Hello.

I am attempting to install 1/2" stand bamboo (solid and prefinished) planks onto a wooden subfloor. I am using a NuMax (cheap) air floor nailer with 1/2" baseplate installed. I am using 16GA 1.5" L cleats.

I have only managed to get 3 of 7 cleats to seat properly. Please see the pictures below.



Am I to have the baseplate (with 1/2" spacer) placed flat on the plank with the metal hooks (?) bumped up against the face of the tongue as below? This is how I attempt to set the nailer before hitting with the mallet.



Or should the metal hooks be on top of the tongue, making the baseplate not flat on the plank, as shown below?



It is difficult to get the nailer to stay in place as the hooks want to jump up onto the tongue. Looking at the location of the nail shoot, it doesn't seem like such a bad orientation. As I try to have the plate flat but the cleats seem to need to be closer into the plank.

The cleats have been going through the face of the tongue and taking some of it with them (see below). Very difficult to get out as they are completely under the tongue. But they are not going into the groove where the tongue ends and the plank begins.



Please let me know how I am to properly place the nailer, if it is normal to have it want to jump up on the tongue with downward (slightly angled in) pressure, or if I might just be hitting the actuator too hard.


I appreciate your help.

You would have much more success using a nail gun that shoots 18 gauge cleats.Strand bamboo is very hard and resists the 16 ga. cleat setting like it should using any fastening machine. If it does set the fastener it may make a dimple on the surface since the strand is so dense.

Thank you very much for the quick response. I'll rent an 18GA nailer.

Got a Powernail 50P for $150! Seats on the planks much better.