How to Use a Nail Gun for Trim

While different types of nail guns can be used for various kinds of work, brad nailers are used for trimming and other delicate works specifically. In simpler words, you will want to use a brad nailer in any kind of project where there is a chance of the nail splitting the wood. This article is for you if you are looking for a guide on how to use a nail gun for trim.

Brad Nailer for trim:

Brad nailers are excellent nail guns for trimming work. They are known for working relatively well for thin cuts of wood like birdhouses, windows, doors, or narrow trims like shoe molding. For detailed trim or woodwork, more holding strength is needed than a micro pin can provide, and therefore brad nailer is the best choice to go for such kind of work. 

How to use a Nail Gun for Trim?

Now that you know that the brad nailer is the best nail gun you can choose for trimming purposes, here is a simple how-to guide on using a nail gun for trim. But before that, understanding the main parts of the nail gun is extremely important:

Main parts of Nail Gun:

Here are the main parts of the nail gun before we move to the how-to guide:

Trigger:

A trigger is a button that is used for firing the nails on the wooden pieces. You just have to press this trigger to place the nail where you want it to be placed.

Magazine:

On the front of the nail gun, there is an extended area that is used for holding nails at one place for you to work without any interruption. Once the magazine is empty, there is a release button that will allow you to add more nails to the gun.

Jam Release Latch:

There are times when the nails get jammed when you are trying to fire them. If this happens while you are working, most of the nails guns have a jam release latch that will open the top part of the nail gun to help you remove the stuck nail.

Safety Tip:

Not all but most of the nail guns come with this feature. This safety tip feature is specially designed to save you from inserting a nail if you press the trigger mistakenly. The nail guns that have this feature require you to press them down to fire the nail on the wooden piece. 

How to use a Nail gun:

Now that you finally know the main parts of a nail gun understanding this how-to guide will become simpler. Here is how you can use a nail gun for trim or other applications too:

Step 1:

The first and foremost thing to do is to release the magazine to make sure that you have enough nails to keep doing your work without any interruption.

Step 2:

Double-check the settings. There is usually a pressure dial on top of the nail gun that will let you know how deep the nail will get inserted into the wooden piece. If you are unsure, it is recommended to fire a few nails on scrap pieces to check which air pressure will work the best for you.

Step 3:

Make sure to adjust to the air pressure that sticks the nail completely in however doesn’t leave a hole on the wooden piece.

Step 4:

Once you have completed all the adjustments, hold the gun at a 90-degree angle on the wooden piece where you are working, press down the safety tip and press the trigger to get the job done. 

How to prevent Nail Dents?

While brad nailers are the best when it comes to trimming, however, they may leave some marks on the surface of the wooden piece you are working on and end up destroying the final look of your project. This may turn out to be a huge problem; however, this can be prevented by one simple step.

You may face this problem if you are using a nail gun that no longer has a plastic tip on it. You may run your compressor at a lower pressure to prevent the dents from appearing; however, this may lead to not inserting the nails on the wood completely. Therefore, to overcome this issue, making use of plastic scrap is the best thing to do. 

All you got to do is to create a barrier between the nail tip and the wood using any kind of plastic scrap. Set the plastic scrap over the exact place where you want to drive your nails, and press the trigger right through it. You will find a significant difference between the nails that are placed without using plastic scrap and the nails placed using plastic scrap.