A brad nailer is a handheld power tool that shoots brad nails into place. Brad nails are small, thin, finishing nails that are either headless or have narrow heads that protrude only slightly to one more... ...less

side, allowing the nails to become embedded when they are hammered into wood. Brad nailers come in pneumatic and electric varieties. A pneumatic nailer uses compressed air to create enough force to shoot the nails and must be used with an air compressor. Brad nails are useful for those occasions that call for a small fastener. These occasions include hanging panelling, installing base boards, door trim and window trim, and many other projects around the home, office and shop. Brad nails come in varying lengths that are made of varying gauges, or diameters, of metal. These nails can be installed with a hammer, or they can be loaded into a pneumatic nailer and shot into place. Brad nails and finish nails are easy to tap into place with a tack hammer or a claw hammer. Tack hammers are specially designed to handle small nails and are perfect for working with brads. Claw hammers are much bigger and bulkier than tack hammers, so you have to be careful not to bend the nails as you pound them into place.

Brad nails generally have a small indent in the middle of the head to keep the nail set from slipping while punching the nail below the surface. The shafts on a brad nail are thin. You can use them when you have glued pieces of wood together and need something to hold the pieces together temporarily. Use a brad nail because it is very easy to remove. A brad nail is next to the smallest of finishing nails that you can use in a nail gun. The thickness or gauge of the brad nail is 18 and it has a 1.22 mm diameter. Other finish nails have a 15 and 16 gauge with diameters of 1.63 mm to 1.83 mm respectively. A variety of nails exist for different types of applications. A brad nail is considered a finishing nail. It’s used to complete a smaller project, such as placing trim around a window or installing crown moulding on the ceiling. Brad nails have small heads that are designed to be slightly countersunk into the material. The hole that is left behind is then filled with a wood putty or nail-hole filler, depending on the type of material being installed. Fill the nail hole with the putty, allow it to dry, and finish with paint or wood stain according to the directions on the packaging. In addition to its use for smaller projects, people use brad nails to hang pictures or shelves in their home or office. When an individual properly inserts the nail into a stud board, the brad nail is generally strong enough to support the weight of most shelves and pictures.

The difference in brad nails and finish nails is that you use finish nails to detail or finish carpentry when working on wood storage containers or cabinets. Use a brad nail typically on mouldings, casings and doors. You can drive finish nails in more strongly because they have a pointed end that you can sink into the wood.