How to Determine the Angle of a Nail Gun
Nail guns make any framing or finishing job much quicker and much easier to tackle. When working with an angled nail gun, it is important to know which angle your gun is set at. Also, different angled nail guns use different nails. The nail should be set in the same angle as the nail gun and held together by paper or thin wire. Angled nail guns make driving nails into corners, and other tight angles, less awkward by not having to twist the gun sideways to nail into the angle.
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Search the exterior of the box that the nail gun was purchased in. Usually, the angle of the nail gun will be displayed on the box or in the user's manual.
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Use your protractor to measure the angle in your nail gun. If you do not have the original packaging or user's manual, a protractor is an excellent tool for measuring angles. Stand the protractor on a level surface with the curve pointing up.
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Disconnect all power from the nail gun and unload any nails. Hold the nail gun by the handle. Keep holding the protractor so it stands upright on the table. Press the safety element at the end of the nail gun's barrel flat on the level surface. The barrel should be perpendicular to the level surface.
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Observe where the bottom edge of the magazine meets the outer edge of the protractor. The edge of the magazine will line up with a number on the protractor. This number is the angle of your magazine and nail gun.
Resources
Tips
- Straight nail guns can also be used to finish and frame and are usually slightly less expensive than angled nail guns.
Warnings
- Always wear safety glasses, disconnect all power and hoses and unload any nails or brads before measuring the angle on your nail gun.
Photo Credits
- construction carpenter image by Greg Pickens from Fotolia.com
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