MDF is dense... go with air...
what pins/nails do you have in mind....
what guns are available to you???

 

The common ones here are : 23 gauge- almost invisible but usually limited to about 35 mm length unless you want to spend a lot more and get one that goes 50mm. 18 gauge is the most popular, small hole, commonly available to 50mm length. 16 gauge is for nailing heavy trim work like base boards onto drywall.

It doesn't take a very large compressor to run one but you do need a regulator on it to control output pressure. That's what determines how deep the nails get driven.

 

MDF might curl pin nails, the longer the pin the easier it'll curl. 15 to maybe 18 gauge might work. I know of one or 2 Lumb yds, in my area that would/could let a possible purchaser test one of their guns on a piece of 3/4 MDF. You might try asking one near you (especially if they have their own cabinet shop).

 

What is the gauge you are using to measure the gun?.

 

it's the size/dia of the pins/nails....

 

Something that may also be confusing is that the larger the gauge, the smaller the diameter. 23 gauge is smaller than 18 gauge which is smaller than 16 gauge. With sheet metal, the gauge number is supposed to be the number of sheets that will make a stack 1" thick. The nails are probably the same.

 

Thanks for that explanation, Charles.

Now it all makes sense....

I wonder that (or similar) applies to wire gauges?

 

I use 18 ga for just about all trim work. I've had two brad guns, and both required between 70 to 100 PSI to operate properly. Anything less will leave the brad head standing proud. Keep that in mind when looking at compressors. A tiny desktop version might not be strong enough.

 

Thanks for the info Stick486.

 

I often use my 30 pound Porter Cable pancake compressor for the 18ga nails. It will probably do any size as it's a 6 gallon unit @ 150 psig max though only 70-100 psig is needed for the brad nailer. Lowe's (Shop PORTER-CABLE 0.8-HP 6-Gallon 150-PSI 120-Volt Pancake Electric Air Compressor at Lowes.com ) has them on sale for about a hundred bucks though unfortunately in Canada they will be more. I also use that little compressor for other small jobs in the garage - pumping tires up, blowing water out of nooks and crannies of our RV's fresh water system, etc. My big compressor - well let's say that wheeling a couple hundred pounds out to nail a couple pieces of wood together can get tough on this ancient body.

An electric nailer or stapler just wont do the job IMO. I've had at least 3 staplers and all have died horrible deaths. There just isn't room to put a big enough solenoid in a reasonable size housing

 

A 1.5" cube of pine will likely SPLIT when nailed. Why not use glue?

 

The PC 6 gallon pancake compressor works fine for me down to 16 gauge. It comes with the regulator. Check the regulator pressure before you shoot the first nail. I used it some time ago for a larger nail gun and it was fine, but slow to cycle. I also wonder with something that small why you're not just gluing it up?

 

I also have the Porter Cable 6 gal compressor. I bought it because:
1) I had a specific place to put an air compressor and it was just the right size.
2) I am a hobbyist and don't need a large capacity compressor.
3) I have used a framing gun with it, but being a hobbyist (and old as the hills), I don't shoot a lot in a big hurry. :no:
4) I have used a HVLP spray gun with it, but I have to take my time. it simply will not produce enough volume of air to keep up.

But I manage.

I normally use an 18 gauge brad nailer (Bostitch BT1855K) when assembling stuff that will be painted, or the nail holes not seen.

I tried a Harbor Freight 23 gauge pin nailer, but didn't have good luck with it - misfires and bent pins.

Mike

 

Artemix

If you were asking me about the gauge of gun and measure I have 3 an SFN2, shoots from 13 to 15 gauge nail depending on the profile. A PC BN200a uses 18 gauge nails and lastly old like the FSN2b an 18gauge Airy. I don't as yet have a pin nailer but I'm seriously considering it because of all the weensy things I've been working with over the last 5 yrs. A pin nailer would speed up and improve the gluing process and for all intents the pin is virtually invisible without covering it up.

Up till 2009 most of the woodwork I was involved with was framing and remodeling. For the most part, (95%+) 15 and 18 gauge brad nails are fine for int. trim work. Pine hasn't ever been a curling issue, (I've split thin sections with 1" 18 gauge) however there have been occasions when the thickness and or grain patterns of milled oak, maple, mahogany and walnut have channeled an 18g nail in a direction not intended. What I noticed is the skinnier and longer the nail the easier it is for it to curl.

I wrecked enough trim gun nailing to revert to predrilling and hand nailing sq. ends and miters.

 

The thing is, I need to nail it because I need immediate resistance and it has to also be strongly glued, something that hot glue/super glue wont do.

I could clamp it maybe, but I would need 20+ clamps for this particular job, and clamps of a particular shape and size.

I was thinking about some of those corner clamps to hold it together.

 

What you talkin' about Willis?

I would think glue and a couple of short nails...say 1 inch long would work just fine. The nails are only there to hold the pieces together until the glue dries (mini clamps). A nail gun would be the tool because it shoots the nail into the wood instead of pounding with a hammer. That is unless you want to drill pilot holes first. But you still have to do some hammerin' to get the nail flush and set it with a nail set, which takes more hammerin'.

Have you considered gluing these in a batch. Lay them out on your work bench, glue where needed and clamp several together, Forty five minutes later, remove them from the clamps. You might have to cobble up some sort of jig to keep them all lined up properly when the clamp is applied.

Note: I have glued up multiple boards using one set of clamps. Two boards get glue together, then another pair gets glued together...and clamps applied to force everything together. The end result is two glued up pieces instead of doing just one.

I guess I am thinking about something you would do that resembles a sish-ka-bob...with clamps.

EDIT: Here is a picture of what I was thinking. Nails would be optional. Put a clamp along the length and pull them together.

 

Otis has a good point about the splitting. When I use a brad or pin nailer it is only to hold the pieces in place until the glue dries.There is not much strength is the small nails so the glue is a necessity.

 

Yes, the idea is to only hold the pieces together, I don't really need a strong pressure over them.

I will upload some pictures later so you can understand better whats the idea.

 

Apparently not James and there are other explanations for sheet metal gauge too according to Wiki. I searched American Wire Gauge there for the answer. According to wiki it was based on how many times the original wire had to be drawn through dies to get to smaller sizes. Shotgun gauges were how many balls that could be passed through the barrel to add up to 1 pound. Just some more examples of badly thought out Imperial measurements.