Nails or screws?

My boss swears that there is no way in hell that using an air nailer will work for building enclosures, and I know it will. Do any of you have any pictures or experiences using an air nailer instead of screws? When I was at Installer Institute that is what they used, and my boss still doesn't think it will hold in the long run. I'd love to know if anybody has used nails when building enclosures for some of the big boy subs (e.g. 13W7). Please, reply to this ASAP. ThanksSean Cawby

Midway Electronics

Rensselaer, IN

219-866-3716

My friend and I built a 1" MDF enclosure for an RFL using an air nailer and it's holding fine 6 months later, even after some competition level SPL readings. I've built a couple of enclosures using one, including the one in my brother's Jetta. That one has been fine for 3 years now. Tell your boss to call me if he has any more questions. Cary

All right, that still doesn't convince him, so come on people, I need more support here. Sean Cawby

Midway Electronics

Rensselaer, IN

219-866-3716

If you put enough nails in any material, at some point it will become as strong as screws... it's just that you'll need more nails to hold the same material together.  Think of it from a surface area contact perspective. Screws are going to be 'touching' much more surface area of the material it's screwed into. Some nails can achieve a similar result with sprial/helical or ringed shanks and keep the nail count close or equal to the same ammount of screws, but I'm not too sure they're available for the air nailer...  It's a "6 in one, a half-dozen in the other" scenario.    ...but what do I know, I'm not a boss..!.:theChad:.

Shop that did my install uses a nail gun but all edges also get wood glue applied plus the final sealant on all joints on the inside of the enclosure. Once the wood glue sets up on MDF it wont come back apart without distroying the wood.

Yes, I will always use liquid nails also, plus use liquid nails on all inside joints, plus with this particular enclosure i'll be putting a layer of fiberglass resin on the inside also.Sean Cawby

Midway Electronics

Rensselaer, IN

219-866-3716

nails hold just fine if you use good glue... I am personally not a fan of liquid nails because I dont think it is as strong as the ProBond Polyurethane glue that I have been using for awhile now...basically, with the Probond, the screws are just there to hold the wood while the glue dries...the glue bond is much stronger than screws are alone... so that being said, it doesnt really matter what you use to hold things together as long as they can keep the box together tightly while the glue dries...

My experience is air nailers work just as good. I tried to take a box apart after using glue and air nails the wood broke before the joint would come apart. I'm with ya man. Good luck

As someone else mentioned the screws/nails whatever are there to hold while the glue dries. Technically once it's dry you should be able to take all the screws out and not worry about anything. Although you'd have to fill up all the left over holes so be lazy and leave them in. So you and your boss stop arguing over screws and nails and start arguing over what type of glue to use. Later