Anybody own a nail gun?

[Jdurg]

As I mentioned in someone else's thread, I'm in the process of building a poker table.  (No photos yet, but I'll post them here eventually).  I have the playing surface built using plywood and some 1"x3" supports.  The thing is heavy, but VERY sturdy.  Completely level and the foam and felt went on like butter.  I'm quite proud.

For the base, I'm making a pedestal base about 27" high, plus the base plate and the top plate so the overall height is 28.5" which is perfect.  The base is an octogon pedestal made out of white pine.  The pine planks are gorgeous and without my buddy's table saw I never would have been able to cut the mitered angles.  The top and bottom will use some nice looking baseboard molding with some oak trim pieces on the corners to hide the imperfections and nails. 

I would have liked to have made the entire table out of white pine because it's so cheap and easy to work with, but it will NOT hold up to the rigors of enthusiastic card playing.  So I'll have to spend the bucks on some oak for the chip wells and some white pine inlays to make an opposite contrast to the pedestal.

So anyway, what does this have to do wih a nail gun?  Well, without one I NEVER would have been able to build the base.  I went to Home Depot and got a small 2L air compressor, a staple gun and a nail gun combination for $90.  I just WISH I had gotten it before I put the pedestal together using screws, wood, fuky rigging, and lots of prayers.  Overall, it turned out great but I still need the trim pieces due to some board bowing slightly and my jigs not holding everything together perfect.  It's still VERY workable and as I've added the base trim it is looking amazing.

This was a great deal and I can't believe I waited this long to get one.   

[Swatwolf]

I am looking for a good nail gun now, and which one did you buy, is this a local deal only or all home depots? Details...Details...do tell 

[sstorkel]

Hope you used wood glue in addition to nails, because nails pretty much suck at holding things together over the long term....

As far as nail guns go, I bought one of the inexpensive Porter-Cable kits that includes a finish nailer, a brad nailer, and the world's loudest pancake compressor. The only nail gun I use these days is my Grex 23-gauge pinner. The Porter Cable oil-less compressor makes so much racket I hate to plug it in! The nail guns rank right up there with my biscuit joiner as the least useful tools I've ever purchased.

[scotthh]

I borrowed a Cordless Angled Finish Nailer to put up moulding. Although that model can be finicky, I think it was a much easier job than nailing by hand.

[Jdurg]

Mine is a Husky brand combination kit.  I think it's a standard price for the set and the gun is nice.  I have been using wood glue to attach the pieces.  I like to think of the nails as ways to hold the pieces together while the glue dries.   

[ChadTower]

Hope you used wood glue in addition to nails, because nails pretty much suck at holding things together over the long term....

Especially in pine.  I've learned that the hard way a couple of times.  Nails do not stay tight in pine very long.

[Chadwick]

Glue every joint very well.  Just think of the brads as the thing that holds it together while the glue dries.  The glue is is paramount.

[Jdurg]

Glue every joint very well.  Just think of the brads as the thing that holds it together while the glue dries.  The glue is is paramount.

I like to think of the nails as ways to hold the pieces together while the glue dries.

One step ahead of you there.     I've attached a poor quality image of the base taken off of my cell phone.  I also just bought four oak Empire Style legs to attach to four sides of the base for added stability.  They attach through bolts, so once they arrive I'll line them up, drill the holes, and bolt them to the base.  I'm also happy that they attach 4" from the ground and the molding I'm using is 3.5" tall so they'll attach above them and everything will look really good once sanded, stained, and polyurethaned.

[RecklessAbandon]

I am looking for a good nail gun now, and which one did you buy, is this a local deal only or all home depots? Details...Details...do tell 

best 1st fix gun imo is the paslode
2nd fix is the dewalt



and when your nailing with them dovetail the nails in like so

 __\____/__
|    \    /    |
|     \  /     |

[javeryh]

I want one but my wife won't let me get one since we have small kids.  No nail guns.  No motorcycles.

No fun!

[Jdurg]

Sucks to hear that, but I do have to admit that it's a bit scary when you have that nail-gun in your hand and you realize the amount of force going into those nails.  Still, there is no way I could have ever gotten the table built without it.  Today, I finished putting the corner molding trim on there and now just need to wait for the legs to arrive on Monday, then use my Dremel and carefully sand the molding so that it flows smoothly into the rest of the trim work.  There are some flaws in the table right now, but that's just because I don't have the most accurate tools on earth.  I DEFINITELY need to get me a laser guided compound miter saw that can handle planks up to 12" wide.  That would make things nice and easy, but those things ain't cheap. 

[Jdurg]

Well, here is an image of my almost completed base.  The oak legs I ordered will arrive on Monday, and when they do I'll mark the spots for the bolt holes, then take this to my messy workshop to drill out the holes and sand everything.  The top is not as level as I thought it would be, so I have to sand down the high spots to level everything.  Also, my tools aren't as accurate as they should be with regards to angles so the moldings need to be sanded at the seams to level them off and make them flow smoothly.  Due to the detail in the molding, I'll have to do this by hand or hopefully get some of it done with my dremel.  Frustrating, but that's the best I could do.  If I could do this all over again, there are some things I would have done differently but this is my first real woodworking project and I think I'm doing the best I can.  Any comments or tips are more than welcome.  (Even if you say "That sucks, a blind monkey could do better.")  :p

[Jdurg]

I can say that the purchase of the nailgun was the best thing I did.  Now, the only thing left to do is go and figure out how to secure the top to the table base, then secure the chipwells to the playing surface and cut the trim, etc. properly.  Halfway done!   

[ChadTower]

For future reference, just found this nailgun article that I'm finding very useful.