On Apr 18, 11:14*am, Arbee wrote:
Hi. I'm going to be installing some 3/4" poplar trim on 3/4" wood
backing and need some advice. I have both 16 and 18 gauge nailers.
Because of the style of the trim, I'm going to have to nail pretty
close to the edges, so I figure the 18 gauge is the best choice. We
got the trim custom made and the wife will kill me if I split it.
I have a 2 part question. First, if I go with the 18 gauge, would the
3/4" poplar just create a bunch of 18 gauge pretzels and second, since
the brads are only 1.25", is 1/2" penetration into the backing enough?
I guess the other question would be, if I go with the 16 gauge, is it
likely to split the wood?

Thanks.

Arbee,

I recently faced the same issue as you are facing. I attached about 40
feet of 3/4 poplar trim (run through my router table, so actually a
little thinner than 3/4) using a 23 gauge pin nailer and glue. It
worked perfectly. I picked up the pin nailer at Harbor Freight for
about $15. That pinner will only shoot up to 1" pins, but that was
enough to secure the molding until the glue dried.

Kevin