Nail Gun Construction

Common applications of nail gun construction include: lightweight ceiling installation, wood keel fixing, light steel keel fixing, road sign installation, highway glare shield installation, road spike installation, metal enclosure installation, wood fixing, aluminum door and window installation, lightweight hardware and appliance bracket installation, etc.

Currently, there are three main types of nails on the market: drive pins, washer drive nails, and threaded drive nails.

Drive pins are the most widely used, available in various lengths such as 22mm, 27mm, 32mm, 37mm, 42mm, 47mm, 52mm, 62mm, and 72mm. They are primarily used for general material fixing and connection, such as indoor air conditioner brackets, steel plates, angle iron, etc.

Washer drive nails are mainly used to fix thinner materials, such as light steel keels, thin enclosures, and thin wooden boards. They also come in various lengths. In actual construction, due to the higher cost of washer nails, contractors often purchase standard nails and thickened washers with a 3mm inner diameter to assemble into washer nails, thereby reducing construction costs.

Threaded drive nails have metric threads (e.g., M6, M8) machined at the tail. These nails allow for adjustable tightness by loosening or tightening the accompanying nuts, making them suitable for installations like ceilings and hardware hangers.

There are over a dozen types of nail cartridges, but with the development of nail gun equipment, most of these cartridge models have been phased out.

Early nail bullets models evolved from rimfire bullets and used paper seals for closure. However, during storage, it was found that the loose packaging made them prone to moisture-induced misfires. Law enforcement also discovered cases where cartridges were modified by adding bullet tips to create standard ammunition. Therefore, later nail gun cartridges adopted a crimped and painted sealing method to enhance moisture resistance, prevent illegal modifications, and allow for identification of power levels based on the paint color—achieving three benefits at once.

Powder loads casings are typically made of copper-plated or zinc-plated steel. Based on the burning speed of the internal gunpowder, they are classified into different power levels, indicated by the color of the sealing paint. The colors, from lowest to highest power, are green, yellow, red, purple, and black. There are also some very low-power cartridges marked in white, gray, or brown, but due to extremely limited use, they are rarely found on the market.

Currently, the three most commonly used nail gun cartridges in construction are:

S1 powder loads: Size 6.8×11mm

S3 powder loads: Size 6.8×18mm

S5powder loads: 5.6×16mm

In recent years, manufacturers have developed ceiling nail guns, which feature integrated packaging of nails and plastic-cased cartridges to enhance safety and prevent modification. Their main advantages are ease of operation and one-step loading, eliminating the need for separate assembly. They can replace traditional nail guns in 80% of applications. Their principle is similar to direct-action nail guns, where gunpowder directly propels the nail for fastening. To increase power, some integrated nails use double-base gunpowder in addition to nitrocellulose charges. Double-base propellant integrated nails can penetrate 8mm steel before embedding into concrete.

The main types of integrated nails include:

Threaded ceiling nails: Replace the threaded nails used in traditional nail guns.

Fire integrated nails: Replace the washer nails used in traditional nail guns.

Pipe integrated nails: Can directly fix pipes of 16mm, 20mm, 25mm, and 32mm diameters.

Ceiling nailer offer advantages such as ease of use, simple operation, and high safety. The perforation area of the combined nails features a flared steel plate structure, which deforms to absorb excess kinetic energy and prevent overpowering. Some high-end models even have adjustable power settings to enhance compatibility with different base materials. Ceiling fastening nail gun can use integrated nails ranging from 32mm to 52mm in length.

When selecting integrated nails, it is advisable to choose well-known brands and avoid no-name products. Using single-base or multi-base gunpowder nails can cause corrosion, damage, and malfunctions in the nail gun. Residue from gunpowder combustion and plastic debris can easily enter the mechanism, and single-base or multi-base nails are more prone to misfires. Operators should avoid pointing the muzzle at anyone when inspecting or ejecting nails to prevent injuries.