What are Collated Nails ?

Collated Nails also known as nail guns are used in mechanical Nail Guns to make it quicker and easier to drive nails into wood.

As lithium battery technology constantly advances, the latest nail guns are powered by high capacity lithium batteries, but by far the most popular nail guns use gas cannisters followed by air compressor guns.

Gun Nails are available in various lengths, angles and shank style.To make it more confusing, some nails will only work with certain Nail Gun brands. We will try and clear up this confusion.

Types of Collated Gun Nails

Gun Nails are split into 2 main categories, 1st Fix and 2nd Fix.

1st Fix Nails. Used for “1st fixing” such as stud work, noggings, framing, ply sheathing, flooring

Sizes: From 51mm to 90mm
Shank Style: Smooth Shank or Ring Shank (Used for more structural and ply sheathing applications)
Finish: Galvanised

2nd Fix Nails Used for “2nd fixing” such as skirting, internal work, cedar cladding (internal or external),

Sizes: From 32mm to 64mm
Shank Style: Straight or Angled Smooth
Finish: Stainless Steel and Galvanised
Gauge: 16 Gauge (Most popular) 18 Gauge (Used for Finer more detailed applications)

Paslode premium nails provide a consistent optimised fixing performance, delivering a clean, flush finish even in the toughest materials and poor weather conditions. Eurocode 5 compliant Paslode nails are CE marked and are manufactured to perfectly accompany your Paslode tool. The diverse range of nails suit many applications.

An image of 1st fix helical screw PPN (Positive Placement Nail)

An image of 2nd Fix 50mm Angled Nails

There are many manufacturers of collated nails including.

Paslode
Rawl
Viper
Fischer
Champion
Firmahold

Most manufacturers nails will work in a Paslode 1st Fix nail gun IM350+, but only paslode nails will fit in a IM360 gun. There are also many manufacturers of Nail Guns, and again most brands of nails will work in these guns. It is just the Paslode IM360 that will only accept the Paslode Nails.

Types of Guns

1st Fix Guns

Paslode is by far the most popular Gun Nail brand used in the UK with their IM350 and IM350+ being the most popular models of gun.Virtually all brands of gun nails work in all brands of gun nails, but it is ALWAYS best to check with the relevent manufacturer before using different brands of gun and nail.

IM360 is Paslodes latest gun which has extra power allowing it to fire 90mm ring shank nails which the IM350m and im350+ can not.

Many other manufacturers produce 1st fix nail guns including Rawl,