Brad Nails Squirt out the Side

Bob Wiggins

Former Member (by the member's request)
Messages
125
Location
140 miles west of tulsa
Does anyone else but me have this problem? I'm using a Porter Cable brad nailer and brads, dead centered, (well almost) and holding as close to 90° as I can and these things are squirting out. Soft fine grained western red cedar wood. I'm about ready to start sharpening nails unless someone can give me some pointers. Thanks, Bob
 

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Bob,

If you are using the Brads just hold the two pieces together until the glue dries...have you first tied a bit shorter ones? Still slide out? Tried angling slightly with the grain, as opposed to 90 degrees directly across it?
 
Hi Bob :wave:,
Sorry to see that happen but I think your sadness can lead to growth!:rolleyes: ..........Doesn't that make you upset when you hear that?!!!!!:D
I have a Porter Cable pin nailer and as with a number of other guns I have,... oddly enough it is in the way you hold your mouth. :rofl: Just kidding!:rofl:
Try turning your nailer 90° and see if that makes a difference. Sometimes the nails from certain guns will tend to flare out one way or 180° the other way and by turning the gun 90° the nails will flair out in the direrction of the meat of the wood. Just playing with you earlier in this note. No offense meant.
Shaz :)
 
bob, same thing as shaz said but a little hint as to why it happens.

if you look at the brad, most that i have seen are chisel cut on 2 sides. so when they enter the board they tend to turn right or left so to say. most PC guns i have used needed to be held perpendicular to the board being nailed to, or the one underneath.

hope that helps
chris
 
Yep. I have the same nailer, same issue (I have a hole in my thumb to prove it) :eek: IHIWTH:rofl:
Turn the nailer 90 degrees so the chisel point goes right or left within the wood. Should solve your problem - but beware of another. As you get closer to the edge of the first board the chisel point will spread the grain and you could get a split.
 
My experience with nailers is nil. So my comment can be out of thread here, if it is so please forgive me.

However, having put quite a lot of nails in my life, (same as most of you) and I do not want to sound pedantic; this thing tends to happen ( with normal nails) when the tip of the nail digs into the wood between the fibers of the grain separating them due to the shape of its tip and hence it is forced/driven to follow the easiest path, that is the soft fibres.

We all know that in order prevent that,the easiest thing to do is to flatten a bit the tip of the nail so that it breaks the fibers when digging in rather than separating them.

It is a tip I learnt long time ago but we tend to forget those things, obviously it may not apply here because nailers are a different thing but who knows?
Maybe just flatenning the the tips of the cartrige with a file or a grinder could help.

If you all knew that please disregard, I just though it could help.
 
I use a Bostitch nailer but the same advice given above applies. The bevel on the nail end will attempt to follow the grain and turning it 90 deg. will help.

That said, I don't think I've ever used mine that I didn't blow out a brad at some point...usually because I get careless with tip placement. :doh:
 
After reading the article by Rick Christopherson I do believe my main problem was a lack of air. I was away from my compressor using an air tank for convenience and since the first couple of brads shot just fine I assumed I was good to go. The next day, in a sample piece of the same wood, the first brad didn't set so well so I went for the compressor. Trying every method suggested here and even my original method, not one blowout in 16 shots. Thanks everyone. This has been a big help. Bob
 
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