Can you use a nail gun for fastening pickets?

[yanne]

Are framing nails too big for fastening 70x19 pickets to 70x35 timber?

[Jason]

Great to have you join the Bunnings Workshop community @yanne. Welcome aboard.

Let me tag our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. expert @EricL for his thoughts on your project. Other helpful members like @Dave-1 and @Jewelleryrescue might also like to join in the discussion. 

Please don't hesitate to post anytime you have a question or a new project to share with other members. 

Jason

[Dave-1]

Good morning @yanne 

What length of framing nails Are you thinking of?  (or already have? )

What type of pickets are you using? As in hardwood or pine pickets?

If its Pine pickets then yes you could, if its hardwood like Merabau then Id prob go for a screw fixing (personal preference)

Id also like to offer a warm hello to the Bunnings community Its a great place to ask these questions and in fact someone had already asked a similar one but not wih pickets  

Sorry I had started answering your question an hr ago but strangely work stuff came up

Dave

[Noyade]

"Id prob go for a screw fixing (personal preference)"

Same here @Dave-1 . Screws.

[yanne]

Hi @Dave-1 

Using pine pickets. I usually fasten everything with screws. Just thought, I have framing and smaller guns, I should use them and perhaps faster. Nails in storage are 50mm lengths. Also have loads of brads that I don't know what to use for as I built my home with a steel frame.

cheers

Yanne

[Dave-1]

Afternoon @yanne 

Try a few, see how it looks compared to a screwed instance. If you are happy with the nailgun approach and have the nails why not use them

I hate having resources go to waste, If they do the job and look ok  then why not.

Dave

[Jewelleryrescue]

I think  we all fixed old   timber fences  nailed together falling apart and then  fixed  with screws.

So I say as  my preferance  use nail gun for fast tacking them into place  then  pre drill timber in case of splitting and screw at least one screw at the top and one at the bottom rail for low maintinace for extra years.

Plus  screws will take soccer ball knocks  etc with out pulling out.

[EricL]

Hi @yanne 

My apologies for the late reply. It's great that you've received excellent advice from @Dave-1, @Noyade and @Jewelleryrescue. Nothing beats a nail gun for ease of installation. However, if you are using 19mm pickets and mounting on to a 35mm rail, I suggest adjusting the driving power of your gun to prevent over penetration.

Jewelleryrescue's comment regarding screws holding power is spot on. It can take more abuse and it is not easily drawn out. If you do decide to use framing nails, I recommend offsetting the position of the nails so that they don't apply too much stress into one spot. This will also have the extra benefit of bracing the picket onto the rail.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric