Bostitch F33PT flips 1.5" metal connector nails?

7 years 11 months ago - 7 years 11 months ago #1596 by willray
Might as well start my tenure here with a bang - so another nailer-driving-me-nuts question:

My new-to-me, but used Bostitch F33PT, with the metal connector nose, and the sequential trigger, refuses to drive Senco 1.5" .131 metal connector nails.

It sometimes drives one nail properly before performing a magic trick, sometimes performs the trick on the first nail shot: it flips the nail coming out of the magazine upside down, and gets it stuck, inverted, in the nailer nose.

I know, I'm trying to use Senco nails in a Bostitch nailer. Undoubtedly Bostitch would tell me that that's my problem. I don't seem to have a convenient source for Bostitch metal connector nails locally, but I'm willing to mail-order them if that's _really_ my problem. With shipping however, it's a bit of an investment to buy a whole 'nother box of nails, just to find out that it's really something else wrong with the nailer.

So - any suggestions, recommendations, obvious things to check on the nailer that might be causing this?

Many thanks for any advice,
Will Ray

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

7 years 11 months ago #1600 by MTR-Admin
Replied by MTR-Admin on topic Bostitch F33PT flips 1.5" metal connector nails?
You're not having the best luck with nailers! :blink:

I'll see if I can help, or at least get you closer to resolving the problem. I don't (admittedly) have a ton of experience with these metal connector nailers ("MCN"-style) but I gleaned some information from my factory rep that I think is useful.

I cannot speak for the Senco nails as I am not too familiar with their Metal Connector nails, but in general all Senco Paper tape 30 – 34 Degree common framing nails should work in this tool.

Perhaps they MC nails may be designed/collated differently, but I do not know. I doubt it.

It is not impossible that a severely worn driver can cause the nails to tumble, but it would not be my first thought in this situation. I doubt it is the magazine either.

Keep in mind that the very short 1-1/2" nail is shorter than what is normally used in these tools. The shortest framing nail is 2", so admittedly we stretch the parameters a bit on the application.

When the 1-1/2" nail is sheared from the collation in the magazine, it must travel quite a way in the nose until it engages the MCN guide tip. The shorter the nail, the more likely a nail will tumble.

Of course we have parts in play to control that, but it can still happen from time to time. If it is happening consistently, then I expect there is a problem in the Metal Connector tip itself (sold as MCN-KIT3):

www.mastertoolrepair.com/kit-metal-conne...n-kit3-p-403212.html

There are two parts in this assembly to control nail kickback, on the breakdown below see items 5 and 6; the Pendulum, and Pendulum Spring.

Inspect these to make sure they are even there, or is the Spring or Pendulum broken or worn.

Part numbers:

158456 – Pendulum
158457 – Pendulum Spring

If needed:

160016 – Pivot Pin
854004 – Retainer grommet

Also, if the back side of the trip housing is damaged it would affect its ability to control the nail tumble. This would require a complete assembly replacement: MCN-KIT3.

It is important to correct this as continued jamming can damage the nose!

- MTR
Attachments:

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

7 years 11 months ago #1603 by willray
Thanks - I'll think about that and check those parts as soon as I'm back to the Bostitch this weekend. I'm not entirely sure that the nail isn't flipping before it reaches the MCN tip - without the nailer in front of me, I can't be sure, but I think the MCN tip fits around the nose and only protrudes a little bit below it. If I'm remembering correctly the nails are ending up upside down within the nose tube.

The "that short nail has to travel a long way before it gets caught by the tip" seems likely to be the ultimate culprit somehow. Without being able to watch the thing in slow-motion, it's like the nail is pivoting off of the tape, rather than shearing off. I can't decide whether I can't figure out how this could happen, or how it could ever be prevented reliably at all. Is there anything in the design that specifically tries to keep the nail pointed in the right direction as it shears off the paper tape, or does this thing just rely on luck?

Thanks again, and I'll let you know what I figure out as I go.

(and by the way, I usually have great luck with pneumatic nailers. My Paslode 5350 (bought new) has got to be 30 years old now, and still going strong. Really haven't had any trouble with nailers before, other than occasionally changing seals, until these two, within a week of each other - guess they had to bite me eventually)

Will

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

7 years 11 months ago #1607 by MTR-Admin
Replied by MTR-Admin on topic Bostitch F33PT flips 1.5" metal connector nails?
Great, let me know if have any luck with your diagnoses this weekend and if you have any more info to add. I'll continue to do some research on this and reply shortly, hopefully with a possible solution!

- MTR

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

7 years 11 months ago #1609 by MTR-Admin
Replied by MTR-Admin on topic Bostitch F33PT flips 1.5" metal connector nails?
Sorry, but I did miss another possibility as I was focused on the MCN tip itself due to the application, but your description leads me to believe I may have been in the wrong area.

Bostitch does indeed have a mechanism in place to help keep shorter nails from kicking back when the driver strikes them. In fact this is worse with the Paper tape collated MCN nails because they are collated with more rigid tape because the nails are spaced vs. tight together on standard framing nails.

On the left side of the nose there is a “Kickback” pawl that keeps the tip of the nail in the driver channel. As noted, it is the natural tendency with “spaced” nails for the nails to tumble. The driver strikes the front half of the head, which naturally pulls the tip back. Most prominent with the shorter nails.

See pictures of the nails and a picture of the kickback pawl on a tool for location.

It is not impossible that the pawl is chipped or broken on the inside facing the nails.

There is a pawl, a spring, and pivot pin with a retainer. 43, 44, 45, 46.

- MTR
Attachments:

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

7 years 11 months ago #1612 by willray
Thanks.

I spent a bit of time scratching my head and studying the thing Saturday evening, and I noticed that little pawl. The 1.5" metal-connector nails don't quite reach down to it in the magazine, so I can see how it would help with maybe 2" nails, but it looks like 1.5" nails have the opportunity to pivot before they even get that far.

Looking at where the nails end up when it flips them, they do look like they flip either just above, or just beneath that pawl. There's a little horizontal cut-out in the bottom of the magazine just before the nails reach the nose, and many times, the errant nail ends up with its head in the "piston channel" in the nose, and its point hanging straight back in that cut-out.

I think I need to pull the top and see if I can make a nail flip just pushing things through manually with the piston.

... Looking at the picture you sent of the Bostitch nails, I'm not sure it's not an optical delusion, but, it looks like the angle on them is slightly more "point forward" than the Senco nails, and perhaps the Sencos are just a smidgen closer together on the tape? Need to find some place local that carries the Bostitch nails!

Thanks, the mystery continues. I'll report back as I learn things.
Will

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Moderators: MTR-Admin
Time to create page: 0.159 seconds