Woody Alan":1hdnm5j8 said:
I am now refitting my house and intend to re skirt architrave etc with oak. Which nailer is most suitable? if indeed one is at all. Can you use different gauges as well as different sizes i.e. if I buy a bigger one can I use small brads too? What is the best size compressor to get to give me extra flexibility for other air uses spraying etc or should I be looking at electric nailers.
For architraves and skirtings an 18 gauge nailer capable of pushing a 50mm brad is probably the best 15 or 16 gauge are too big (they're really for stud walling and the like) and 22/23 gauge (headless) are really only suitable for attaching small beadings (and in any case aren't long enough for skirtings). Avoid nailer/stapler combinations as many of them have a tendency to leave a really big mark.
Compressed air is more powerful and better than electric, the Passlode portables are OK, but they cost a lot to buy and require cells which need to be in date so they'll work, so they're hardly cheap to run. They also need to be kept scrupulously clean as dirt getting into them really gives them the hump. There are also occasions when they are too darned big to get them into position, so I'm afraid I'm not a fan of their size, purchase price or running costs. They work well in building site environments where you may not have mains electric but I don't see them having much of a place for infrequent users
Roger's DW full head nailer is as (physically) big as you normally go with an air nailer (I know because I have one of those as well) and the air lines can sometimes be a nuisance - so if you go the compressor route throw away the curly-whirly air hose they supply and buy a good quality re-inforced rubber one with decent quality (CEJN, Schrader, etc) fittings. Also fit a 6in "pigtail" onto the air tool as this will protect the back of the tool from getting cracked by the constant jarring as the tool is connected and disconnected from the air supply. As to size, though, an 18g brad pinner is very small, light and handleable - even on an airline although a portable compressor with a small reservoir is a boon for using them
Size? You don't need much to drive a nailer or pinner. Air ratchets, air screwdrivers, sanders, etc. take a lot more compressed air. So work out the air consumption of the biggest tool you want to run (say an air ratchet of 5 cfm @ 90psi), work out the size of the receiver and therefore how long the machine can run before the compressor motor needs to kick in (say 25 litres @ 120psi which is the equivalent of 1.2 cubic feet at 90 psi - based on 1 cubic foot = 28.3 litres) and then realise that your little 25 litre tank will run the ratchet for just 1.2 / 5 minutes or 15 seconds before the motor needs to kick in. Now look at the compressor itself and take the FAD (free air delivered) figure which is often 25% or more below the swept capacity of the compressor and you'll get an idea of what is needed. In reality most tools like screwdrivers, air ratchets and spray guns consume 5 to 10 cfm of air and require at least a 50 litre tank and 7 cfm FAD to work anywhere near efficiently. Unfortunately a 50 litre compressor is really at the upper limit of what I'd regard as portable (in fact I run my bradder on a small B&Q compressor not unlike the Machine Mart Bandit)
Scrit
useful for copper springs not much use otherwise. 
