Make/Model: The Omer 12.50

Where to buy Nails

Folks doing a high volume of work or commercial work should plan on buying their own nails.

• RAPTOR® F/14 & F/15 Composite Finish Nails – 1 1/4″  Pt. Number: F/15-125CP
• RAPTOR® F/14 & F/15 Composite Finish Nails – 1″  Pt. Number: F/15-100CP
• RAPTOR® F/14 & F/15 Composite Finish Nails – 3/4″  Pt. Number: F/15-075CP

The Nail Gun

We have a nail gun that uses only plastic nails, and it is used as one way to attach your project to the spoil board of the Large CNC Router. It lives under the monitor on the computer cart. Here’s how to use it.

You can add or change the nails by pressing the red button you can see in the picture above, and sliding it all the way to the right. this opens the chamber for the nails. Then you can remove or add nails through the slot in the back.

We have 3 different sizes of plastic nails and they are kept in the tool cabinet for the CNC Router. You only need 3/8″ into the spoilboard to secure the end. If the nails are too long, then they will go into the router table base which is NOT a spoilboard.

Also in that cabinet is a small bottle of oil. Add 2 drops in the air hose coupler where the compressor hose attaches. Then attach the hose.

 

Nail gun cautions

While generally safe the nail gun can spit plastic. The nail can sometimes disintegrate and spray fragments. This is not a big problem unless some gets in your eye so always wear eye protection when using the nail gun.

Nails can change direction and not always go into the spoil board. Sometimes it will go between the project and the spoil board. Look closely to make sure they are going where they are supposed to and the project feels firmly attached to the table.

 

The Compressor

COMPRESSOR INFORMATION OUT OF DATE AS OF 3/3/21 –

The compressor is on the other side of the room from the CNC.

Pull the hose out and bring it to the nail gun by the CNC. Leaving one end attached to the compressor.

Then make sure the vales are closed on both tanks. There are 2 tanks on the left side of the compressor and each one has a valve on the left side of the tank. The valve is open when the black lever is parallel with the brass tube and is closed when the lever is perpendicular.

 

When both of the valves are closed you can turn on the compressor. There is a red button that you pull to turn it on.

 

The compressor will run till it gets to 90 PSI and then shut off. This takes about a minute. Once it’s up to full pressure you can use the nail gun.

When you are finished with the nail gun:

1. Turn off the compressor by pushing the red button in.
2. Disconnect the nail gun from the hose and return the nail gun to under the CNC monitor.
3. Coil and replace the hose.
4. Open the valves on both tanks and let all the pressure out.

When to use

The 2 main ways we attach stock to the spoil board is with brass screws or the plastic nail gun. The nail gun is fast and simple and works well with plywood or MDF. More brittle woods may spit using the nail gun, in that case brass screws work great but are a bit more labor. Brass screws often need pre drilled holes in brittle woods prone to splitting.

To remove your project

To get your work free from the table we break the nails by striking the project with a mallet. Use a strong sideways blow to your scrap where the nails are and it should break free quite easily. Sometimes a scrap board between your project and the mallet can focus the force where it’s needed.

Tips

I use about 10 nails each time. I’ve had the stock break free using only 4-6.

Clean up

When you’re done you’ll notice some of the nails have left nubs left sticking out of the table. It’s polite to try to remove them with a pliers if they come out, or at least use a chisel and mallet to cut the level with the spoil board.

 

Logs