I have a Bostitch pin nailer and it has been an awesome nailer for many projects. Today I was putting the final few pins into a rebuild of a rotted structure and suddenly air started coming out from the trigger area.
I took the triggers off and pulled the trigger valve assembly expecting to find a cracked O ring but no. I then cleaned it up, reoiled it and put it back together but it is still leaking.
What else could it be? Any ideas?
Thanks.
Doesn’t the trigger exhaust the air after its driven the pin, so that the hammer (for lack of the proper term) can return to its start position? Maybe the hammer is stuck partway.
I use Sea Spray brand oil in an aerosol can and I spray all around the head and in the air way before plugging in the hose.
Sounds dry to me.
David may be right about the recoil hanging up on a passageway creating a blow by.
John
I was using it and all of a sudden the air started blowing out near the triggers that is why I thought an Oring had cracked.
I will have to dig deeper tomorrow and let you know how I make out.
Todd
You are adding air tool oil before using it each time right?
It could be a bad O ring in the head, not near the trigger and the case directs the air flow.
Is there a manual or a parts diagram online?
Hmmmm is your line pressure strong enough? I remember that symptom from low pressure, the long hissssssss.
Just one more thought.
John
Yes it gets a few drops of oil each time I use it.
I took the whole gun apart including the trigger mechanism and soaked it. The Orings look fine they are not cracked or broken. I then took the plunger out to clean and put it back together, oiled and connected it to the compressor.
I think I may have found the problem, the “Hammer” as David calls it is not retracting. It fires once then sits there which causes the air to blow back.
Question is, is it the hammer or trigger? The gun is actually pretty simple in theory.
Now to find the parts. Thanks for the info guys.
Hammer /trigger…you probably don’t need any parts it’s probably just jammed. Slide it forward and lube the guides/slides.
UPDATE: I finally got a new trigger assembly for the gun, $18 including tax, put it in and the air leak is gone but now the gun fires once and the hammer sticks. I think I might have damaged that a bit when taking the gun apart. I’m going to check the parts store to see if they have a new plunger/hammer tomorrow.
That’s why a HF pinner which lasts 1-2 years is a good item at $20 or so, just get a new one when they get balky. With a more expensive one you’re stuck with repairs.
I had a gun once that would jam after each firing, I had re-assembled with feeler gauges to align the slots… and tightened it up. No go. But when I loosened the carrier slide it worked fine… maybe yours needs to run from Archie Bell and the Drells and not do the Tighten Up!(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
John
HF, plug and play and throw away. That’s the one I got.
I can see the appeal to the Harbor Freight guns but I do like my Bostitch products. I have 4 of them and the ones that get the most use are the 18 gauge brad and 23 gauge pin nailer with literally thousands of fastners sent through each one without issue up to now that is.
The gun new is about $120 so for me the breaking point for repairs is $50. The outside looks like new and it would be a shame to have to trash it.
If I can’t get this one going I will be making a trip to HF.
I like good tools and this is the one I purchased about 18 years ago. Drives brads 5/8 to 1-5/8 long. In all those years never jammed and works flawlessly. Two drops of oil in the air line each day and I’m good to go. Remodeled several rooms in my home using this gun and made many projects for my 1/8th scale stuff with this thing. Working on an assembly fixture today to make seven oak roof walks for my 1/8th scale Baldwin/Westinghouse freight motor locomotives.
Oh yea, I would gladly spend the money for a good tool, especially if I was going to be using it a lot. But a pin nailer? In my world, its a good tool to have, the once or twice a year when I am going to use it. So, for around $20, the HF one does the job, and when it goes Tango Uniform, I am not out anything. I already got my money’s worth out of it.
I guess I’m a bit old fashioned when it comes to tools and I like to buy quality up front but unlike the old days even “quality tools” today have their issues so in the end are we paying for a name?
The same thing goes for cars today and the so called durable goods, they all fall apart and break down. The ol saying “you get what you pay for” doesn’t really apply anymore.
The good news is that my pin nailer is working! I ended up getting a new driver for it because I damaged the old one. So for a grand total of $24 and time to take it apart and put it back together several times I have my pin nailer back!
Thanks for the info guys.
Cool, and for $24, it should last longer then the one from HF for the same amount of money. Good deal.
