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Has anyone had any experience with using a ramset gun to fasten 2x4 plates to steel?I need to fasten some to 3/8" steel. the ramset tech guy said it is possible. I just wanted to here from someone who has done it in the real world and if it is worth the expence.thankssteveBTS Welding
Reply:Its possible. We used a high velocity gun, though. Yellow nickel cased loads...big bang, but it worked. I doubt they even use those guns anymore. Anyway, you will be wanting to use a heavy pin with a washer with a heavy power load...but not a long pin. A 2" steel pin with washer would probably do it. If they keep breaking, a 1 3/4" may work. It will depend on how good the pins are. Be sure to buy plenty of extra pins and loads. You will be breaking quite a few. Ear plugs are mandatory, too. Loud just doesn't seem an adequate description.QamuIs Heg qaq law' lorvIs yInqaq puS
Reply:3/8" plate is pushing the upper  limits of the ramset.    I have used a hilti gun to fasten metal decking to 1/2" beam flanges but never tried to pin 3/8" thick material to anything else.Using the red loads the hilti gun pins decking to beam no worries on a setting around 3.5Vantage 500's LN-25's, VI-400's, cobramatics, Miller migs, synch 350 LX, Powcon inverters, XMT's, 250 Ton Acurrpress 12' brake, 1/4" 10' Atlantic shear,Koikie plasma table W/ esab plasmas. marvel & hyd-mech saws, pirrana & metal muncher punches.
Reply:thanks for the replies, well if it will pierce 1/2 " then it should work on 3/8"BTS Welding
Reply:Originally Posted by steve buterathanks for the replies, well if it will pierce 1/2 " then it should work on 3/8"
Reply:a mag drill and screw the 2x4 from the other side would be quicker.G
Reply:Got an old Remington stud gun.  .22cal.  That damn thing would be the worst thing to do what you're thinking of doing.It either bends the pin, shoots the pin so deep that it wipes out the wood(overpenetrates), or can shoot the damn pin back at ya.I suppose the Ramset is .25cal, but still, it's pretty iffy.  It's unpredictable.Those old things didn't do a good job in concrete either, unless it was green concrete.  Cured concrete, and the damn thing would spall the concrete.Mine stayed in the toolbox.  Was a bad investment.  Bought a Bosch rotary hammer with SDS bits for concrete, and called it a day."Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Originally Posted by denrepBe warned - It can be difficult to get consistent depth hits.A ramset would probably be my last choice for wood to steel.Good Luck
Reply:If you can find someone with an old high velocity gun, it will do it easily. We used to blow pins completely through 1/2" with red nickel case loads. It was no different than firing a gun. The modern guns all use pistons...those old guys didn't.QamuIs Heg qaq law' lorvIs yInqaq puS
Reply:Originally Posted by DDA52If you can find someone with an old high velocity gun, it will do it easily. We used to blow pins completely through 1/2" with red nickel case loads. It was no different than firing a gun. The modern guns all use pistons...those old guys didn't.
Reply:Yup...they are all that way now.QamuIs Heg qaq law' lorvIs yInqaq puS
Reply:it will drive INTO 1/2" steel NOT through 1/2" steel.    I can almost assure you that you will not be able to drive through 3/8" and stick it to anything else.Vantage 500's LN-25's, VI-400's, cobramatics, Miller migs, synch 350 LX, Powcon inverters, XMT's, 250 Ton Acurrpress 12' brake, 1/4" 10' Atlantic shear,Koikie plasma table W/ esab plasmas. marvel & hyd-mech saws, pirrana & metal muncher punches.
Reply:This is slightly off-topic but I found this free document online.http://www.huduser.org/Publications/...Steelguide.pdfIts "Hybrid wood and steel details-builders guide" made for US Housing and Urban development (HUD.)Its a 124 page PDF file with loads of fastener information and framing details.Most of it applies to steel sheet metal studs, but lots of interesting reading.
Reply:The OP is intending to fasten 2 x 4 wood plates to 3/8" steel, not fasten 3/8" steel to steel.I've only fastened to concrete, but the literature that came with my high velocity gun claims you can fasten wood 2 x 4s to structural steel.  I believe you would have more success pinning to steel with a high velocity gun.  I got mine decades ago and wasn't aware that they are no longer on the market.The high velocity gun is the type in which the pin is loaded into the barrel immediately in front of the powder load and is fired like a bullet into the target.  It relies on the velocity of the pin to penetrate adequately into the target.  The low velocity gun is the type in which the powder load acts on a captive piston in the barrel and the piston drives the pin into the target.  I think the high velocity of the pin fired from a high velocity gun promotes the flow of the steel of the target facilitating penetration by the pin.I can see how the pin from a high velocity gun could be more likely to ricochet since it is in free flight at higher velocity that the pin from a low velocity gun.  Perhaps there were enough accidents with high velocity guns that the lawyers got the manufacturers to stop production.  Still, in my ignorance and youthful foolishness, I prefer the high velocity gun.  I've had a few ricochets off the aggregate in the 80-year old concrete of my garage but they've all been caught by the ricochet shield built into all high velocity guns.If you are willing to take the risk, there are plenty of high velocity guns offered on ebay, many of them at rather low prices.  Be sure to use pins specifically labelled for use in a high velocity gun if that's what you are using.  Also, be sure to position the ricochet shield for maximum protection.  That is, don't rotate it off the the side if you don't have to to get the gun into position.awright
Reply:Just my opinion, but if the backside of the steel is accessable I'd just drill a 5/16 or 3/8 hole and nut&bolt it( with washers of course). If you can't get to the backside of the steel, then maybe self tapping screws. Nuts and bolts would probably get you a much stronger bond than ramset nails. For self tappers in 3/8 steel, you might have to drill a smaller pilot hole first though.
Reply:go with purple shot and also use ballastic nails there are stronger than the regular ones u get home depot . like 1 of the others said may not quite do . so do a couple of tests to make sure you get the desired affects
Reply:I worked on a building construction crew back in the early 1970's and used one of those tools.  I think it was a competing brand called Hilti.  We Nailed 2x4 lumber to steel H columns with 1/4" web.  Load the .22 cal cartridge, put the nail with a washer in front, stick it against the 2x4 held to the steel, now whack the plunger end with a 5 lb lump hammer.  BANG!  The small washer would get burried in the wood, the nail head just below flush with the surface...  the point would pierce the 1/4" steel about 1/2".  And there was no getting the wood back off the steel in one piece.  If you made a mistake and needed to move it the wood would have to be destroyed and a new piece cut.  The nail remained in the steel for archeologists to find.    We could put up a lot of these 2x4 lumber nailers in a hurry with this rig.  I imagine the technology has improved in 35 years.  You should be good-2-go with the right loads.Using these things for concrete --- like FarmerSamm said: If it is green they work great.  If the concrete is old it doen't work so well.  Old concrete will part with divots but will not usually hold the nail.  Time to drill and fill.-MondoMember, AWSLincoln ProMIG 140Lincoln AC TombstoneCraftsman Lathe 12 x 24 c1935Atlas MFC Horizontal MillCraftsman Commercial Lathe 12 x 36 c1970- - - I'll just keep on keepin' on.