Why is my brad nailer not firing?
The reason your brad nailer is not firing is because of a jammed nail or air supply issues. Other reasons your brad nailer isn’t shooting or sinking nails is because of an uncharged battery, or a damaged trigger.
Jamming is the number one reason that can cause brad nailers not to fire. Jamming can be caused by various reasons. Usually, it is caused by nails which are fed incorrectly. This results in the driver blade getting stuck and the nailer not cycling. Feeding nails with incorrect length or gauge into a nailer’s magazine will cause jamming.
Inadequate oiling of the air cylinder in the nose can also cause jamming. Insufficient oil will cause slow feed of the nails which will cause jamming.
A brad nailer won’t shoot nails if its battery isn’t charged. The battery may be defective hence it can’t hold charge for long periods of time. The battery may also be old and may not be able to hold enough charge. Either way, it may be time to replace the battery.
A damaged trigger will cause a brad nailer not to fire. This is usually hard to tell since there could be no visual damage on the trigger, but it could still be damaged. A brad nailer won’t also work if the contact trip wire does not engage the trigger. A contact trip wire is located on the right side of a nailer. It runs from the safety tip to the trigger.
A simple issue like having the compressor valve shut off will cause the brad nailer not to work. If there’s significant air leakage on the hose, fittings, or compressor itself then the nailer won’t work.
How to fix a brad nailer that is not shooting?
To fix a brad nailer that is not shooting you will need to clear the jam, replace the battery or check for leakages.
Clear Jams
To clear jams, first, you need to ensure that the brad nailer is empty. There should be no nails in the magazine. Jammed fasteners can also cause brad nailers not to fire. A thorough inspection of the nailer will reveal any jammed fasteners and these need to be removed.
Using inappropriate nail sizes can also cause jams. You therefore can check nail size requirements for your brad nailer.
To resolve jamming issues caused by insufficient oiling, always add 8-10 drops of oil into the nose at the start of every job.
Replace Batteries
Old batteries or new batteries that are not holding enough charge need to be replaced to ensure your brad nailer shoots nails properly.
Check for leakages
Checking for leakages on the airline or fittings is a simple task. At points of the air leakage, you can hear a hissing sound or feel a cool breeze on your skin. The leakages could be due to rapture on the hose or split O-rings. Any damaged part that is leaking air needs to be replaced.
Replaced damaged triggers
If the nailer is not working after all these inpspections, then you just need to replace the trigger.
How to fix a brad nailer that is not sinking nails all the way?
To fix a brad nailer that is not sinking nails all the way you will need to inspect the depth adjustment dial, this will allow you to drive nails to the depth you desire. The air pressure determines the depth you can sink nails. Here are a few adjustments you can make if your nail gun is not sinking nails all the way.
After turning on your compressor, connect one end of a hose and the other end to the nail gun. You can insert a few drops of oil on the connector that is attached to the nail gun. This lubricates the nail gun. The air regulator should be set to the correct pressure depending on your brad nailer.
Now try and drive a nail onto a piece of wood. If the nail is not flush onto the wood’s surface, then it means you need to adjust the rotary knob that is located at the side of the nailer. Turn this knob once clockwise and drive another nail to see if it sinks all the way in. You can turn the knob as many times as you want until the nail sinks all the way in.
The air pressure regulator can also be used to ensure the nail sinks all the way in. You could try increasing the air pressure by 5 psi until the nail sinks all the way in. It is recommended to adjust the depth of sinking the nail with a combination of the nailer rotary knob and the air pressure regulator knob.
Why is my brad nailer misfiring?
Most brad nailer misfiring issues are caused by nails as using the wrong degree of nails will cause a brad nailer to misfire. Misfiring can also be caused by nails that stick out from the magazine. To avoid misfiring on your nailer, use correctly designed nails on your brad nailer.
Insufficient lubrication of the piston can also cause the nailer to misfire. To lubricate a brad nailer just unscrew the airline connection and add at least 10 drops of lubricant into the airline hole. After you connect the airline back, fire the nailer seven or eight times to lubricate the piston.
Extreme vibrations during the firing of the nails can also loosen screws holding the barrel in place causing misfiring. To resolve this issue, all you need to do is tighten the screws holding the barrel.
How to fix a Bostitch brad nailer that is not working?
To fix a Bostitch brad nailer that is not working you will need to fix the trigger and check there is no air leackage. Below is a step-by-step process on how to fix a Bostitch brad nailer that is not working.
- A common issue with the Bostitch brad nailer is double or triple firing when the trigger has only been pressed once. The first thing you need to check is whether you’re using standard nails as specified in the user manual. If the nails are standard, then the multiple firing could be caused by a misalignment between the coil and the firing pin. This could be causing the nails to bend and fall out of place before firing. In this case, you will need to replace the coil.
- Compressed air leakage in the brad nailer could be caused by a split O-ring. The O-ring needs to be replaced.
- Failure of the Bostitch nailer can also be caused by a stuck piston. To check for a stuck valve head, open the nailer and press down on the spring. If the spring returns up, you will need to replace the valve head.
- It is common to experience nail gun jams. The easiest way to remove a stuck nail is to unscrew the nail gun nose and pull out the stuck nail.
- If the brad nailer has a driver that won’t retract then you may have a bent driver or a broken tip. First, you need to remove all the nails from the nailer. Next fire the nailer into a wooden piece. By holding the trigger in the down position and leaning the gun to the side, you can inspect the driver. The tip may be broken and will need replacement. If you don’t see a tip, you also need to replace it since it could have broken off.
How to fix a Craftsman brad nailer that is not working?
The first thing to check if your Craftsman brad nailer is not working is the pressure at the regulator. The nail gun will not work if there’s insufficient pressure. It will cause nails to bend when they impact the wooden surface.
If the air pressure is sufficient but the nailer is not working, then it could have air leakage. This means that the O-rings or pipe fittings could be damaged. They, therefore, need to be replaced. Leakage can also be at their air receiver. To check for leakage at the air receiver you need to shut off all valves from the receiver and fill it up. The pressure should be maintained at that level if there’s no leakage. If there’s a leakage at the air receiver then you need to replace it also.
A common lubrication method is to dry fire nail guns. This is where you fire the nail gun without any nails in them to ensure it’s well lubricated. However, this usually damages the firing mechanism. Damage to the firing mechanism causes a stuck head valve.
A craftsman brad nailer won’t work with a stuck head valve. You can test a stuck head valve by opening the nailer and depressing the valve with your thumb. If it returns to its position, then it’s okay. If it doesn’t, then the head valve needs to be replaced.
If there’s a jam, a Craftsman brad nailer won’t fire. Jamming could also cause a broken tip or a bent driver. Jamming can be resolved by opening the nailer and removing the material causing the jam. In most cases, it is caused by a nail that wasn’t fired correctly. Remember a nailer needs to be reset after every jam otherwise it won’t fire.
