A number of years ago, I purchased a brad nailer thinking that it would be handy for installing small, hard-to-clamp moldings and other project parts. I soon discovered that although a brad nailer has a thousand uses around the shop, tacking delicate trim is not one of them. The large, highly visible holes left by the 18-gauge brads and their tendency to split thin stock amount to serious drawbacks.
I had to wait a few years before a tool came along that would fill this need — the 23-gauge, headless pin nailer. The significant difference between a pin nailer (also called a micro-pinner) and a brad nailer is the size and shape of the fastener. The shaft of a 23-gauge pin is about one quarter the overall size of an 18-gauge brad. Furthermore, unlike a brad, the pins don’t have an enlarged head.
The are two benefits. First, the headless pins fired by a pin nailer leave a tiny, nearly unnoticeable hole in the surface of the wood (photo at right). So filling the holes before or after finishing is often not necessary. And if you do choose to fill them, the result will almost certainly be invisible.
The second advantage is that even when fired into the thinnest, most delicate stock, a 23-gauge pin won’t cause splitting.
HOW THEY WORK. Since the goal is a nearly blemish-free surface, a pin nailer is designed to operate a bit differently than a brad nailer. The firing mechanism on a brad nailer is pressure-activated to prevent accidental firing. A retractable tip has to be depressed by pushing it against the surface of the wood before the gun will fire. This inevitably leaves a noticeable dent, especially in softer woods, along with a good-size brad hole.
A pin nailer avoids this problem by using a different mechanism to control firing. All newer model pin nailers have a double safety trigger (second photo from the top). Firing a pin requires two fingers. First, you use the middle finger to disengage the trigger lock or secondary trigger. Then the index finger can pull the primary trigger to fire a pin.
With the trigger lock disengaged, a nail will fire each time the primary trigger is depressed. And the spring-loaded trigger lock will automatically reengage when released, preventing firing. This system takes some getting used to, but it’s not difficult to master.
MANY CHOICES. Today, there are a dozen or more different brands of pin nailers on the market that offer a variety of features. You can buy a bargain model for less than $75 or spend upwards of $300 on a top-of-the-line gun. There are quite a few high-quality guns that fall in the $100 to $200 range.
One feature that correlates with price is the upper range of the length of pins a nailer can handle. Pins are available from 3 ⁄ 8 " to 2" long (photo below). And each model of nailer will handle a range. Increasing the upper end to 1 3 ⁄ 4 " or 2" can tack $100 on to the cost. Unless you have a very specific need, it’s probably not worth the extra investment. Several of the other handy features you’ll find on different pin nailers are shown in the box below.
THE PINS. Like brads, different brands of pins are pretty much interchangeable. Any pin should work with any gun. The pins come in sticks of 100. Most nailers hold one stick while a few hold two.
As I mentioned, the pins are headless but they do have a head and a tail end. If you look closely, you’ll see that one end of the pin has a chisel tip while the opposite end is flat. Arrows printed on the sticks indicate which end goes down (photo above).
Most nailers load from the side like a brad nailer, but a few load from the bottom. From my perspective, side loading gets the nod. It’s easier and the pins won’t fall out.
USING A PIN NAILER.
When using a pin nailer, the first rule is to match the tool to the right tasks. The holding power of a headless pin is pretty fair but not great. So don’t expect a pin to play a serious structural role. (A few guns shoot “slight head” pins that provide a better bite, as shown in the photo above.) I like to rely on glue along with the pins to hold the workpiece. The pins simply act as clamps while the glue dries.
Resist the temptation to select a pin that’s longer than necessary. For tacking 1 ⁄ 2 "-thick stock, a 1" pin will generally do the job. A longer pin may not countersink fully and increases the odds of deflection. And whenever possible, shoot the pins at a right angle to the workpieces. There will be less chance of the pin wandering and blowing out through an edge.
PRESSURE. Pin nailers don’t use a lot of air volume but require fairly high pressure — 60 to 100 lbs. So be sure you have enough pressure to set the pin fully. Ideally, it should end up just below the surface.
Depending on the nailer, increasing the air pressure may or may not set the pin deeper. If you find that the pin isn’t being set as deep as you’d like, you may want to try a minor modification. File a little length off of the tip of the nailer. This results in the pin driver extending further beyond the tip when the nailer is fired.
Finally, I always try to pick an inconspicuous spot to install the pins. A pin placed in the “seam” between two molding profiles will be virtually invisible.
Admittedly, a pin nailer wouldn’t make my list of everyday tools. But I sure like knowing it’s in the cabinet when I need it.
Pin Nailer Features: From Common to Unique
