The Railgun Nailgun can use any bog-standard nails (which, unlike their explosive brethren, do not require special storage facilities and permits). Apparent recoil is very little compared to gunpowder models and field strength is adjustable allowing you to get the best results for the particular task at hand. Tiny plastic or cardboard sabot disks are recommended for wide-headed types.
-- FlyingToaster, Feb 18 2009

How they work now http://home.howstuf...ks.com/nail-gun.htm
[BunsenHoneydew, Feb 23 2009]

"Hail! Hon, nail this rail, but don't impale my pail! Ouch, fail! Your gun's no fun!"
-- sninctown, Feb 19 2009


I have thought of this before, and suggested it (with tongue somewhat in cheek) to my Hitachi contact at the time.
-- Texticle, Feb 19 2009


gotta admit I was a bit surprised it wasn't an existing post.
-- FlyingToaster, Feb 19 2009


+ Is the first anno an accidental haiku?
-- Zimmy, Feb 19 2009


My only reservation is that you need quite a bit of power to launch a nail at speed. A battery probably wouldn't supply enough power to be quicker than using a hammer, though with a capacitor you could make some progress. So it would be tied to a power outlet. Otherwise it sounds pretty good.
-- Bad Jim, Feb 19 2009


There once was a nail

there used to be a neighbor

accidents happen
-- blissmiss, Feb 19 2009


Actually ... not bad. If you do away with the requirement to nail at a distance, and sort out the loading mechanism, this or a coilgun variant could lead to a simpler, cheaper, more reliable nailgun.

Think about it - I assume an electric nailgun as it currently stands converts electrical power into mechanical power to drive an internal hammer of some sort which, in turn, strikes the nail. A coil/railgun nailgun takes out the middleman, and directly electromagnetically accelerates the nail into the timber. Nice.
-- BunsenHoneydew, Feb 23 2009


What is it called when a projectile veers about due to random air effects? Hook? Yaw? Pitch? Anyway, I have to think a high velocity nail would be doing all of those.

I would love to see a video of a nailgun fired in a proper target range. The shooter could demo a handgun for comparison, then see how well he did with the nailgun. How close do you need the target to even reliably hit it with the nail?
-- bungston, Feb 23 2009


The head of the nail (which of course is the tail of the nail) would produce enough drag to keep the nail in a decent enough trajectory comparable to a BB or unrifled pellet gun. So for nail-driving accuracy you're probably looking at 10-15m on a good day.

love the haiku [blissy].
-- FlyingToaster, May 11 2012


Now, if you could just deploy an orbital version, that'd be handy for erm, uh, gimme a minute here...
-- not_morrison_rm, May 11 2012


indeed, as the others have said, there may be something to this. You'd of course need a capacitor to collect energy and release it in one quick burst.
-- EdwinBakery, May 11 2012


// How close do you need the target to even reliably hit it with the nail? //

With a properly warrantee-voided pneumatic nailgun, you can consistently hit a 10" target out to about 15-18 feet, but it's clumsy to aim and the ballistics are tricky. Best to try it with a bench rest. With an electric nailgun, forget it; 5' at best. Haven't tried it with a .22 blank nailgun (because I don't own one).
-- Alterother, May 11 2012


//.22 blank nailgun (because I don't own one).

The world breathes a collective sigh of relief..

Now, I keep finding rotary versions of railguns in Neil Asher stories, and I think he's missing the point (or maybe I am?).

But a rotary nailgun railgun would be useful for nailing things and erm, keeping the mice down.
-- not_morrison_rm, May 12 2012


Actually, depending on how that rotary railgun works, that might actually be plausible.

Either a) it cools the rails, which given all the plasma involved with a barrel that's probably not evacuated, have probably gotten quite hot if they haven't gotten or

b) it provides a beautifully overcomplicated system for ejecting the rails and rotating new, undamaged rails into place.
-- Hive_Mind, May 12 2012



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