Pin nailers and outdoor kids furniture

allen levine

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new york city burbs
Is it safe to use a pinnailer in small chairs and table sets for children, mainly for outdoor furniture?
Do they come out eventually?
It would be a tremendous time saver if Im building 3 outdoor sets of kiddie furniture at once, something Im lining up hopefully for next spring.
 
Hello Allen,

Not a good choice. The 23 gauge headless brad has as much holding power as a one legged paper staple. They are good for "pinning" things together that can't be clamped while the glue sets. In my experience their holding power is much better in hardwoods than softwoods.

When you get your new Grex, tack some boards together and pull them apart with your hands to get an idea of how well they work.

Cheers.
 
Me three. Headless pins are...well...headless. They really don't have much holding power, especially where there's a potential of warping or cupping that could be pulling in line with the pin. (Or being tugged on by a kid.) Also, if something does become detached, there will be a sharp, nearly invisible pin exposed and sticking out somewhere. Screwed and glued would be my choice, too, especially for kids' furniture.
 
I wasnt using pin nailer to hold furniture together, I was going to use them to hold white oak together until glue dried. I was going to glue all the chairs with butt joints, pin them to hold them until dry.
I didnt want exposed screw heads, and I dont want to plug screw holes.
 
Glue and screws here too.

To speed things up, one of these things......

50j0336s1c.jpg

...... might help, or if you have two drills, one a drill and one an impact, drill and counter sink your holes first, it will be much better and quicker.

Cheers!
 
pin nailers and outdoor kids furniture

Allen I would not think that butt joints would hold together on chairs of any kind, especially for children. I would go with dowels or mortise and tenon if it were me. Just my thoughts.
Chuck
 
If I have to make 30 or 40 chairs, and I dont want to fully assemble them until I need them for an order, the dowel idea is great for me, I can set up a jig in the drill press, drill all holes at same time, extremely time saving, thats why I figured glue in a dowel at stress points, one for each leg, and just hold it in place with a few pins until glue dries, this way no screws, pins would not be used for strength, just to hold in place to allow all glue to set.
I can pin in a few back slats, glue should most certainly hold them in, they arent under any stress. I want to have the option of painting them all colors, and screw heads are very time consuming to cover up.
my cousin the artist feels she can sell kiddie chairs and tables and fat persons adirondack chairs,(hold up to 500 lbs, make them 24-26 inches wide also)
at the shows she attends, or would attend next year.
shed paint an animal or something on the chair back, first spray paint the chair a specific color if asked.
Me, Id just do like I do with the adiriondack chairs, make all the parts and store them in piles, wait till I need them.
Id use white oak for all of it.
 
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outdoor. the chairs will be made raw, no painting, that will be offered as an afterthought, but its all for outdoor use. patio furniture for kids.
I cant compete with a 5 dollar plastic chair, but if someone wants a small picnic table with chairs, I could offer them something built of beautiful white oak, rot resistant, and they could finish it to their liking, have a name painted on it, color painted, whatever they want.(most people dont put names on kids stuff outdoors these days, but Ive had some people ask me for kiddie adirondack chairs and wanted the kids name painted on the front brace)
I believe IM taking the plunge next year, going to see if I can push some chairs on some garden centers, home improvement centers, patio places., Im not a salesman, it will be in the back of the truck, have a seat, do you like it? you have to give me this much, and Ill bring you as many as you want when you want them, and Ill deliver them to you for free.
Its a few hundred dollar investment, if I cut down the parts. maybe 500 dollars.
 
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The only advantage would be to tack it together till you install the screws. As was said Little holding power, will rust in a heartbeat, no heads to hold snug, etc.

I have used 1/4" crown SS staples for outdoor applications and they are holding to this day.....:eek: Whats that noise, sounds like a pile of lumber falling...:eek:

I wouldn't even consider it, with a pin nailer or a brad nailer, either.
 
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