Plastic nails. True story. They grab hard, sand flat, and accept stain, so you don’t have to fill nail holes. This takes one complete step out of some paint prep and finishing processes.
Plastic nails. True story. They grab hard, sand flat, and accept stain, so you don’t have to fill nail holes. This takes one complete step out of some paint prep and finishing processes.

Yes, I said plastic nails. You might think I’m crazy but hear me out.

I’ve been using the Omer B17P.763 Pneumatic Finish Nailer for a little over a year and love it for applications like trim and some other custom projects. While plastic nails do have their limits--they lack much in the way of shear strength--the company says they have about twice the tensile strength as conventional nails. And, since they’re plastic and not susceptible to corrosion and oxidation, they won’t rust or stain in wet conditions. Where I live and work, we have wind-driven rain off the ocean and it’s tough on fasteners, especially in vertical applications like siding, fascia, and box beam posts.

You have to use Raptor’s proprietary nailer, an Omer. The straight mag might bother some, but not having to fill nail holes is money in the bank.
You have to use Raptor’s proprietary nailer, an Omer. The straight mag might bother some, but not having to fill nail holes is money in the bank.

Raptors nails and staples melt slightly upon penetration into the substrate. As with glue-coated steel wire nails, this fusing of the fastener to the substrate creates a strong mechanical bond. I’ve built corner boards, decorative columns, and a barn door, among other things. Even if an item will receive some stress, the Raptors are still great to hold pieces fast while the glue dries.

And probably the best part is they are sandable. Set the gun to leave the head a little proud and then come back with a sander for a nice, smooth, ready-to-finish surface. And, if you clip them with a router bit, they’ll just rout over.

Raptors sand flat, quickly, and easily with any grit sandpaper.
Raptors sand flat, quickly, and easily with any grit sandpaper.

Another advantage to sandable nails is not having to caulk or putty nail holes. And they accept stain. But be sure to test them first, alongside a sample of the substrate you have. I had an issue on a threshold where the Raptors took the stain in much darker than the surrounding wood. I've found that gel-stain is a good solution. As a non-penetrating stain, it doesn’t get taken into the wood fiber. Still, keep in mind that every material accepts stain differently, and the nails will most likely not match your material exactly.

There’s a wide variety of fastener types and sizes including staples and coil nails. Raptor recommends a Max coil nailer for the latter.
There’s a wide variety of fastener types and sizes including staples and coil nails. Raptor recommends a Max coil nailer for the latter.

Raptor offers a variety of nails and staples; however, you do have to use its proprietary Omer Nailers for the most part. There are multiple gauges and lengths available in staples, finish nails, brads, pin nails, clamp nails, double point nails, and common nails. (Editor’s Note: Raptor indicates a wide variety of applications on its website including cedar shingles, fencing, and a heartwarming call-out from its general woodworking category: “Casket-Manufacturing”; for its coil nails, Raptor recommends the Max CN565S2.)

Plastic does have a downside. I’d be hesitant to use plastic nails on any type of structural application like exterior framing. And in most applications, I still use glue wherever I'd normally use it to back up a nailed assembly.

The nailer the author tested worked well. No complaints. No jams. No problems.
The nailer the author tested worked well. No complaints. No jams. No problems.

Raptor Nails may not be for everyone (Editor’s Note: One deal breaker might be that Omer guns appear to come in straight mag only), but they certainly do fit a niche for me. More details available at www.raptornails.com.

As for the finish nailer, I have had zero problems with it.