masonry nails
For masonry nails how do you usually install them in masonry. Should I drill a 1.5/32 hole or a 1/8 pilot hole. I read that some people just hit them it but I don't think that that would work well though. Thanks I use the cut nails rather than fluted. If I am attaching wood to masonry, I drill a pilot hole in the wood and use a 2 pound hammer to drive the nail. The pilot hole assures that the nail gets started straight and does not follow the grain of the wood. When dealing with masonry, the noil should go into the mortar. - More predictable and usually easier. Dick I guess for masonry the best method is to use the cut nails and just pop them into the masonry without drilling a pilot hole in the masonry. I understand to drill a pilot hole in the wood first though. But what about concrete. You have to deal with rocks because of the concrete so it might be easier to drill a pilot hole in the concrete first and then use the fluted nails. What do you think? Thanks I never drilled a pilot hole for a masonry nail in my life. Screws yes. Cut nails should be set long-grain in the wood to avoid splitting. For block or brick it should be driven into the mortar joint as Concretemasonry describes. If you are going to bother drilling a pilot hole might as well use tapcons (masonry screws). They have much more hold power but are also much more expensive. I gave up on masonry nails years ago. Now I either use tapcon screws or the nails shot with a .22 caliber blank. You can get various loads and nail sizes. The guns are available in the big boxes. Originally Posted by BobF I gave up on masonry nails years ago. Now I either use tapcon screws or the nails shot with a .22 caliber blank. You can get various loads and nail sizes. The guns are available in the big boxes. Plus the powder actuated guns are real fun first thing in the morning when everyone is still sleepy and it's real quiet lol. Not a bad way to go. You can get the type you hit with a hammer to fire for pretty cheap. The ones with self contained shot and pins can run into hundreds of dollars though. I understand I wasn't going to bother with drilling a hole in masonry I meant would you drill a pilot hole if it was concrete and you didn't have a powder actuated nailer. For concrete I could use the screws instead of the nails if a pilot hole was there. But mayby you pros deal with concrete just like you do with masonry. Just take the nail and hit it in there. I don't see how the nail could go into the concrete only with a hammer to hit in in with and no pilot hole but Mayby the pros have a special force that one can only attain with practice. But mayby all this questioning is all foolish and i should be looking into those powder actuated nails guns that you hit to fire becuase they are cheap. How expensive are they? Thanks The secret to driving a masonry nail is to hit it hard and quick and drive it straight. The problem comes when it isn't hit square and straight. I never could get the hang of that. I haven't checked lately, but I think the hammer actuated ones are under $30 at the big box stores. I just picked up the Ramset brand powder actuated gun that you hit with the hammer. It cost a whopping $19.95 at the orange box store, plus the rounds and nails. Now I just have to decide on whether to go with 2 1/2 nails or push to 3. =) BobF, Try drilling the wood first. Then hit hard! (I mean the nail)Good luck. You gyes must be goliaths or something cause no way I am going to hammer a 3 nail into concrete. Goliath no, but I do drive them with full overhead blows using a 20oz Estwing What kind of nails do you use for this. Are they special. Have you a place online that I can see what they look like. Thanks I'm was talking about regular old 10P cutnails. Does the concrete have to be relatively new inorder for that nail to drive properly though? Thanks No but concrete does get harder the older it gets. It takes a bit of practice to get comfortable swinging a hammer that hard. No shame in breaking down and getting one of the powder actuated guns like we talked about. The hammer drives are cheap and easy to use. Just a small side note. Regardless which method you choose, safety glasses are an absolute must.
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