FrankEV Posted December 8, 2020 Report Share Posted December 8, 2020 (edited) I've done a couple of stack cuts recenly and just used either double stick tape or just painters tape to wrap an edge. I can see the posible use of a pin nailer if the stack is going to be thicker than 1/2" and fairly large in dimension. I also believe that to use a pin nailer you would need to have perimerter waste area to nail in that gets cut away at the very end. Since I do mostly portraits and presize my panels to fit a frame size I want to use, there is no perimeter waste area. If I wanted to stack cut a portrait it would likely be only two or three 1/8" thick layers anyway and therefore a pin nailer would not be usible. Using double stick tape I can separate the cut panels with a razor blade very easily. Taped edges are even easier to separate. That all being said I personally do not see the value in using a pin nailer to stack cut. However, since a lot of you do, I would like to hear more pro arguments for the use of a pin nailer when stack Cutting. JFYI, I happen to own a number of air nailers from a framing nailer down to a 23GA pin nailer and two air staplers. Most are Porter Cable that are many years old while one stapler is a Harbor Fraight recent addition. Pin nailers are greate for eliminating clamps when doing large progect glue ups, but most scroll saw work is so light that glue up never requires more tha a few clamps or sometimes jjust a heavy weight like a brick or can of paint. Edited December 8, 2020 by FrankEV OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolf Posted December 8, 2020 Report Share Posted December 8, 2020 (edited) I use a pin nailer for all of my stack cutting with rare exception. I use 5/8 inch pins. in the waste areas. For ornaments I have the four corners as waste. I don't do portraits but I do delicate fretwork scenes with the wood cut to size like what you do frank. There are always a few waste areas that are big enough for a pin throughout the designs. Any large project needs more than just the edges or corners held tightly together. I cut those pieces out last and maybe tape the edges before cutting the last two. I never use double sided tape, too risky prying delicate layers apart. Edited December 8, 2020 by Rolf FrankEV, WayneMahler, OCtoolguy and 1 other 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ike Posted December 8, 2020 Report Share Posted December 8, 2020 I agree wiht Rolf IKE FrankEV and OCtoolguy 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jollyred Posted December 9, 2020 Report Share Posted December 9, 2020 Everyone keeps saying that the smallest pin is 1/2", but I regularly use 3/8" pins in my pin nailer. It is an Hitachi, so maybe other brands can't use this size. I noticed several other brands that state the smallest they use is 1/2". If the project is small, I will just tape it, rather than dragging out the pin nailer, but for larger projects I like to pin in the middle to prevent sawdust getting in between the layers, which cause more fuzzies on the back of the upper layer. Tom FrankEV, OCtoolguy and Rolf 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmcrafts Posted December 9, 2020 Report Share Posted December 9, 2020 I've not used pins before as I don't have a pin nailer.. back in the early days of my scrolling I used drywall screws in the waist areas.. used a cordless drill to screw them in.. but also back in the day I used 1/4 and 1/2 inch stock.. The screws don't have much thread grips for thin stock so it doesn't work too well. I could back the screws up so the tip didn't scratch my saw table. and could take them out and reuse for the next project.. I'd probably still be doing that if I had screws that's grip the last 1/8 piece on the bottom... I just bough a pin nailer from HF.. I'll see how well I like that over just taping around the edges that I've been doing for the past 15 years, LOL FrankEV and OCtoolguy 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAIrving Posted December 9, 2020 Report Share Posted December 9, 2020 I have on occasion used a staple gun when there was sufficient waste area. It uses staples down to 3/8". FrankEV and OCtoolguy 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill WIlson Posted December 9, 2020 Report Share Posted December 9, 2020 I can see the benefits of a pin nailer for this purpose and may have to give it a try sometime. I have a Porter Cable 23 ga pin nailer. I think the shortest pin it takes is 5/8" and most of my stacks are 1/2" or less, so I would likely only use it on larger pieces, where I need something in the middle to hold the layers together. The excess length could easily be nipped off and filed down smooth. Threads like this are illustrative though, of how diffferently we all work. There are very few, if any, one size fits all solutions to the various challenges we face. There is always something to be learned. That's one of the great things about forums like this. OzarkSawdust, kmmcrafts, OCtoolguy and 2 others 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolf Posted December 9, 2020 Report Share Posted December 9, 2020 Bill, no need to file, if there is a lot sticking up you can nip it off with a side cutter. But if you have an anvil, my vise has a big flat area. I just turn the wood over and hit the bottom of the pin with a small hammer. that peens the the top and sets the bottom just a tad bellow the surface so that it doesn't drag or scratch my SS table. I always sand the bottom of my stack after drilling the entry holes anyway. It keeps the bottom flat. I use a Sandflee. Be_O_Be and OCtoolguy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmcrafts Posted December 9, 2020 Report Share Posted December 9, 2020 52 minutes ago, Rolf said: Bill, no need to file, if there is a lot sticking up you can nip it off with a side cutter. But if you have an anvil, my vise has a big flat area. I just turn the wood over and hit the bottom of the pin with a small hammer. that peens the the top and sets the bottom just a tad bellow the surface so that it doesn't drag or scratch my SS table. I always sand the bottom of my stack after drilling the entry holes anyway. It keeps the bottom flat. I use a Sandflee. What if you was to use the nailer over the anvil? would that help stop the nail from protruding? I have a big sheet of stainless steel I had planed to use my nailer on.. but maybe that wouldn't work? Of coarse I'd still check to be sure it wasn't going to scratch my table.. plus as you do.. I sand after drilling the holes too.. Excited to try the pin nail method when my nailer arrives.. OCtoolguy and Rolf 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jollyred Posted December 9, 2020 Report Share Posted December 9, 2020 42 minutes ago, kmmcrafts said: What if you was to use the nailer over the anvil? It might bend the nail in the nose of the nailer and cause it to jam. They are pretty easy to unjam, so let us know how it works. Tom OCtoolguy and kmmcrafts 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill WIlson Posted December 9, 2020 Report Share Posted December 9, 2020 Rolf, I guess I wouldn't literally file it off. Poor choice of words on my part. I have a pair of end cutting pliers that get pretty close, but do leave a slight bit of the pin protruding past the surface. Sand paper even works to grind it down flush. Kevin, I wouldn't try nailing over an anvil. That's asking for a jam in the nailer. kmmcrafts and OCtoolguy 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolf Posted December 11, 2020 Report Share Posted December 11, 2020 Kevin I do fire the pin with the stack on the anvil, it still comes out just enough to scratch the table. Just enough so that I can feel it. With my stack size there is usually a bit of a tail sticking up. that gets snipped and tapped down to protect my delicate fingers. On 12/9/2020 at 10:08 AM, kmmcrafts said: What if you was to use the nailer over the anvil? would that help stop the nail from protruding? I have a big sheet of stainless steel I had planed to use my nailer on.. but maybe that wouldn't work? Of coarse I'd still check to be sure it wasn't going to scratch my table.. plus as you do.. I sand after drilling the holes too.. Excited to try the pin nail method when my nailer arrives.. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brokentone Posted December 11, 2020 Report Share Posted December 11, 2020 I have an upholstery staple gun that shoots 26g staples that range between 1/4” and 5/8” . I had not ever thought of it for stack cutting but think it might be the best option? Will have to order some staples for it, OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Finn Posted December 11, 2020 Report Share Posted December 11, 2020 I do not do any fretwork but I do stack cut toy parts. I fasten the layers together using hot glue. Works well for me. FrankEV 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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