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Home > Archive > Home Repair forum > February 2008 > Why are electric nailer underpowered?
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Why are electric nailer underpowered?
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| I'm shopping for an electric brad nail gun and found only a few models
available. On many reviews I read, a commom complaint is underpower. These
nail guns all have the same design: a large electric magnet that is
energized by the trigger and pulls a hammer to drive the nail.
Does it have to be this way? Why not use an electric motor to wind up a
large spring to drive the nail, or spin up a flywheel and then use the
flywheel to drive the nail? The idea is to build up potential energy and
then release it in a hurry. You can make the nailer as powerful as any air
tool this way. The down side is the user have to wait a second or two
between each nail, but that is still better than having to get a hammer to
drive in the rest of the nail.
A compressor and air tool requires more storage space and is more cubersome
to setup. A compact solution, even if expensive, is still useful.
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| Charles 2008-01-31, 5:26 pm |
| The compressed air tool is the only way to go, if you are serious.
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| Saw a TV program about an electric powered (can't remember the brand) nailer
that repeatedly hammered the nails in, much like one would do with a manual
hammer. It would hammer quickly taking about a second to complete the job.
You had to hold it in position until it was finished. Possibly it never made
it to the market.
"peter" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:%1poj.5286$6g.4409@trndny05...
> I'm shopping for an electric brad nail gun and found only a few models
> available. On many reviews I read, a commom complaint is underpower. These
> nail guns all have the same design: a large electric magnet that is
> energized by the trigger and pulls a hammer to drive the nail.
>
> Does it have to be this way? Why not use an electric motor to wind up a
> large spring to drive the nail, or spin up a flywheel and then use the
> flywheel to drive the nail? The idea is to build up potential energy and
> then release it in a hurry. You can make the nailer as powerful as any air
> tool this way. The down side is the user have to wait a second or two
> between each nail, but that is still better than having to get a hammer to
> drive in the rest of the nail.
>
> A compressor and air tool requires more storage space and is more
> cubersome to setup. A compact solution, even if expensive, is still
> useful.
>
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| Edwin Pawlowski 2008-01-31, 9:25 pm |
|
"peter" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:%1poj.5286$6g.4409@trndny05...
> I'm shopping for an electric brad nail gun and found only a few models
> available. On many reviews I read, a commom complaint is underpower. These
> nail guns all have the same design: a large electric magnet that is
> energized by the trigger and pulls a hammer to drive the nail.
>
> Does it have to be this way? Why not use an electric motor to wind up a
> large spring to drive the nail, or spin up a flywheel and then use the
> flywheel to drive the nail? The idea is to build up potential energy and
> then release it in a hurry. You can make the nailer as powerful as any air
> tool this way. The down side is the user have to wait a second or two
> between each nail, but that is still better than having to get a hammer to
> drive in the rest of the nail.
>
> A compressor and air tool requires more storage space and is more
> cubersome to setup. A compact solution, even if expensive, is still
> useful.
The size and weight is going to be much greater that the present crappy
nailers. A pro is still going for the air and the speed and power and most
amateurs won't pay the price for a serious gun, if at all possible and
practical to build. .
OTOH, if you have a viable design, make on up and sell the idea to the big
companies and become rich.
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| lp13-30 2008-02-01, 3:26 am |
| I have a Passlode Impulse framing nailer that I love, and just bought a
finish nailer of the same design. They use a small gas (Mapp gas?)
cylinder and drive the nail with with a piston that is powered by an
explosion from a spark plug firing a gas charge. Check them out. I know
HD has them. I got mine from pawn shops though. Actually,I think HD
rents them too. Larry
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| SteveB 2008-02-01, 3:26 am |
|
[color=darkred]
> "peter" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:%1poj.5286$6g.4409@trndny05...
I have NEVER yet seen in my life an electric nailer of ANY size or electric
stapler that was worth a shit. Air is the only way to go, and the
inconvenience far outweigh the poor performance of electrics.
Bought a Porter Cabler 2.5" air nailer at a pawn shop the other day for $40
to do a bunch of baseboard and door casings. What a breeze! And with the
variety of lengths of nails, I have many projects to use it on.
Steve
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| Blattus Slafaly £ ¥ 0/00 :) 2008-02-01, 9:25 am |
| peter wrote:
> I'm shopping for an electric brad nail gun and found only a few models
> available. On many reviews I read, a commom complaint is underpower. These
> nail guns all have the same design: a large electric magnet that is
> energized by the trigger and pulls a hammer to drive the nail.
>
> Does it have to be this way? Why not use an electric motor to wind up a
> large spring to drive the nail, or spin up a flywheel and then use the
> flywheel to drive the nail? The idea is to build up potential energy and
> then release it in a hurry. You can make the nailer as powerful as any air
> tool this way. The down side is the user have to wait a second or two
> between each nail, but that is still better than having to get a hammer to
> drive in the rest of the nail.
>
> A compressor and air tool requires more storage space and is more cubersome
> to setup. A compact solution, even if expensive, is still useful.
>
>
Isn't the impact force adjustable? Different woods require different
force. It's nuts if they are not adjustable.
--
Blattus Slafaly ? 3  7/8
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| DerbyDad03 2008-02-01, 9:25 am |
| On Feb 1, 9:13=A0am, "Blattus Slafaly =A3 =A5 0/00 "
<boobooililili...@roadrunner.com> wrote:
> peter wrote:
s[color=darkred]
se[color=darkred]
>
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ir[color=darkred]
to[color=darkred]
>
ome[color=darkred]
>
> Isn't the impact force adjustable? Different woods require different
> force. It's nuts if they are not adjustable.
>
> --
> Blattus Slafaly =A0? 3 =A0 =A0 =A07/8- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
re: Isn't the impact force adjustable?
The impact force is adjustable on my Arrow electric brad nailer in the
following manner:
If I use my left hand to apply pressure on the heel of the unit while
pulling the trigger with my right, it will only sometimes suck.
If I don't, I need to grab a hammer to seat the head of the brad in
just about every hardness of wood.
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| HeyBub 2008-02-01, 5:26 pm |
| DerbyDad03 wrote:
>
> re: Isn't the impact force adjustable?
>
> The impact force is adjustable on my Arrow electric brad nailer in the
> following manner:
>
> If I use my left hand to apply pressure on the heel of the unit while
> pulling the trigger with my right, it will only sometimes suck.
>
> If I don't, I need to grab a hammer to seat the head of the brad in
> just about every hardness of wood.
I've found my Arrow electric stapler works swell for putting up posters on
bulletin boards.
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| DerbyDad03 2008-02-01, 5:26 pm |
| On Feb 1, 3:08=A0pm, "HeyBub" <hey...@gmail.com> wrote:
> DerbyDad03 wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
re: I've found my Arrow electric stapler works swell for putting up
posters on bulletin boards.
I've found my *thumb* works swell for putting up posters on bulletin
boards.
That should tell you something about the impact force of an Arrow
electric stapler. <g>
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| Chris Lewis 2008-02-05, 5:25 pm |
| According to peter <nospam@nospam.com>:
> I'm shopping for an electric brad nail gun and found only a few models
> available. On many reviews I read, a commom complaint is underpower. These
> nail guns all have the same design: a large electric magnet that is
> energized by the trigger and pulls a hammer to drive the nail.
> Does it have to be this way? Why not use an electric motor to wind up a
> large spring to drive the nail, or spin up a flywheel and then use the
> flywheel to drive the nail?
No, it doesn't have to be that way, but the alternatives are going to be
heavier, much more complicated, more prone to failure, and probably cost
a lot more. Not a good recipe for the DIYer, and, after watching pros
"bounce nail" stuff, I know they aren't going to touch 'em, because
recovery time is _much_ too slow.
> A compressor and air tool requires more storage space and is more cubersome
> to setup. A compact solution, even if expensive, is still useful.
For small guns (eg: 18ga brad nailers), you don't need much of a
compressor. A tankless would be adequate in some cases, a very
small tank-type would be fine. Heck, a car tire compressor
and an airpig is enough if you can do the fittings right.
Or buy a "cordless nailer", like Paslode, Hitachi, Porter Cable
or Dewalt. "Look ma, no hoses OR wires!"
Senco apparently makes a clockwork spring unit which you have to crank.
See http://blogs.toolbarn.com/brianm/20...chnologies.html
Still best for relatively slow low volume applications.
--
Chris Lewis,
Age and Treachery will Triumph over Youth and Skill
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.
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