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Also called stud drivers, stud guns and rem guns, these are heavy-duty tools that fire gunpowder cartridges. This "power load" pushes a piston inside the tool that slams a special heat-treated and hardened steel nail (a "drive pin") through wood and into concrete. It takes only seconds to load and fire a stud gun, so you can drive dozens of fasteners quickly.
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Fig.A Why Drive Pins Work, and Why They Fail
Know the rules for fastening into concrete. The drive pins should penetrate 1 in. to 1-1/4 in. into the concrete, but never protrude through it. Drive pins displace the concrete, which tries to return to its original form, resulting in a compression bond.
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1. Quickly fasten sill plates to concrete slabs using a powder-actuated tool (PAT). Safety goggles, hearing protection and safe work methods are imperative. Once this hammer-activated PAT is loaded, hold the tool 90 degrees to the work surface. Then, tightly grip it with your arm fully extended, keeping your head in line behind the tool. Firmly push down on the PAT to cock it, maintain that pressure, and strike the firing pin nut with a strong blow from the hammer. Keep your body balanced; as the tool fires, it delivers a recoil.
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2. Simple "Stud Guns" like this trigger-activated model (top photo; about $70) or our hammer-activated model (bottom photo; about $20) are loaded one shot at a time. Stud guns resemble firearms, and they have much in common. Treat both with respect and NEVER use PAT powder loads in firearms (and vice versa).
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3. Attach furring strips to walls using either 1-1/2 in. Standard drive pins or washered drive pins (if the wood splits). The trigger-activated PAT shown is a single-shot tool that loads like the hammer-activated model.
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For the best bond, use adhesive on the 1x2s first and fire the drive pins only into horizontal mortar joints. There may not be enough mortar in the vertical joints to properly capture a fastener. If you must fasten into the concrete block face, fire only into the core wall located at the very center of the block or you may crack the block.
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4. Conduct a center punch test on poured concrete walls and slabs before you shoot power fasteners. Firmly strike a drive pin several times. If the fastener point penetrates the concrete easily, the material is too soft. If the concrete shatters or cracks, it’s too brittle. If the fastener point is blunted or bent, the concrete is too hard. When the concrete shows a well-defined impression of the fastener tip, it's the proper hardness. Go ahead and shoot some test fasteners.
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5. Prepare a shot by first placing one hand on the grip and the other on the muzzle, rapidly pulling the barrel forward. The chamber will open and the piston will be set for firing. For safety, insert the drive pin into the muzzle of the PAT first. Only then, place a power load into the chamber. Push the load as far as it will go. Hold the tool steady and with the chamber up (so the load doesn’t drop out), grab the muzzle and push the barrel backward to the closed position. Once the PAT is fired, the rapid action used to open it for the next shot will eject the spent power load clear of the tool.
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6. Avoid overdriving power fasteners with too strong a power load. Repeated over-driving is frustrating, damages the tool, and results in a weaker coupling between the wood and the concrete. Use either a rubber mallet or a block of wood to tap the piston back into the muzzle. Inspect the barrel assembly, and open the tool’s chamber to confirm that both the piston and barrel are working smoothly. If the gun is damaged, have it repaired at a service center.
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