Nailers and staplers

Nail and staple guns are used to fasten or hold parts or materials together. Here’s how they work: nails or staples, bought in strips or coils, are loaded into the gun’s magazine. The hammering force comes from using either compressed air (pneumatic), a spring or electromagnetic field (electric), or flammable gas (explosive) to fire the nails or staples.

These tools make craft and construction projects considerably simpler and a lot faster, resulting in increased productivity with less effort and strain.

Learn about nailers and staplers

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Understand your needs

What job needs to be done? Shingling a roof? Framing? Upholstering? Cladding? Assembling and finishing?
Where will the tool be used? In a workshop? At a job site? Around the house?
Is noise a major factor to consider?
How often will the tool be used?

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How they work

Nail and staple guns are powered by compressed air, gas, electromagnetism or a spring to drive staples or nails, loaded in strips or coils, for solid, high-speed fastening of materials.

These tools have one of two types of trigger mechanisms:

Contact trip (or continuous firing) allows the user to “bump fire” the nails or staples by pressing the nose of the tool against the surface while holding down the trigger. This is an excellent feature for production-type work (such as shingling a roof). This "bump nailing" mechanism takes a bit of getting used to: the tool can easily drive two fasteners if the user is not quick enough to lift it. In addition, accidental contact can result in inadvertent nail discharge or ricochet.
Sequential trip (or intermittent) firing requires the user to first press the nose of the gun against the nailing surface and then pull the trigger. To drive a second nail, the user lifts the tool, releases the trigger, and then repeats the above sequence. This is the safer of the two mechanisms.

Many nailers now come with both triggers, so the user can use the one most appropriate for the task at hand. Other models provide only one or the other mechanism.

Staple guns operate on the same basis, but some specialized tools, such as the upholstery stapler, function just like a standard hand stapler: squeezing the trigger fires the staple. A flooring stapler, however, requires a mallet or hammer to strike the firing pad and drive the staple in.

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Nailer and stapler types

Type of tool	Description	Applications
	Fastens materials using staples. A staple is a two-pronged fastener. The crown (horizontal part) ensures solid placement and prevents the staple from sinking into the material too deeply. Various models of staplers drive staples of different lengths, ranging from ½" to 2". Specialty tools: small, special-purpose pneumatic staplers are available for upholstery work or fastening vinyl siding. Uses strip refills.	For hobbies and crafts, to repair or assemble wood pieces, such as drawers, cupboards, boxes and crates. For areas that are out of sight or when appearance is unimportant.
	Fastens finishing nails and staples from 5/8" to 2", depending on the model. Uses strip refills. Versatile	For stapling thin pieces of wood, such as drawer bottoms, to keep glued parts together, and for nailing baseboards, mouldings and trim. Also for finishing a cladding or panelling project. For consistent performance, it is recommended to use the nailer and the stapler equally often. Using only the nailer can unbalance the drive mechanism. The drive mechanism may leave marks on either side of the nails since it is also intended for staples. Slightly adjust the nose angle to minimize markings; these can be concealed once the finishing has been done.
	Fires 1/2" to 1 3/8" 23-gauge headless pin nails, so tiny there is no need to mask the holes. Uses strip refills. Strips contain up to 120 pin nails.	For small craft projects or finishing work, such as keeping a narrow cabinet moulding in place while the glue dries. Pin nails don't often provide a solid hold, which is why they are used in combination with glue.
	Available in different sizes and capacities; some use nails ranging from 5/8" to 2", while others use 1" to 2 ½" nails. Uses strip refills. Certain specialty nailers have an angled magazine for working in tight corners and driving nails diagonally.	For installing all types of trim from baseboards to mouldings, making furniture, doing home repairs, and wherever headless nails are called for.
	Powerful Easily sinks 2" to 3 ½" framing nails (with head). Fitted with angled strip loader or coil loader. A serrated nose tip provides a positive grip on the nailing surface.	For tough jobs. Strip nailers are ideal for house and deck framing tasks because they are narrower and so easier to use in tight spaces between joists and studs. Coil nailers hold more nails than strip nailers, which makes them suitable for building palettes or assembling parts on a jig.
	For tough jobs. Strip nailers are ideal for house and deck framing tasks because they are narrower and so easier to use in tight spaces between joists and studs. Coil nailers hold more nails than strip nailers, which makes them suitable for building palettes or assembling parts on a jig.	For roofing jobs only. Not suitable for other types of work, given that roofing nails are specifically manufactured for attaching shingles and tiles.
	Designed for fastening outdoor siding with ¼" to 2 ½" siding nails. Made with lightweight materials for easy manoeuvrability.	Not really suitable for other jobs. Pre-painted nails available on request to match the colour of the siding. A stapler/nailer could be used for the finishing work.
	Designed for fastening wood flooring. Flooring power tools drive staples (for standard hardwood flooring), nails (for extremely hard wood such as bamboo, acacia, walnut), or both using a 2-in-1 stapler/nailer. Release mechanism: hitting the driver head with a hammer or mallet. Side or rear load magazine. Drives L-shape cleats or staples. The base is made of a material that won’t scratch the wood. The air intake is inclined, for easier handling.	For precise staple placement, the stapler must be held solidly against the boards. The fasteners are driven diagonally into the flooring, always at the same angle and depth, to produce straight, well-secured tongue and groove boards.
	Lightweight Fits in the palm of the hand. Works solely with an air compressor. No magazine or trigger mechanism. Powerful enough to repeatedly drive 1 ½" to 3 ½" nails. Magnetic nose holds nails in place for accurate positioning.	For hard-to-reach locations or cramped confined work, where using a larger nailer or hammer is impossible.

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Refills

Nail and staple refills come in strips or coils.

Coil nailer Strips

Loading a nail strip is fast and easy. Simply slide the strip into the nail or staple gun’s magazine.
A strip can vary in quantity depending on the type of nail, e.g. 20 to 40 for framing nails and up to 120 for pin nails.
The tool's housing is slimmer than a coil nail gun. A strip nailer works better in tight areas.
Some models take only one strip at a time; others can be loaded with two strips.
The cost per nail is higher than for coil nails.

Coil nailer Coils

The coil has to be threaded, which involves a bit more time and handling for refills.
The coil canister can hold from 120 to 300 fasteners. Coil nailers need to be reloaded less often than strip nailers.
More nails, however, make the tool heavier, and by extension, somewhat more unwieldy.
The cost per nail is lower than for strip nails.

The nails are generally covered with a dual-function coating, for lubricating and strengthening. When the nail is hammered into the surface, the intense friction heats the coating to melting point and lubricates the nail as it slides through. When the coating cools, it bonds the nail to the nailing surface, increasing the holding strength. Roofing nails do not have this coating.

Angle	Features	Models
90°	Headless/finish nails (or staples) glued together to form a strip.	Staplers, stapler/nailers Straight finish nailers
20° - 21°	Round-head nails held together by plastic. This type of strip holds fewer nails because they are widely spaced.	Framing nailers
28° - 34°	Clipped-head nails (provide more nails per strip) held together by paper tape. The most economical alternative.	Framing nailers (paper-collated framing nailers are the most popular)
28°	Clipped-head nails held together by wire strips	Framing nailers
15° - 16°	Full round-head nails, held together by wire strips and rolled.	Roofing nailers, framing nailers, siding nailers

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Power sources

Nail guns can be powered in different ways:

Portability	How it works	Features
Poor (must be connected to an air compressor, which requires an electrical supply)	The compressed air drives the piston down to propel the nail out of the chamber.	High noise level The compressor can be used with various tools Inexpensive to operate For all types of nailers and staplers Must be oiled prior to every use
Excellent (easy-to-carry gas cartridges or fuel cells)	The gun's battery sends a charge to a spark plug. This ignites the gas, causing a small explosion. The resulting pressure propels the piston downward, so that the nail is shot from the gun.	Shoots 1,000 nails or more per cartridge and 4,000 nails per battery charge The costliest to operate Gas cartridges cannot be refilled For finish and framing nailers
Good (no power cord necessary, but requires an electrical outlet nearby to recharge the battery)	The battery powers a mechanism (solenoid) to produce an electromagnetic force (electromagnet) that pushes the piston out, driving the nail out.	Somewhat noisy (upon firing, the electromagnetic mechanism produces a noise similar to that of a drill) Shoots 400 nails per battery charge Less expensive to operate than a combustion model Requires a source of electricity to recharge the battery Heavy Takes only one gauge of nail
Poor (must be connected to a constant power supply)	An electric motor compresses the springs, which drive the nail.	Fairly quiet For small finishing, assembly and household tasks; uses up to 1 ¼" finish nails Slower than all other types Rarely jams or breaks

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Nailer: Terminology, parts and features

1- Air exhaust deflector
The exhaust system releases compressed air. The outlet port can be adjusted on certain models to blow debris and sawdust away from the user’s face.

2- Air supply fitting
The standardized fitting connects the air hose with a quick-connect coupling.

3- Trigger
The trigger releases the piston, which drives the nail. In some models, the nose of the gun must be pressed against the surface before the trigger is squeezed.

4- Magazine release latch
The magazine release latch opens the gun’s magazine so nails or staples can be loaded.

5- Magazine
The magazine must be loaded with the types of nails or staples specific to the gun.

6- Depth adjustment
The depth adjustment sets the depth of the nails and consequently the force with which the nails or staples are fired. If the gun has no depth adjustment setting, the depth can be set by modifying the pressure on the compressor.

7- Nail exit
The nails or staplers exit behind the nose.

8- Nose
The nose and trigger are used together to drive a nail. The nose must first be pressed against the surface, then the trigger is squeezed to fire the fastener.

9- Release lever
The quick-release lever opens the barrel easily (no key required) to remove any jammed nails.

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The right tool for the job

Applications	Stapler	Stapler/nailer	Finish nailer	Strip framing nailer	Coil framing nailer	Roofing nailer	Siding nailer
Craft work and small projects	Very good	Best	Good	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Attaching baseboards, mouldings, picture rails	N/A	Best	Very Good	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Building furniture	Very good (for hidden areas)	Very Good	Best	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Building house frames, decks, etc.	N/A	N/A	N/A	Best	Very good	N/A	N/A
Building pallets, fences and other sturdy installations	N/A	N/A	N/A	Very good	Best	N/A	N/A
Installing siding	N/A	Best (for finishing)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Best (for installation)
Laying asphalt shingles	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Best	N/A