Keeping your tools speedy all the time is very important.
You know that accuracy, as well as speed, is essential at work.
And I say it is mandatory.
It is frustrating when you get a tool that does not work correctly and gives you a hard time.
A nail gun is a smart tool for any DIY worker or construction builder. It can save a lot of time and money when it comes to driving nails.
But it will not save you time if you do not oil it regularly and adequately. Do you know why it is essential to oil a nail gun and how to oil a nail gun? Here are why and how. It is super easy to oil a nail gun if you follow my instructions.
Why nail gun needs oil?
Any power tools need maintenance. And oiling is a part of maintenance.
One of the main reasons for the oiling nail gun is to expand the lifespan of your nail gun. Even the best nail gun requires that. All the nail guns have pistons. You can compare the piston to a car engine. The car engine needs a lubricant to run smoothly. Similarly, the piston needs oil to run smoothly. If you do not oil it regularly, it is not going to work properly and not going to last long.
Another reason is the smoothness. If you oil all the joints, it will remain smooth. Also, you want a smooth trigger that will respond when you pull. It will only happen when you put a drop of oil there regularly. Otherwise, after a long work, it will get jammed.
And lastly, the feed system needs smoothness to work correctly. If you want that whenever you pull the trigger, it works, and a nail drives into the target, you should oil it.
How to oil a nail gun?
Before going to the main part, you have to ensure your safety. You know, safety always comes first. To ensure safety, you can wear safety glasses. And you must disconnect the gun from the source. If it is an air nail gun, make sure you remove the air hose, if it is an electric nail gun, make sure you have disconnected it from the socket. Then go to the oiling process.
- First of all, remove all nails left in your nail gun. Even if it is in the strip, cartridge, or chamber, this will make it easy to oil the gun and at the same time, ensure your safety.
- If it is a pneumatic nail gun, hold your gun in an upright position. This will help you oil the gun.
- Now, use a pneumatic oil bottle, oil your gun. Oil all the places necessary. We will discuss where to oil in the next para.
- Then connect the hose and pull the trigger several times to allow spreading the oil throughout the gun properly.
- And lastly, observe the oil coming out from your nail. If you notice that the oil coming out is dirty, then repeat the oiling process until the oil coming out is clean. This will remove all the dirt from your nail gun, and it will also increase the lifespan of your gun.
If you want to know how to oil a finish nailer, the process is the same.
Check this video for a better understanding
Where do you put oil in nail gun?
There are three parts generally where you should oil.
- Trigger: Nothing is more frustrating than sticking the trigger. When you put the trigger, if it does not respond, you cannot speed up your work. So if you want to speed up your work, your trigger should work properly. So oil it regularly.
- Air fitting: If you have a Pneumatic gun, then this is the main part where you should oil regularly. Put two drops of oil every day before work and get a fast and smooth gun.
- Feed system: Another place to oil is the feed system. But make sure you are using the right oil; otherwise, it may leave debris.
How often should you oil your nail gun?
You need to oil your nail gun daily. If you work every day, you should oil it before you start working. If possible, it will be better if you oil it in the middle of work. And if you work often, then surely your gun will be sat for a long time. Then you have to oil it before start working.
What kind of oil should you use in your nail gun?
You should use the best oil for a nail gun. You will find proper oil for a nail gun on Amazon. Make sure you do not use WD40, motor oil, compressor oil, or transmission fluid. This might destroy your nailer.
One more thing, the oil for the winter season is not the same as the oil of the summer season. So make sure you have chosen the right one in the right season for your nailer.
How many drops of oil should you use?
5-10 drops of oil are enough for your nailer. However, if it is sat for a long time, then you should use a little bit more oil for better results. Too much oil in nail gun can damage your nailer and make the work environment dirty and oily.
Nail gun oil substitute
You can also use nail gun oil substitute to oil your nail gun.
- Hydraulic Oils
- ATFs or Automatic Transmission Fluids
- Synthetic Oils (or Engine Oil)
But remember that these oils may cause damage to your nail gun. It is not recommended to use any other oil substitute to your nail gun if you want to get the best performance out of it.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, even the great Bostich nailers need oil to ensure smooth and efficient performance. Make sure you pick the right oil for the nailer in order to get the best performance. Pick Bostick nail gun oil from Amazon.
You need to use recommended oil to oil your nail gun. Do not use anything like WD40, motor oil, compressor oil, or something like that.
No, you cannot use WD40 on your nail gun. It will rather hamper your nail gun instead of making the gun smoother.
Any kinds of Mineral oil with anti-foaming as well as anti-gumming additives works best for air tools and nailers.
The process of oiling your Porter cable nail gun is the name of the others. We have mentioned the process above. Please read that for better understanding.
Yes, you can use 3in1 oil in your nail gun and it will work fine. It is a lightweight and non-detergent oil with silicone. It will not mess up with your nail gun. You can check the guide here as well.
Conclusion
Most of the time nail gun fails because of the failing of keeping the nail gun oiled. No matter how good you maintain your nail gun, if you do not oil the nailer regularly and adequately, it will get jammed, and it will fail when necessary.
So make sure you oil your nailer regularly. Now since you know how to oil a nail gun, you know that it is easy and takes a few minutes to do it, you should not use it without oiling it. This is the thing you should do for the best maintenance of your nail gun.