assembling frames (nailing- scared to split wood)

[adamant]

can you give me tips on assembling wood frames? i am not that handy handling thin wood . i have access to a brad gun but afraid of splitting..

[Myron Denny]

It will work, get after it! Just keep your brad nailer pointed in the right direction.

[Bens-Bees]

What guage nails are you trying to use? I use 18 guage inch and a half nails for the frames. They do fine, the only trick is to make sure you're holding the nail gun straight with the end bar.

I also have a 15 guage nail gun, but that's too thick to use on frames... but it's perfect for putting together boxes.

You can also put a couple of nails sideways from the end bar into the top bar... nailing one from the top down the center, then those two which are 90 degrees off from that one makes them hold really well.

[MB in Oregon]

When I put mine together, I used a brad pusher and a rubber mallet. I didn't split anything because the frame wood was really soft.

[waynesgarden]

I use a brad nailer and have assembled thousands of frames without one splitting yet. Like Bens-Bees, I use 18 ga but I find the 1 1/2" too long. Since I glue them first with Titebond III, 1" or 1 1/4" is plenty long enough with fewer brads taking a shortcut through the side of the endbars.

Wayne

[Charlie B]

An 18 gauge narrow crown stapler works better than those little sissy brad nails and holds better too. You don't have to shoot two nails per fastening point, just one crown staple. Saves time and money. It never splits the wood either unless you have two much pressure dialed into your gun.

[Scrapfe]

Try soaking your frame parts in a bucket of water for a few minutes before you start assembling them, it stops splitting issues (well almost). I think one inch by 1/4 inch staples work better than brads with even less splitting and with no mashed fingers.

[johns bees]

I use a staple gun 1/4 in by 1 1/2 in finish staple never have had a split yet I also glue all my joints. thats just what works for me.

[jrbbees]

Never had a split. I use a 15ga Hitachi brad nail.
Use Titebond II on all joints then brad to hold the glue joint tight.
Make sure it is square. When the glue dries the wood will break before the joint will fail.

[rwlaw]

Don't worry be happy! You have access to a brad nailer that is, first year I put everything together w/ stainless steel trim nails and glue, boring!. Second year found good deal on 1/4" narrow crown stapler, that and titebond III (as jrbbees says, the glue sets the wood breaks before joint failure), now we're cookin w/ gas!

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Glue seems to soften the wood and tight joints slip together better too. By the time I finish glueing and setting the parts together they never split with the air stapler.

[Michael Bush]

As the old carpenter I used to work with said when we were doing rough carpentry: "we're not building pianos"

Don't worry. Be happy.

[adamant]

glued them and used my air stapler.. thank you all for your help.

[ccar2000]

Congratulations! I was intimidated the first time making frames and it went real easy with the brad gun and glue. Since then I have built a couple of nucs. Maybe I will make my next supers!