How far can I stretch cord/hose for an air framing nailer? 200 feet?

[4570Man]

Everybody must be inside today! So many replies so quick.

Here is what I have today.

 

[yamatitan]

And many other users report things like "it works, just have to tap the nail in to set it". Like I wrote, aged dry wood, clipped nails.

Ive shot plenty of nails into hardwoods the only time I ever had a problem with it not completely sinking a nail 1/4" under the wood is when the board wasnt supported good and was able to bounce around when the nail fired. Of course you have the same problem with a air nailer. Clipped nails is true but they meet code around here and havent had any problems with them either.

I have many air nailers as well and I can promise you its every bit as strong of a nail gun. Honestly the only downfall is that is a little bigger and heavier then some modern air nailers. Smaller then some old school ones I have used.

 

[lostcreekranch]

Two points;

1. All that air hose will actually act as extra air storage capacity like having a larger tank on your compressor.

2. Why not build your trusses back where you have power then move them to your building site with your tractor?

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[SPYDERLK]

You really have lots of options.
1] A small compressor will run fine on a very long cord if it will start. I have a 1 horse 150 psi oiled that will run fine on 500' of 12ga. Just so you start it flat the 1st time so it warms up it will then cycle as needed. ... Yes, this is some undervoltage use but it is quite short term duty cycle, thus harmless, in your case.

2] Some, or all, nail guns incorporate a plenum that stores enuf air for the cycle. This makes air line length immaterial if you wait a second or so between actuations to allow the plenum to come back up to line pressure. You have control of drive performance by assuring the compressor keeps up and by adjustment of line pressure and pause time per cycle.

... So you can run hundreds of feet of wire if you pay attention to the quality of every connection. Or you can run unlimited air line if you assure the compressor keeps up and the nailer plenum fully recharges between cycles. - Or you can make informed choices combining the two parameters.

Or you could employ a hammer for the low [12 nail set] duty cycle required. :confused3:

 

[newbury]

Two points;

1. All that air hose will actually act as extra air storage capacity like having a larger tank on your compressor.

2. Why not build your trusses back where you have power then move them to your building site with your tractor?

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Thanks, but I've the rest of the shed to build also. I only mentioned the trusses because I think they will be taking a lot of nails for relatively little wood. The plans call for 6 to 8 nails on each side of the web piece on 3 web pieces, thus up to 48 nails for 1 gambrel rafter truss comprised of about 20' of 2x4. And the plans call for building the trusses on the shed floor using the floor as a jig.

 

[JimRB]

I have used 200 feet of air hose. I had a regulator on the roof saving time going 200 feet to adjust pressure on the compressor. I used a Thomas pancake compressor when building my barn with I think a 250 foot romex extension cord. I do not remember if I used 12 or 10 guage Romex. I do know the rats gnawed on the Romex sometime during the 6 months or less that I was using electricity. I am sad the Thomas compressor has a rusted out tank last time I tried to use it. The Craftsman Bink and Grainger Speedair compressors I have will have to do but certainly less portable.

 

[PILOON]

As said, lots of hose is the same as adding a larger air tank.
While you can use an extension as well be sure it is heavy gauge, like #12 otherwise you will experience voltage drop and possibly damage your motor.

 

[SPYDERLK]

As said, lots of hose is the same as adding a larger air tank.

It was said and "true", but a truth based on simplism is really not. Pressure is lost to friction as air flows. The loss is proportional to flow speed and distance. A longer hose has more loss. A same length bigger hose has less. But its not because of its extra volume of air storage. Its because the air in it flows slower.

 

[4570Man]

It was said and "true", but a truth based on simplism is really not. Pressure is lost to friction as air flows. The loss is proportional to flow speed and distance. A longer hose has more loss. A same length bigger hose has less. But its not because of its extra volume of air storage. Its because the air in it flows slower.

Pressure is not lost. You put a pressure gauge on the start and end of the hose and it will be the same. You have loss volume and pressure under load, but just sitting there the pressure is the same. You might encounter problems trying to run a continuous flow tool like a air grinder, but a short blast from a nailer will be fine. A 4.2 CFM compressor isn't up to the task of running a grinder with any length of hose anyway.

 

[CCWKen]

I ran five 50' segments (250') of 1/4" air hose from the barn air compressor and had plenty of air to run a framing nailer. And ditto on the hose acting like a local tank. I was shooting 3 1/2" nails. Just crank the regulator up a little because the pressure will drop some.

Edit: As said, the pressure is the same but there's a loss in volume. Raising the pressure helps compensate. (It feels like lost pressure.)