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Best cost effective Brad nailer for faster DIY builds

6K views 67 replies 16 participants last post by  beastaudio 
#1 ·
I need the most cost effective brad nailer. Also it is important to note I will need to import it... So electric I believe is the only solution. Please let me know if you know of any good deals/ products that are cost effective.


Thank you!


Smittyfit
 
#2 ·
Inexpensive electric nailers aren't good for more than 1/2 inch or so of penetration. Pneumatic is the only way to go.
it is important to note I will need to import it...
You might get help from fellow countrymen, if they knew what country you're in.
 
#4 ·
Thanks guys.


The problem here is that everything is concrete construction... No one uses wood, so no one has a nail gun :(


For me to ship in a compressor and gun, with duty and shipping, it will cost as much as the subwoofer I am making...


I think I need to find a different solution.


Thanks you!
 
#5 ·
Whatever your build, you'll need that Brad nailer. Once you start you won't stop (and Brad Nailers are great for so many applications). Porter Cable sells packaged combos that are cheap in the states. Where are you located?
 
#8 ·
a used electric one might be cheaper though. Don't overthinkink this. Braid nailer is a brad nailer. It just needs to shoot brads. The glue is what holds it together in the long run anyways. The brads just need to hold it tight enough for the glue to dry.

Find a cheap electric one and call it a day.

If you can borrow a compressor then air is the way to go. Otherwise get electric.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Got a brad nailer and compressor from harborfreight.Com for about 80 bucks on sale.

Works beautifully/has never jammed.

It's far from the best u can buy, but it certainly does the job, for weekend warriors / non pros.

http://m.harborfreight.com/3-gallon-100-psi-oilless-pancake-air-compressor-95275.html

http://m.harborfreight.com/18-gauge-brad-nailer-68021.html
 
#11 ·
The RYOB does look to be one of the best solutions. Only problem is how much is the battery as I do not have other power tools? Could you post a link for a battery, or... Does it come with one?

Theharbourfreight seems to be the most cost effective... But the shipping may be hard... Hrmmm

Also I found a store that sells Marine ply.. I heard that is good wood, can I drill into that wood without splits?

Thanks!
 
#16 ·
I really need to clear some air here.

The island I live on doesn't even have a wallmart, nor a macdonalds.. We do not have a mall, and we only get 3 different types of plywood at are only lumbar yard that is going out of business... I live in Antigua.

There is only one hardware store, that does not even sell nail guns.. I can't even buy the brad nails here... I have to bring in these specialty goods and pay over 300% of what you guys pay in the states, if not more.

The $120 nailer you guys pay for, will cost me almost $400 = $1100 my money... This is why it is hard for me to decide, and buying the "wrong one" is NOT going to happen. This is also why I need to build my system, as the best sound you can get here comes from a LG home theater in a box.

I thinking this kit with compressor, seems decent so far, and the ryob... I'm sitting here pulling my hair out lol...

Can I just pre drill a hole... Put some PL premium in the hole, and drill the screw I want inside it... And if it splits the PL will seal it, and also expand to fill the potential gaps?

Thanks guys!
 
#17 ·
Yeah I already told you no sweat... if you can't do the nailer just drill holes and use screws. You only need a few. It takes longer to drill holes and screw in screws than a quick second brad nail shot but if it costs you hundreds of dollars in cost why not just spend the extra labor drilling the holes and driving the screws ?

Sounds like the perfect plan for you.

Make sure you get a nice countersink bit that fits your screws well like I showed you. That's not expensive.
 
#18 ·
Why are so many people convinced that brad nailers are an absolute must in speaker construction?
 
#19 ·
because it's literally 20x faster than screws, and they have small heads that can be finished over or routed, unlike screws.

You're right though it's not an *absolute* must, but for most of us it's available for cheap, so it's worth it. Probably not worth it for smitty if it's that hard to get.
 
#20 ·
+1. If you have a brad nailer it's the easiest way. It's way easier and faster, and the heads usually burry just below surface grade so finishing is easy. The heads themselves are small and easily filled so it's less finishing work hiding them. You don't have to predrill holes, you don't need to countersink the screw heads, or drive screws.

Putting in screws in one side might take 20 minutes and require a helper. You need to make sure the panels line up perfectly, and hold them there while you drill the screw pilot holes, and the countersink for the screw heads. Then you need to split apart the wood and apply glue, then fit it back together perfectly, and drive in each screw one at a time. It's not hard, but it's harder than a few shots from a brad nailer. No question about it.


I would not want to build boxes without my cordless bradnailer. Well worth it's cost IMO. It's the perfect tool.

The main benefit is you can glue up the sides stick them together and align the top corner then shoot. BOOM. Done. Line up the bottom and shoot. Boom. Done. Put one or two more in the middle to snug it up. BOOM! Done. It's done. :) That took like 2 minutes. Once the glue or PL premium dries the glue is what is really doing the work, the brads were just permanent clamps to hold it till the glue dries. It's way easier to fit it perfectly and brad nail it than fit it perfectly and drive in countersunk screws. You'll need a helper with screw method to hold the pieces. With a bradnailer you can do it solo and get great results.

But all that said, the screws will work perfectly just take some more effort. So if a brad nailer on his island is hundreds of dollars, I'd skip that and just use screws! Who cares if it takes a couple more hours. Results will still be great. Only problem I see is you really ideally want a helper to hold the pieces for you while you drive the screws and line up the panels. That's not a big deal though.
 
#24 ·
Yeah, buying a $10,000 CNC machine just to cut out a few speaker enclosure panels and several baffles seems like overkill to me too.

In fact I didn't understand the potential of CNC machines until meeting a really generous and nice older woodworker who built his own CNC machine. Sorry for the bad photo. He uses it for making mortise and tenon joints and making table/chair legs, sculptures, lots of super impressive stuff that never occurred to me that could be done with a computer controlled router.

I want to build a small 4x4 sometime in the future now. :D
 

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#27 ·
I just think brads have essentially zero holding force, just saying.
 
#28 ·
They have plenty to hold pieces together until the PL premium dries.
the brads don't do the work, they are just permanent clamps.

PL premium can bond the hand of god for eternity. That stuff is way beyond stronger than you'd ever need. I just like it better because it's got a great working time, it's thick enough to stay where you want it, it has it's own little bit of tack and holding strength
, and it can fill gaps better than wood glue.

Plus I just like using the caulk gun I think :)
 
#29 ·
You don't need excessive holding power. You just want to securely keep the mating surfaces aligned during the glue up. I'm sure 99% of the people here clamp with excessive pressure. If you look like you're giving birth during clamp up you're doing it wrong......... or maybe should be headed to the maternity ward instead of trying to finish that second marty cube.
 
#30 ·
LOL funny stuff here today...


I think I may buy that $120 2" brad nailer by royb and be done with... If not... I will just counter sink, wood glue and then drill it home. Or should I put PL premium then drill?


Also where else do you put the PL premium?


Thanks!
 
#31 ·
PL premium or Wood glue. PL premium is just heavy duty construction adhesive. You put it on both surfaces that you want to bond, spread it with a glue brush smooth. It takes 24 hours to cure, but it's stronger than wood glue, seals gaps better, and has a longer working time making it ideal for fixing mistakes or adjusting, screwing and drilling, etc...

Tightbond II is great too, but it's working time is short. So you would dry fit, (no glue) drill then apply the glue and screw, you only have about 5-10 minutes to get it done before glue working time is over and starts to cure. You want it set before that for maximum strength of the bond. You can add a little water to the glue to extend the working time, or use a slower cure glue like Tightbond III.

But PL premium is just a different league than wood glue. It's construction adhesive, you buy a tube and use caulk gun. It's more expensive. It's stronger, it's harder to clean up (not water soluble, it's polyurethane based) and it's thicker so it doesn't drip and stays put where you want it.

Different. both work good.
 
#32 ·
I actually use both. I test fit, then use the TiteBond II for bonding the two panels together, as well as brad nailing. After about 45 minutes to an hour of letting that set up, I then run a bead of PL along the joint inside the box and then spread it with (gloved) finger to get it all the way into the joint. Works like a charm this way and you are basically guaranteed an airtight box at that point.
 
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