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Dear all - I am going to replace some baseboard and install some wainscoting in the living room, and probably the foyer and stairway. Everything will be paint grade and painted white. I have a compressor, hose, etc but I will be buying a nail gun for the install. Question and sorry if this has been asked/answered before. Should I go with an 18 gauge brad nailer? A 15 or 16 gauge finishing gun? Should I use 2 1/2" nails or something shorter? Does any of this matter? What do the pros use? Also, I need to fill in the nail holes when finished. In the past, I have used caulking, wood putty, one of those nail-filler pens - and I hate them all but obviously it needs to be done. As always, your assistance and advice is very much appreciated. Thanks in advance...FPT
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11-13-2018, 09:01 PM
(This post was last modified: 11-13-2018, 09:05 PM by Snipe Hunter.)
FPT,
Can't say I really use a brad nailer for much unless I know I'm shooting through something thin like wainscoting or paneling directly over a wood sub-strait. As far as finish nails, I use a 15 gauge 2-1/2" nail for base, shoe, crown etc. Is there something better? I don't now but I've been doing it for better than 30 years with no issues. Also, I'm using a cheap nailer. No issues with it either, just keep it oiled. Not too much oil though or it will get in your wood and make painting a pain. I usually shoot a few nails in a 2x4 after oiling and use a paper towel and wipe off the business end of the gun before installing the trim.
And believe it or not: If I'm painting, I use Hot Mud for finish nail holes. I mix it kind of thick in a spray paint can cap or a waxed paper cup (cold cups). If you se regular paper cups, it will dry the mud out. I only mix what I think I can use in about 15 minutes. It will pop right out of the cap when it starts to harden. It's cheap and sands in an hour. As far as I'm concerned, it sands easier, fills easier, stinks less than wood filler and won't go bad by the next time you need some and it holds up fine. Just make sure you prime over it.
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If your wainscot is rigid enough you only need to nail it at the top and bottom and those holes will be covered later by the chair rail/cap and base moldings. A few dabs of construction adhesive on the back will prevent rattles, etc. after it cures. I only own an 18 gage brad nailer, but if I had to install trim a lot I would get a 15 gage one. The holes it leaves are larger, but it's more of a nail, not a brad like the 16 and smaller are, and don't deflect as easily. I've had several 18 gage brad nails go off at odd angles out the side of my nice work, even a couple do a complete U turn and come back out the top. On really important stuff I leave the brad nailer in it's case and pre-drill and hand nail.
If you have never used a nailer before, a word of advise from painful first hand experience. Do not put your fingers within the length of the nails you are using from the nose of the gun. Sounds rather obvious, but there are lots of situations where using your fingers to hold a joint shut before nailing is so compelling that it's hard to avoid doing it. I shot myself in two fingers from brads that went where I didn't think they would before I really understood that they will.
I like ACE Hardware's interior/exterior wood filler because it's very fine grained so it goes into small holes well, and it doesn't shrink much. I have often used lightweight joint compound, however, for filling nail holes in trim work that will be painted because the excess can be wiped off later with a wet sponge or cloth, or sanded. Timbermate has that advantage, too, and is my favorite under clearcoat.
John
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(11-13-2018, 09:51 PM)jteneyck Wrote: ….Do not put your fingers within the length of the nails you are using from the nose of the gun. Sounds rather obvious, but there are lots of situations where using your fingers to hold a joint shut before nailing is so compelling that it's hard to avoid doing it. I shot myself in two fingers from brads that went where I didn't think they would before I really understood that they will...
I'll add that the same can be said for drilling holes.
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(11-13-2018, 09:51 PM)jteneyck Wrote: , even a couple do a complete U turn and come back out the top.
Hands away from the business end of the gun before squeezing the trigger. I'll get this with the 15 gauge finish nails also.
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(11-13-2018, 09:51 PM)jteneyck Wrote: If you have never used a nailer before, a word of advise from painful first hand experience. Do not put your fingers within the length of the nails you are using from the nose of the gun. Sounds rather obvious, but there are lots of situations where using your fingers to hold a joint shut before nailing is so compelling that it's hard to avoid doing it. I shot myself in two fingers from brads that went where I didn't think they would before I really understood that they will.
I learned that the hard way as well, from blowout on the side of a piece of casework; lucky as it shot through the fleshy part of my thumb, but boy, it did tighten up my sphincter a whole lot....
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You can build the panels in the shop and nail the rails, stiles/mouldings, etc from the back, then install as a unit. Build up to an 8' long unit. Install with adhesive and a couple nails top and bottom to hold in place. Use 1/4" material for the panel back. I prefer a narrow crown stapler rather than a brad nailer. Glue them on.
You can also paint them prior to installation.
It may seem like more work, but it is really much quicker and results in a symmetrical layout.
I think Mike Farrington has an video on something like this.
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The newest acrylic spakle works great. It sands easily and does not sag. Impossible to locate the spakled areas under the paint. Save yourself some time if you are going to paint the wainscotting white by color matching the paint to the spakle or caulk you intend to use.
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(11-14-2018, 09:26 AM)Admiral Wrote: I learned that the hard way as well, from blowout on the side of a piece of casework; lucky as it shot through the fleshy part of my thumb, but boy, it did tighten up my sphincter a whole lot....
I was one of the lucky ones I guess. I learned that when the nail made a U-turn and came back up just next to my thumb.
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I installed a lot of trim using a 16 gauge nailer with 2" or 2&1/2" finish nails. The heads on 18 gauge finish nails are too small to hold heavy trim, IMHO. And the holes left by 15 gauge are too big. I seldom used adhesive, which may mitigate the use of the smaller nails.
I did use adhesive on wainscoting installs to prevent loose panel problems.
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