Sheathing Nailing

[n74tg]

I'm using 5/8" OSB for my sheathing (2x6 exterior walls, 24" centers).  I have about three full boxes (given to me) of 16 common nails for my nail gun and only about 100 size 8 common nails.

I know the framing books say use 8's for sheathing of this thickness, but will it be a problem if I use up some of those 16's attaching the sheathing.  As much as I have thought about this, I can't see where I will ever use up all those 16's.

[MountainDon]

I wonder if the extra thickness of those 16's will have more tendency to break up the panel edges where one panel meets another over a stud?

You may already know, but just to be sure... do not overdrive any sheathing nails with the nail gun. Inspectors don't like nails driven below the surface, and that means a red tag, unless there's a "good" nail beside the bad one. Not sure how close... 1"

[PEG688]

That a lot of nail to drive If you think about it on a normal 16 penny drive 1 1/2" of the nail is going thru one member cross grain your nails will be driven into side grain, I guess I'd call it,  and only 5/8" thru the ply. Have you tried it yet? I think you'll be finishing a LOT of nails off by hand as they won't drive all the way.

  If they do drive the other issue will be the distance they go into the stud and when your boring wiring and plumbing holes you may hit a lot of nails with your drill bit.

There's generally a reason certain type nails are used, I think your setting yourself up for more work by trying to hard to save $45.00 bucks on a box of the "right" nails.

Yard sale the 16d  or pay them forward to another builder. Thats my take on it.     

[n74tg]

Thanks Don and PEG.  Good reasons from both of you. 

I'm not too worried about the plumbing and wiring; I can get around those problems. 

But, what I think bothered me was having a whole lot of 8d nails left over after the sheathing was finished (kind of like having three full boxes of 16's now).  So, I did a quick estimate with the first cup of coffee this morning and I will need 1,845 nails out of a whole box (2,000).   

So, it's off to the store today for 8's.