# How to drive nails straight



## JonC (Nov 15, 2015)

I am using a cordless nailer to assemble drawer boxes. It is an angled nailer. I am having a very difficult time driving the nails in straight. The ones on the drawer sides (into the plywood bottom) are going in ok. But for some reason I keep screwing up when attaching the fronts and backs. They go in at an angle and stick out of the wood.

Is there a trick to this? I am hoping it doesn't rely on my holding the gun 100% straight, because I obviously have a hard time doing that.


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## 000 (Dec 9, 2015)

Try rotating the gun 90 deg.
Most nails have a point on the end. (Depending on what your using) The point will allow the nail to bend forward or backwards. if you have your nail gun sideways when the nail bends it will go out one of the sides. If you turn your gun aligned with the sides, when the nail bends, it will stay within the material.
Again it depends on the nailer and type of nails it uses.


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## jerryminer (Jun 15, 2014)

+^^^ what he said.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

What gauge nailer are you using? I use an 18 ga. gun for work such as this.
Look at the ends of the nails. The chisel points will follow the wood grain, and as others have said, turn the god so the chisel points are cross-grain oriented.


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## JonC (Nov 15, 2015)

Thank you all. This is a 15 ga. I was going with the grain, as I was taught, but will try cross-grain for this.


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## clin (Sep 3, 2015)

What jbay said. It isn't necessarily so much what the grain is doing, as it is which directions will tolerate the nail bending without it poking out where you don't want it.

I will point out that the illustration jaby shows, is exactly opposite how the nails I use behave. So you have to look at your nails and note the orientation of the chisel tip on them. It's the angle on the tip that will cause it to deflect to one side or the other. And certainly the grain affects this, but more often than not, you can tolerate the nail bending in one direction, but not the other. So orient the gun and therefore the nail chisel tip, so it just doesn't matter if it deflects.


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## firefighterontheside (Apr 26, 2013)

What length nails are using? The longer they are, the more chance for them to come out.


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## 000 (Dec 9, 2015)

> What jbay said. It isn t necessarily so much what the grain is doing, as it is which directions will tolerate the nail bending without it poking out where you don t want it.
> 
> I will point out that the illustration jaby shows, is exactly opposite how the nails I use behave. So you have to look at your nails and note the orientation of the chisel tip on them. It s the angle on the tip that will cause it to deflect to one side or the other. And certainly the grain affects this, but more often than not, you can tolerate the nail bending in one direction, but not the other. So orient the gun and therefore the nail chisel tip, so it just doesn t matter if it deflects.
> 
> - clin


What kind of nails are you using? (15 gauge?)


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## 000 (Dec 9, 2015)

> What length nails are using? The longer they are, the more chance for them to come out.
> 
> - firefighterontheside


Even I have a hard time hitting 1/2" material with my 3 1/2" framing Nails.


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## JonC (Nov 15, 2015)

They are 15 ga nails. I will go and check when I get a chance, but I am pretty sure they are 1 1/4 inch. Is that too long? The drawer sides are 5/8".


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

For drawer construction, 18 gauge nails are the best choice. As far as chisel points and wood grain are concerned, what the others said is to be observed. When I make drawers, I use glue + 18 gauge brads, but I let the bottom float.


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## JonC (Nov 15, 2015)

What is a good gauge for cabinets? 18 or 15?


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## ArtMann (Mar 1, 2016)

I don't normally assemble cabinets with nails but if I did, I would use 18 gauge. The bigger the nail, the harder to hide. For attaching face frames, I use clamps and glue. Occasionally, I will use pocket screws if they won't show.


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