What is special about a brad nail?
Question:For use in moulding and trim work
Answers:
It's a like a small finishing nail. It is a small strip of metal -- coming in various lengths and gauges -- and are grouped in a strip called a clip. These clips are inserted into a special gun which uses pneumatics or electricity to drive a head which forces the brad into the woodwork. The brads are often ribbed and coated with a glue; the glue is heated by the friction created by being forced into the wood. When dry, the glue and ribs help it grip the backing materials for a more secure finished end product. The brad nail is primarily used by finishing carpenters, cabinet makers and furniture manufactures.
The main advantage is speed. Using a brad nailer, a person can secure a baseboard in a few seconds. And the brad is often set into the woodwork, meaning the carpenter can skip having to set each nail with a punch. He/she can simply apply woodfiller in the holes, then sand it down to a smooth finish.
However, there are draw backs, Because of the force being applied to the brad, if it hits a knot, it will often curl back. If the gauge is too think, it can also split material. It is also fairly ineffective with manufactured wood products like particle board and MDF. And if you have to remove a brad, you must remove the work from the wall and pull the brad out from the back of the baseboard to prevent damage to the finished side.
it is small and easy to hide.
they are small
Well for one you can only use them with a brad gun which makes it fast and when it penetrates, it does it quickly and helps stop the trim from cracking (unlike finishing nails) You can also cover a larger amount faster. You might not want to push the gun hard against to surface as it will mar it when the gun strikes a brad nail out. You can use a small punch to finish it in so it is flush.
They are very small, resist splitting the wood, and have very small heads that are easily hidden with paint.
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