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## Hampton (Apr 24, 2007)

Chef,

Its been a while and I figured you have had the time to take care of things. So how does the story end? Did you get your nail gun fixed or what?


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