What kind of a nailer do I need for door casing and crown molding work.I see 16 g finish nailers and 18g brad nailers.??

 

This was discussed over in another section. I beleive the consensus was that if you get only one nailer, get a 16 gauge that will shoot up to a 2-1/2" nail.


[http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=200579]

 

For doing door casings you really want to go with a 15 ga. finish nailer. A 16 ga nail is just a little too thin and not as strong. Make sure you get an angled nailer for doing trim work. Good luck.

 

My question to those of you who use bigger nails than 18 gauge, how do you fill the nail holes when doing stained trim? Isn't the hole it leaves just a bit obvious? I personally have done a ton of trim, moldings, casing, etc over the past years in the business and I have never had a problem using 18 gauge.

I never understood why carpenters use 2 to 2-1/2"" long nails on baseboard or casing. Casing, trim, moldings is fine woodworking in a lot of aspects. It's not building a house.

 

I agree with Sawdustguy on gauge. I understand the longer nails on interior trim because you are nearly always nailing through 1/2" or 5/8" drywall. I can't imagine nailing the casing to a jamb with anything larger than an 18 gauge brad (the door and trim suppliers I use use an 18 gauge staple on the pre-attached trim on pre-hung doors. And I think 16 gauge is plenty strong enough for nailing the casing through to the studs and for most baseboard, chair rail and crown moulding. I've trimmed many houses and only use my 15 gauge gun for exterior doors (which work is normally done by the framing crews in this area).

To fill a hole (any size) that will be stained requires a compatible, stainable wood filler (commonly called carpenter's wood filler).

Recently, I've had to replace three exterior doors/jambs due to vandalism. The difficulty in removing the trim assures me that it is secure enough using the fastener sizes stated.

 

mabergin,
Sounds like you're deciding between the brad and finish nailer. Been there. Go with the 16 ga. nailer. More versatile. You can take care of your molding, casing, hang interior doors and not look back. Don't worry about the size of the holes either. They are very conservative and can easily be hidden. Have fun!

 

Tx,

You might want to look into wax sticks for the interior stained trim. It will blend 10x better and less obvious. 1/2" trim 1/2" drywall = 1" to just poke the back of the drywall, so why a 1-1/2" nail for baseboard, crown, and other moldings, wouldn't be good enough is why I'm questioning it. When you put crown up, you'll always have at least one piece to the right or left of it. "99.9%" of the time. If there is some concern, add a few dabs of Poly Seam Seal caulk to the back edge. Not really even necessary, especially if you're nailing into the ceiling joists too.

In my opinion, they don't make a good enough woodfiller, that is stainable and will match as well as wax sticks. I have the "Master Set" of wax sticks, about 55 and I'm able to get really close or on the money with my set. If all else fails, I can always mix two sticks together to change the color.

 

I assume you use the wax sticks after staining and finishing?

 

Let me chime in and agree with sawdustguy and txdiyguy. For casing, you want an 18 ga. nailer- especially for pinning the casing to the door jamb. I can hardly imagine blowing holes in the thin edge of casing with a 15/16 ga. nailer! The thick edge, maybe.

And when it comes to filling nail holes, isn't that the painter's job?