How about a bonus track on fixing blowout when you're not able to pull the work apart? Usually I end up prying the blown out end up some, cutting flush with the surface then using a nailset or a punch to hammer it below the face of the material and filling/sanding. But, I feel like that's almost a butcher-level move, and I'm never fully happy with the result - there's gotta be a better way out there somehow.
This guy is just great! He's practical, uses a lot of common sense and owns up to his mistakes. In fact his mistakes are some of the best teaching tools he uses, where he shows his mistakes and how we can avoid them. That tape trick is so so smart, glue is one of the biggest headaches. Nailing on edge it is also easy to blowing a nail out the side, turning your nail gun perpendicular to your piece lessens the chance you will blow a nail out the side, especially if you not straight up and down and shooting at an angle! This 15 minute video will save me money and time, not having to replace something I screwed up. My granddaughter, ready to go to college, needs a desk and I've been tasks to build her one, that I want it to last her, well at least until she reaches my age, but even longer! Thanks man, the desk I'm making for her is a desk I downloaded from you, except if will be made of all hardwood and a couple other modifications! She want's to help build it and I'm hoping I might interest her into woodworking, because as I've told her, all my equipment, which is plenty, it's all going to be hers when I'm gone! Hey, thanks man!
DUDE! WHAT?! The last minute is gold, man. It never occurred to me to turn the gun! Seriously, though, this is a great video. Incredibly informative. Thanks a bunch!!!
I do a lot of glazing of stained glass panels - often re-installing them after a repair into very old and hard wood sash. Blowing out the face of an already finished door is a nightmare that happens a few times a year. I have actually had nails do a full 180 and come back out! Every new guy has had his finger skewered despite my insistence on keeping them clear. I can't always fit my gun at a right angle and not hit the glass. but I will definitely keep the perpendicular trick in mind to see if that lessens the incidence.
His premise is partially wrong... The reason why it doesn't blow out when the gun is perpendicular is... the tip of the nail. Tips are cut at an angle, that will cause it to follow the path of least resistance and curve one way or another. It will make the nail curve left or right inside of the board, instead of blowing out the side. So look at the nail tip design and nail 90 degrees from the edge of the board. If you can't because you can't get the gun at 90 degrees, grind the tips flat on a stick of nails. And there will be less chance of it blowing out the side. But you might have to adjust the driving power so it sinks them at the same depth.
@@kiddiescripterkiller Another way to explain this is that when the nail gun is parallel to the board, the sharp edges of the nail is as well. This makes the tip drive between the grain and more likely to “steer” itself through the grain. When the gun is perpendicular to the board, the edge of the nail tip is also perpendicular to the grain causing it to cut through the grain letting it stay straight as it’s going through. Imagine pushing a knife through a bundle of straws parallel to the straws. It will not cut the straws and the blade will slide between the straws. If the straws were organized in a way that they guided the knife to the left or right, you would get the blowout situation. Now if you cut perpendicular to the straws, the blade will just slice through the grain and will tend to go straight through.
Oh man, the last tip was golden! I never thought of the shape of the nails having effect on the blow out! I followed your advice and didn’t had a blowout since. Thnx a bunch!
Funny thing with this tip - for brads, yes - 100%, perpendicular is key - however with my 15ga nailer, it's just the opposite, seems the nails want to curve back toward the base of nailer so I always line up with the wood instead of perpendicular. Pin nails seems to act like the 15ga too.
I recently got into construction/carpentry after I lost my business during covid. I loved it and was eager to learn. Unfortunately one of the boss guys was the biggest tool you could ever meet and I had to get out! I was watching your video and I could imagine you on the job with an apprentice. Your ability to teach is impressive man! What I would have given to learn from someone with your passion to pass it on! Great video!
I've been a professional painter for over 30 years and found out the hard way that you don't fill nail holes until you've stained and put one coat of sealer on. This will greatly reduce any putty fowling the wood and showing as a big blob when stain is applied. Once the first coat of sealer is dry simply lightly sand the surface and then apply the wood putty or filler of your choice. Once this is dry, again lightly sand and then apply the finish coat of varnish. You can use color putty, or if you like the glue and sawdust option then just wipe a quick coat of stain on a rag over the nails before the last sealer coat.
This video makes me want to go downstairs right now and just start nailing the daylights out of all my scraps. Only because after watching this I realize how many mistakes I've been making over the years! Another great video, thanks Brad!
So I Done this for a very long time working on my house and many projects. this is a really good video. A+++ for telling and showing at the same time. The tips are good. Well done
As far as your bonus trick, if a person doesn't remember just one time sticking a brad nail into a finger tip will make it unforgetable!!! I have been turning my brad nailer perpendicular and now you explained the why. Thanks
As a homeowner/handyman, Ryobi has been really good to me. I've replaced all the windows in my house (13 windows and one sliding door) and all the trim was put up with the airless nailer. After the windpows we remodeled the entire upstairs. All of the trim was replaced and again...the airless nailer really came in handy. Since I'm not worried about production numbers, it's a great choice.
The perpendicular to the board tip is a game changer. I never understood why some projects were a breeze with no blowouts but others had every other nail blow out. So frustrating! I thought the problem was inferior wood. I never realized I was nailing in different orientations. Maybe now I'll give my brad nailer another chance. Thank you!
A 2+ year old video that I just happened across -- and wanted to say a belated "thanks" for the last tip about nailing "sideways" to the board to avoid blowout. It makes perfect sense, but I never thought about it. So thanks for that.
I love the 'nail into blue tape' tip and the tip to orient the gun perpendicular to the board. Both were excellent tips and you did an excellent job explaining them. Also, thanks for mentioning the differences in prices between the different battery operated nailers.
Got my 1st Ryobi brad cordless nailer! All I can say wow.Does everything supremely with no hassle of compressor hoses etc.Cordless is the way to go.I can't imagine going back.
I have a finish nailer, brad nailer, stapler, and a pin nailer. Love them all. They each have their uses and needs. You're absolutely correctly about nail size, many don't fully understand that. I even have both air and battery operated nailers. For air, turn the air pressure down, you don't need that much PSI. Now, if you actually read the manual on the tool, it gives you the proper settings. Even the cordless nailers have settings you adjust. Speaking of oil for your tools, don't over oil them. Excess oil will get shot out of the exhaust port of the air tool. I was taught, to always under drive just slightly and always finish with a nail set. It's old school and I'm old school taught. It's extra work but, you know that that nail or pin is set correctly. As for the putty, there are types that can be stained but, yes, the tape trick always works the best. Yup, I've seen many people shoot their own fingers because they kept them in the wrong spot. Great video, cheers :)
You’ve just saved me for the remaining 14 winter theme lanterns I’m making for the nursing home I work at. The first 16 have driven me insane with blowout - I’ve now turned the gun perpendicular and voila - no blowout ! (Then again, everything is a learning curve and I’m now a pro at covering my blowout mistakes…lol) Thanks so much !
Great video! The way driving orientation and blow out was described to me was by showing me the bevel cut on the nail, and explaining that the bevel will cause it to go to one side or the other. If you drive it with the bevel running perpendicular to the edge, deflection to the left or the right will stay in the board. If the bevel is in line with the board, left or right deflection will cause blow out.
That was a very worthwhile video. You are a very good teacher. I like the way you present the material without any hem-hawing. It shows that you do know your stuff! I learned a great deal in 15 minutes and I thank you
Woodgrain definitely is a factor, but it's the chisel on the tip that mainly steers the nail. Brad nails are chiseled on the sides and finish nails are chiseled on the front and back. Shooting perpendicular only works with brads. You would do the opposite if using a finish nailer.
Came here because I was gifted an older Dewalt brad nailer that works fine its just clunky but on first use 2 nails blew close to the edge blew out the side and I couldn't figure out why. I decided to watch a few videos on Nailers and after watching yours I went and checked the grain direction and sure enough that was why my nail was pushed out - so cool to learn this stuff, thanks !!
Thanks for this. I just bought my first. Went for a Paslode framing nailer (building some big projects - shop lock up, new chicken coop, roof repairs, etc). Hope I love it 🤞
Decent carpenter but new to nail guns. Thank you. Especially for the tape trick and keeping the gun perpendicular to the board. I had two big OMG moments watching this.
Thank you so much. Just learning my brad nailer, and masking tape tip and Driving perpendicular to board is s life saver! I've had a couple blow outs and now I know why. Thank you for teaching and old dog new tricks.
Invaluable advice about wood grain direction and orientation of the nail gun. Never thought about it before, but it makes total sense. Very timely... Fairly new to the nail gun and been working on a project, and it really helps to know * why * it blows out sometimes and not others. cheers!
I've been using Bauer tools daily for a few years now. I have zero complaints and never had any issues. Very affordable, their new cordless line looks great and for the price you can't go wrong.
I have subscribed to you for years. I just wanted to say that I appreciate your work. I respect your craft, and genuinely like you as a host. I only wish for your success. Thank you.
Another reason why the perpendicular trick works is the orientation of the bevel on the tip of the nail. If the point catches wood grain (or harder particles in particle board), it will deflect in the direction of the bevel. Great tips, man. Your presentation was clear, concise, and thorough. I’ll be checking out more of your content for sure. 👍
I have a Dewalt 18 gauge cordless 18v nailer. Worst tool in my shop. Has never worked since it arrived. Jams after 2-3 nails. Dewalt refused to replace it. Also have 7 Freeman air nailers of various sizes and they are fantastic. Great info Brad. Thank you.
Thanks - love the tip about orienting the gun according to the way the nails are more likely to bend. And the one about taping the spot to make it cleaner to fill
Love the Blue tape trick. You may not agree with my tip, but I have used it for over 9 years. Take 18ga. nail gun and tilt slightly forward and give angle to nail. This give a little more holding power. Now go the to other end of project and at slight angle toward the first nail. Then nail the rest of the nails straight. I have dun this with 1", 1 1/2", 2" nails.
Hi Brad, Your channel was a "relatively" new find for me. This particular vid was short, to the point and excellent. It prompted me to backtrack and mark many of your 'earlier' vids for a watch as soon as I get time. Rapidly becoming one of my fave channels! Appreciate your efforts! Thank you. Paul, Cambridge, UK
Nicely done. The best tip I took away was the last one-shooting with the nail gun perpendicular to the “receiving” board. (By this I mean the one that receives the fastener as it comes through the material being fastened, thus it’s the board wherein the tip of the nail will reside.) I’ll definitely try to keep this in mind the next time I’m using my nail gun(s).
Thank you so much! I have had such a problem with blowout. It's makes me crazy and I all but stopped using my nailer even tho I wanted to like it. These tips make so much sense and I am going to go try my nailer again and adjust how I use it!
This video was super helpful! The blue-tape & perpendicular-nailing-direction tips will save me tons of time & frustration based on past experiences. Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to put this video together. I never thought about how the Brad nails are less likely to bend up/down vs left/right, as mentioned in you last tip. Thanks man! Keep up the great work!
Learned that little trick quite a while back. I was looking at the nails one time and realized that they were much more likely to bend on the wide flat area due to being weaker in that axis. Started holding my gun differently so the nails would have the width across the wood instead of lengthwise and it made a big difference. Doesn’t really work on pin nails tho…..too thin…..
thank you very much for this video I was looking for an air compressor for a long time and I didn't know what to buy on this video you help me a lot and I was not sure what capacity of air compressor I should choose but now i do by the way I'm not a professional but I like to do some woodworking ... thanks again
Thanks for this video. I wasn't sure I'd learn anything, but as a loyal follower, I watched of course, and I never even thought about gun orientation or that blue tape trick. Very useful Brad, thank you
Dizzying how you spew out all that info in such a short time. I had no idea I was taking so much for granted. Now I will have to make fine adjustments and refine my set-up to accommodate individual projects. Thanks for all the great info.
That last tip (shoot) perpendicular is going to help me a lot. One of those little things that pros do without thinking about and amateurs like me never realize it actually makes a big difference.
Gary Striegler a professional cabinet maker recommend a 3/8 crown stapler when puting in 1/4 plywood for cabinet backs. Grex makes a 20 gauge 3/8 crown stapler A11AD. No more driving through plywood. Nice video Brad.
Usefull video,even for the experienced. I use to work in a cabinet shop and have “nailed or stapled”my fingers a few times. Last time was a 15 gu nail 2” long a year ago. Through the thumbnail. Had to cut it and pull it off the nail. Also I find a 18 gu stapler one of my most used tools. They work good on thin materials like masonite. Like pins and brads,they have a chiseled point and are designed to splay .
You are a great teacher. I love your examples in this video. I just moved up a few more notches in skill level and knowledge from this video. Your other ones are just as enlightening.. Thank you.
Great content. I especially like the blue tape trick I never thought of. You said you've never run a nail or Brad into your finger. I'll tell you, I have. That's the kind of thing you do ONCE. Pain is an awesome teacher. Never done that a second time.
LOTS of great information here! The visual examples were very informative. It was like being there in the shop with you. And a truly complete list of links. Good job!
Love the blue tape trick! It might be a hassle and might not use it everywhere but for those surfaces that will be seen the most or for those higher quality builds, it will be a new standard practice!
On the cordless or air nailer subject, I have both but really prefer the air. They are so much lighter and compact. Especially if you are setting up your shop for an assembly area, you can hang hoses for other tools also. It's much better, in my opinion.
with doing brad nails and small shoe molding i find if i want the nail to curve 1 direction every time so i can tack the small trim to baseboard trim without hitting the floor then i take a file to the tip of the strip of nails and lightly put a bevel on one side.. now the angle of the tip will make brad nail curve in a uniform direction. helps when you have a bulky brad nailer or limited baseboard material to attach trim to on an old house where there are gaps between baseboards and the wood floor that aren't uniform.
great video, of course I am only watching it after I bought my first. I just wanted to add a little point about rotating the gun by 90. its not only going to help reduce blow out due to the orientation of the shank itself but a good amount of what will decide where the nail will drive itself is due to the chisel grind on the tip. in line with the grain the tip can deflect inside the wood, yet across the direction of the grain will mean the nail actually will cut some fibers of the wood, which not only should mean they have a higher chance of driving straight but may even help to strengthen the bond between nail and wood as the cut fibers being forced downwards should grip and counter the nail being withdrawn from the wood
Loved your explanation of blowouts. I have an experience. Using a framing gun with 3 1/4 nails and doing a toe nail or where you angle the gun against the surface. Somthing I haddent noticed on the piece of wood that I was attaching to. That 3 1/4 in nail blew out at all most a 90% narrowly missing impaling my hand. After the shock of what happened I wanted to know what happened what made that nail do that. On the back side of the stock I was attaching to I found a knot that only went part way through. That knot taught me to really have a good look at both pieces front and back. Now about finish nail blow out. If you don't get your finger nails and get blood all over your finish piece. But now what do you do? You could try to push the finish nail back out or pull it straight through. Something I havent had much success with. Not without causing more damage. However my dremel tool has all these stones bits and cutting disks. Depending on your skill level you should be able to cut the nail off very close to the wood use a tapered stone to grind the nail down into the wood making a small hole that is easily filled if you can live with a slight blemish in your finish your in luck. If not. Well you just cut another piece 😊 enjoy your project.
I know I'm really, really late to this video but recently I was considering on getting a nailer set up and had my eye on a Craftsman 3 gal pancake compressor that also comes with 16g,18g and 23g nail guns and air hose for about 229$ or 249$ at my local Lowes..thanks for this learning video brad..
What other tips and tricks videos would you like to see? It was fun deep diving into one tool/technique.
I think we would also benefit from a miter saw calibration video with your unique blend of “attention to detail.”
Any one ! Make it a series ! All tools have their little secrets, don't they?
How about a bonus track on fixing blowout when you're not able to pull the work apart? Usually I end up prying the blown out end up some, cutting flush with the surface then using a nailset or a punch to hammer it below the face of the material and filling/sanding. But, I feel like that's almost a butcher-level move, and I'm never fully happy with the result - there's gotta be a better way out there somehow.
You can use a nail set to LAUNCH hinge pins out of doors.
Maybe a sanding video... Different type of sanders.. What grit to use... Different techniques. sanding block types.. Just a thought
oh my god, the blue tape trick is so obvious and genius yet it's never occurred to me.
Yeah, one of those "duh" moments when I found it too
mixing stain with glue and sawdust also
exacly, when i saw that, I thought holy cow that would have saved me about a months worth of sanding and probably 10 gallons of wood putty.
The tape could also act as a guide or nail line.
Love this tip!!
This guy is just great! He's practical, uses a lot of common sense and owns up to his mistakes. In fact his mistakes are some of the best teaching tools he uses, where he shows his mistakes and how we can avoid them. That tape trick is so so smart, glue is one of the biggest headaches. Nailing on edge it is also easy to blowing a nail out the side, turning your nail gun perpendicular to your piece lessens the chance you will blow a nail out the side, especially if you not straight up and down and shooting at an angle! This 15 minute video will save me money and time, not having to replace something I screwed up. My granddaughter, ready to go to college, needs a desk and I've been tasks to build her one, that I want it to last her, well at least until she reaches my age, but even longer! Thanks man, the desk I'm making for her is a desk I downloaded from you, except if will be made of all hardwood and a couple other modifications! She want's to help build it and I'm hoping I might interest her into woodworking, because as I've told her, all my equipment, which is plenty, it's all going to be hers when I'm gone! Hey, thanks man!
Appreciate the feedback. Thank you! 💪 💪
DUDE! WHAT?! The last minute is gold, man. It never occurred to me to turn the gun! Seriously, though, this is a great video. Incredibly informative. Thanks a bunch!!!
*AWARD for direct to the point, not just listening to your own voice, and NO ANNOYING MUSIC!* _Thank you!_
I've never heard of the "shoot the nail perpendicular to the board"....that was really awesome and will go in to my mental bank for sure.
@@samuelsmith5773 An 18 gauge nailer that shoots two and a half inch long braids is highly unusual and I've never seen one.
I do a lot of glazing of stained glass panels - often re-installing them after a repair into very old and hard wood sash. Blowing out the face of an already finished door is a nightmare that happens a few times a year. I have actually had nails do a full 180 and come back out! Every new guy has had his finger skewered despite my insistence on keeping them clear. I can't always fit my gun at a right angle and not hit the glass. but I will definitely keep the perpendicular trick in mind to see if that lessens the incidence.
His premise is partially wrong... The reason why it doesn't blow out when the gun is perpendicular is... the tip of the nail. Tips are cut at an angle, that will cause it to follow the path of least resistance and curve one way or another. It will make the nail curve left or right inside of the board, instead of blowing out the side. So look at the nail tip design and nail 90 degrees from the edge of the board. If you can't because you can't get the gun at 90 degrees, grind the tips flat on a stick of nails. And there will be less chance of it blowing out the side. But you might have to adjust the driving power so it sinks them at the same depth.
@@kiddiescripterkiller Another way to explain this is that when the nail gun is parallel to the board, the sharp edges of the nail is as well. This makes the tip drive between the grain and more likely to “steer” itself through the grain. When the gun is perpendicular to the board, the edge of the nail tip is also perpendicular to the grain causing it to cut through the grain letting it stay straight as it’s going through. Imagine pushing a knife through a bundle of straws parallel to the straws. It will not cut the straws and the blade will slide between the straws. If the straws were organized in a way that they guided the knife to the left or right, you would get the blowout situation. Now if you cut perpendicular to the straws, the blade will just slice through the grain and will tend to go straight through.
Oh man, the last tip was golden! I never thought of the shape of the nails having effect on the blow out! I followed your advice and didn’t had a blowout since. Thnx a bunch!
Same! I just tried on some scrap 1/2 plywood and not one blowout!
pretty amazing, huh! such an easy fix
Funny thing with this tip - for brads, yes - 100%, perpendicular is key - however with my 15ga nailer, it's just the opposite, seems the nails want to curve back toward the base of nailer so I always line up with the wood instead of perpendicular. Pin nails seems to act like the 15ga too.
I recently got into construction/carpentry after I lost my business during covid. I loved it and was eager to learn. Unfortunately one of the boss guys was the biggest tool you could ever meet and I had to get out! I was watching your video and I could imagine you on the job with an apprentice. Your ability to teach is impressive man! What I would have given to learn from someone with your passion to pass it on! Great video!
I've been a professional painter for over 30 years and found out the hard way that you don't fill nail holes until you've stained and put one coat of sealer on. This will greatly reduce any putty fowling the wood and showing as a big blob when stain is applied. Once the first coat of sealer is dry simply lightly sand the surface and then apply the wood putty or filler of your choice. Once this is dry, again lightly sand and then apply the finish coat of varnish. You can use color putty, or if you like the glue and sawdust option then just wipe a quick coat of stain on a rag over the nails before the last sealer coat.
This video makes me want to go downstairs right now and just start nailing the daylights out of all my scraps. Only because after watching this I realize how many mistakes I've been making over the years! Another great video, thanks Brad!
nail everything!!!
Easy there, Chris ! Made me chuckle though 😁😂👍✌🏻
If you can't nail it, then screw it!
@@The_Linux_User Ha Ha ain’t you the clever one! Made me chuckle 👍😁😂
Nailed it👌😉
So I Done this for a very long time working on my house and many projects. this is a really good video. A+++ for telling and showing at the same time. The tips are good. Well done
The blue tape thingy was the #1 take away. Nailing at a perpendicular was a close #2. Thank you. Awesome, helpful video.
As far as your bonus trick, if a person doesn't remember just one time sticking a brad nail into a finger tip will make it unforgetable!!! I have been turning my brad nailer perpendicular and now you explained the why. Thanks
yeah, it's a mistake you only make once
As a homeowner/handyman, Ryobi has been really good to me. I've replaced all the windows in my house (13 windows and one sliding door) and all the trim was put up with the airless nailer. After the windpows we remodeled the entire upstairs. All of the trim was replaced and again...the airless nailer really came in handy. Since I'm not worried about production numbers, it's a great choice.
That blue tape trick was worth more than the last 20 videos I have watched. Thank you sooo much!
The perpendicular to the board tip is a game changer. I never understood why some projects were a breeze with no blowouts but others had every other nail blow out. So frustrating! I thought the problem was inferior wood. I never realized I was nailing in different orientations. Maybe now I'll give my brad nailer another chance. Thank you!
One of your best videos ever. Now I know what I've been doing wrong. And I love the blue tape trick.
I agree!! Excellent ideas!
Thanks for the tips. I had the same problem (blowout thru the side) on my last project.
thanks, John!
Brad scripts a video... Finds someone has already covered the topic... Links the found video. Class act Brad! You nailed it.
A 2+ year old video that I just happened across -- and wanted to say a belated "thanks" for the last tip about nailing "sideways" to the board to avoid blowout. It makes perfect sense, but I never thought about it. So thanks for that.
I love the 'nail into blue tape' tip and the tip to orient the gun perpendicular to the board.
Both were excellent tips and you did an excellent job explaining them.
Also, thanks for mentioning the differences in prices between the different battery operated nailers.
Got my 1st Ryobi brad cordless nailer! All I can say wow.Does everything supremely with no hassle of compressor hoses etc.Cordless is the way to go.I can't imagine going back.
Thanks!
Appreciate the Super Thanks!
I have a finish nailer, brad nailer, stapler, and a pin nailer. Love them all. They each have their uses and needs. You're absolutely correctly about nail size, many don't fully understand that. I even have both air and battery operated nailers. For air, turn the air pressure down, you don't need that much PSI. Now, if you actually read the manual on the tool, it gives you the proper settings. Even the cordless nailers have settings you adjust. Speaking of oil for your tools, don't over oil them. Excess oil will get shot out of the exhaust port of the air tool.
I was taught, to always under drive just slightly and always finish with a nail set. It's old school and I'm old school taught. It's extra work but, you know that that nail or pin is set correctly. As for the putty, there are types that can be stained but, yes, the tape trick always works the best.
Yup, I've seen many people shoot their own fingers because they kept them in the wrong spot. Great video, cheers :)
I've been using a brad nailer for years and never thought of either the tape or the perpendicular shot. Thanks!
You’ve just saved me for the remaining 14 winter theme lanterns I’m making for the nursing home I work at. The first 16 have driven me insane with blowout - I’ve now turned the gun perpendicular and voila - no blowout ! (Then again, everything is a learning curve and I’m now a pro at covering my blowout mistakes…lol) Thanks so much !
excellent tip for reducing blow outs..Thank you for sharing
Great video! The way driving orientation and blow out was described to me was by showing me the bevel cut on the nail, and explaining that the bevel will cause it to go to one side or the other. If you drive it with the bevel running perpendicular to the edge, deflection to the left or the right will stay in the board. If the bevel is in line with the board, left or right deflection will cause blow out.
That was a very worthwhile video. You are a very good teacher. I like the way you present the material without any hem-hawing. It shows that you do know your stuff! I learned a great deal in 15 minutes and I thank you
Thank you! I never understood the finer points about blowouts, and how nails/brads want to follow wood grain. That helped a LOT.
Woodgrain definitely is a factor, but it's the chisel on the tip that mainly steers the nail. Brad nails are chiseled on the sides and finish nails are chiseled on the front and back. Shooting perpendicular only works with brads. You would do the opposite if using a finish nailer.
Came here because I was gifted an older Dewalt brad nailer that works fine its just clunky but on first use 2 nails blew close to the edge blew out the side and I couldn't figure out why. I decided to watch a few videos on Nailers and after watching yours I went and checked the grain direction and sure enough that was why my nail was pushed out - so cool to learn this stuff, thanks !!
Thanks for this. I just bought my first. Went for a Paslode framing nailer (building some big projects - shop lock up, new chicken coop, roof repairs, etc). Hope I love it 🤞
I’m here because I got a nail in my finger from blowout the first time using a Brad nailer 😅 Should’ve watched this first! Thanks for the tips bud 😃
Decent carpenter but new to nail guns. Thank you. Especially for the tape trick and keeping the gun perpendicular to the board. I had two big OMG moments watching this.
Thank you so much. Just learning my brad nailer, and masking tape tip and
Driving perpendicular to board is s life saver! I've had a couple blow outs and now I know why. Thank you for teaching and old dog new tricks.
I just bought my first brad nailer and this video was very helpful.
Invaluable advice about wood grain direction and orientation of the nail gun. Never thought about it before, but it makes total sense. Very timely... Fairly new to the nail gun and been working on a project, and it really helps to know * why * it blows out sometimes and not others. cheers!
I've been using Bauer tools daily for a few years now. I have zero complaints and never had any issues. Very affordable, their new cordless line looks great and for the price you can't go wrong.
Perpendicular to the board you’re attaching to! That is a brilliant tip! Thanks for making my projects better for the rest of my life!!
Right? I do plenty of stuff around the house (even using nail guns) but I never thought of this... So simple, but so useful!
Blowout is the problem I was trying to solve, and shooting perpendicular to the board looks like the solution. Great video, thanks mate :)
I have subscribed to you for years. I just wanted to say that I appreciate your work. I respect your craft, and genuinely like you as a host. I only wish for your success. Thank you.
Great tips! The blue tape and shooting perpendicular to the board tips…brilliant! Thank you!
The perpendicular to wood tip is exactly what I needed to find to save my sanity!! Been blowout city over here!! Thank you SO MUCH!!
Another reason why the perpendicular trick works is the orientation of the bevel on the tip of the nail. If the point catches wood grain (or harder particles in particle board), it will deflect in the direction of the bevel.
Great tips, man. Your presentation was clear, concise, and thorough. I’ll be checking out more of your content for sure. 👍
I have a Dewalt 18 gauge cordless 18v nailer. Worst tool in my shop. Has never worked since it arrived. Jams after 2-3 nails. Dewalt refused to replace it. Also have 7 Freeman air nailers of various sizes and they are fantastic. Great info Brad. Thank you.
Thanks - love the tip about orienting the gun according to the way the nails are more likely to bend. And the one about taping the spot to make it cleaner to fill
I’ve used blue tape for caulking and glueing, too. It makes it easy to keep a caulk line tight and keep glue squeeze out easy to clean up.
Love the Blue tape trick. You may not agree with my tip, but I have used it for over 9 years. Take 18ga. nail gun and tilt slightly forward and give angle to nail. This give a little more holding power. Now go the to other end of project and at slight angle toward the first nail. Then nail the rest of the nails straight. I have dun this with 1", 1 1/2", 2" nails.
yeah, I could see that. makes sense to me!
I pretty much had a handle on everything you tlakes about...except....taping before nailing to accomodate finish. Great tip!
Hi Brad,
Your channel was a "relatively" new find for me. This particular vid was short, to the point and excellent. It prompted me to backtrack and mark many of your 'earlier' vids for a watch as soon as I get time. Rapidly becoming one of my fave channels!
Appreciate your efforts! Thank you.
Paul, Cambridge, UK
13:20 I've had nails do a complete 180 when I was putting trim on a door frame, keep your fingers VERY clear
I really liked the last tip of shooting the nail perpendicular to the board. That was a eureka moment. Thanks.
Nicely done. The best tip I took away was the last one-shooting with the nail gun perpendicular to the “receiving” board. (By this I mean the one that receives the fastener as it comes through the material being fastened, thus it’s the board wherein the tip of the nail will reside.) I’ll definitely try to keep this in mind the next time I’m using my nail gun(s).
Thank you so much! I have had such a problem with blowout. It's makes me crazy and I all but stopped using my nailer even tho I wanted to like it. These tips make so much sense and I am going to go try my nailer again and adjust how I use it!
This video was super helpful! The blue-tape & perpendicular-nailing-direction tips will save me tons of time & frustration based on past experiences. Thank you!
glad I could help!
This video right here solved my Brad problems.. Almost got rid of it. Appreciate what ya do!
Thank you for taking the time to put this video together. I never thought about how the Brad nails are less likely to bend up/down vs left/right, as mentioned in you last tip. Thanks man! Keep up the great work!
Learned that little trick quite a while back. I was looking at the nails one time and realized that they were much more likely to bend on the wide flat area due to being weaker in that axis. Started holding my gun differently so the nails would have the width across the wood instead of lengthwise and it made a big difference. Doesn’t really work on pin nails tho…..too thin…..
thank you very much for this video I was looking for an air compressor for a long time and I didn't know what to buy on this video you help me a lot and I was not sure what capacity of air compressor I should choose but now i do by the way I'm not a professional but I like to do some woodworking ... thanks again
I bought my first Brad Nailer this week. Arrow brand, nice sized red color nail gun. I bought a little mini 1gal air compressor for it too. I love it.
Thanks for this video. I wasn't sure I'd learn anything, but as a loyal follower, I watched of course, and I never even thought about gun orientation or that blue tape trick. Very useful Brad, thank you
damn...the perpendicular gun to board tip for avoiding blowout makes so much sense. Thank you VERY much for sharing!
Explained very nicely. I am a beginner so it was nice to hear which one to start out with and why.
Dizzying how you spew out all that info in such a short time. I had no idea I was taking so much for granted. Now I will have to make fine adjustments and refine my set-up to accommodate individual projects. Thanks for all the great info.
Managed to shoot a 2 inch brand nail through my thumb when it came out the side of the piece I was holding. Lesson learned the hard way !
That last tip (shoot) perpendicular is going to help me a lot. One of those little things that pros do without thinking about and amateurs like me never realize it actually makes a big difference.
Gary Striegler a professional cabinet maker recommend a 3/8 crown stapler when puting in 1/4 plywood for cabinet backs. Grex makes a 20 gauge 3/8 crown stapler A11AD. No more driving through plywood. Nice video Brad.
Very timely as I was just about to do a project with my air nailer! I never thought about the perpendicular method before (nor blue tape). Thanks!
Usefull video,even for the experienced. I use to work in a cabinet shop and have “nailed or stapled”my fingers a few times. Last time was a 15 gu nail 2” long a year ago. Through the thumbnail. Had to cut it and pull it off the nail. Also I find a 18 gu stapler one of my most used tools. They work good on thin materials like masonite. Like pins and brads,they have a chiseled point and are designed to splay .
Bro, that tape trick is genius, you sir have saved me a lot of time and great frustration, thank you good sir
You are a great teacher. I love your examples in this video. I just moved up a few more notches in skill level and knowledge from this video. Your other ones are just as enlightening.. Thank you.
Great info! I have the Milwaukee Gen 2 18 Gauge Nailer and love it! Nice shop, I’m jealous!
Great stuff! My Ryobi cordless nailer does have both depth adjustment as well as power adjustment, so there are those with that too.
yes, very true. most of them don't
Great content. I especially like the blue tape trick I never thought of. You said you've never run a nail or Brad into your finger. I'll tell you, I have. That's the kind of thing you do ONCE. Pain is an awesome teacher. Never done that a second time.
It took almost 15 minutes to get to orienting the nail to avoid blowout - worth it!
Good tips for all of us wanna be Brad types. Thanks for posting.
you're welcome!
LOTS of great information here! The visual examples were very informative. It was like being there in the shop with you. And a truly complete list of links. Good job!
Love the blue tape trick! It might be a hassle and might not use it everywhere but for those surfaces that will be seen the most or for those higher quality builds, it will be a new standard practice!
Last time I needed WD-40 there were so many choices I couldn't decide so just picked up some PB Blaster. It's great.
Brad, Brad here. Great to watch a video about Brad nailers from ya.
Thank you for sharing.. I used blue tape for so many uses .. good thing to have around..
On the cordless or air nailer subject, I have both but really prefer the air. They are so much lighter and compact. Especially if you are setting up your shop for an assembly area, you can hang hoses for other tools also. It's much better, in my opinion.
Tip #6 was expertly illustrated. Thanks dude!
Thanks for the great tips. That last one about being perpendicular to the material you are nailing to was new to me.
Blue tape trick before applying wood filler, awesome! I always learn something with your video's, thank you!
Great job with the perpendicular tip. I never thought about that and grain issues!
Building a pantry cabinet and I will be using a nailer for the first time other than putting 2x4s together. Thanks for a very helpful video
Perpendicular nail tip. You saved the best of them all for the last. Nicely done.
Great video and explanation of the finer points of using an air nailer. I never thought about the orientation of the nail to the grain of the wood.
I would just add that clamping pieces will nailing is always a good idea
nice video
Excellent information. Very informative! Nice presentation and demo. Thank you.
with doing brad nails and small shoe molding i find if i want the nail to curve 1 direction every time so i can tack the small trim to baseboard trim without hitting the floor then i take a file to the tip of the strip of nails and lightly put a bevel on one side.. now the angle of the tip will make brad nail curve in a uniform direction.
helps when you have a bulky brad nailer or limited baseboard material to attach trim to on an old house where there are gaps between baseboards and the wood floor that aren't uniform.
Getting ready to order a nail gun, I feel like I learned so much watching this video, very educational. Ty!
Glad it helped!
great video, of course I am only watching it after I bought my first. I just wanted to add a little point about rotating the gun by 90. its not only going to help reduce blow out due to the orientation of the shank itself but a good amount of what will decide where the nail will drive itself is due to the chisel grind on the tip. in line with the grain the tip can deflect inside the wood, yet across the direction of the grain will mean the nail actually will cut some fibers of the wood, which not only should mean they have a higher chance of driving straight but may even help to strengthen the bond between nail and wood as the cut fibers being forced downwards should grip and counter the nail being withdrawn from the wood
That's very useful tip. Thank you!
Loved your explanation of blowouts. I have an experience. Using a framing gun with 3 1/4 nails and doing a toe nail or where you angle the gun against the surface. Somthing I haddent noticed on the piece of wood that I was attaching to. That 3 1/4 in nail blew out at all most a 90% narrowly missing impaling my hand. After the shock of what happened I wanted to know what happened what made that nail do that. On the back side of the stock I was attaching to I found a knot that only went part way through. That knot taught me to really have a good look at both pieces front and back. Now about finish nail blow out. If you don't get your finger nails and get blood all over your finish piece. But now what do you do? You could try to push the finish nail back out or pull it straight through. Something I havent had much success with. Not without causing more damage. However my dremel tool has all these stones bits and cutting disks. Depending on your skill level you should be able to cut the nail off very close to the wood use a tapered stone to grind the nail down into the wood making a small hole that is easily filled if you can live with a slight blemish in your finish your in luck. If not. Well you just cut another piece 😊 enjoy your project.
The blue tape trick is GOLD! Thank you!
It's also for preventing glue from contaminating the edges of glue ups. Glue can seep into the wood and result in a mottled finish.
Please make this a series! This was a super educational and very entertaining video!
Thanks, I definitely think this could be an ongoing series
Great tips! Esp the blue tape one. Ty!
I know I'm really, really late to this video but recently I was considering on getting a nailer set up and had my eye on a Craftsman 3 gal pancake compressor that also comes with 16g,18g and 23g nail guns and air hose for about 229$ or 249$ at my local Lowes..thanks for this learning video brad..
I’ve driven countless nails and that last tip was 👌
I have always wondered how to get the nail to stop blowing out the side! Thanks for these great tips!
you bet!