Nail gun will shoot through a metal truss connector plate

[Bill Dufour]

I am in the process of adding rafter ties in my garage. I just got a small compressor and switched from hand to my placement nailer. Unfortunatly They have to be attached over the rectangular mending plates holding the trusses together right above the top plate. By hand I had to predrill the plate using the tie down holes as a guide. No way to drive a nail through the metal. I did the same for the gun then went and tried without. It shoots the 1.5" nails right through the plate. No drilling needed! Most of them need to be seated by a big hammer into the 50 year told dry, old growth doug fir 2x4's.
Bill D
I am wearing a loggers helmet with face shield just in case. Also prevents shingle nails from tearing up my scalp.

[lowell holmes]

Have you considered using wood screws with a battery powered drill? It would be less risk.

[Jerome Stanek]

When we were building trusses we used a truss nail gun. We had 1/2 inch steel plates on the bottom to cinch the nails when we shot them through the steel connecting plates.

[Jim Koepke]

Have you considered using wood screws with a battery powered drill? It would be less risk.

There are screws made for this with a drill bit on the end ahead of the threads. A drop of oil on the tip of the screw helps immensely when installing these screws.

jtk

[Doug Dawson]

Have you considered using wood screws with a battery powered drill? It would be less risk.
I don’t think you’re allowed to use screws for this. Nails only, by code, as I recall. Screws have relatively poor shear performance.

[Ole Anderson]

There are screws made for this with a drill bit on the end ahead of the threads. A drop of oil on the tip of the screw helps immensely when installing these screws.

jtk My experience is that those screws work best when securing wood to steel, not the other way around. The little drill bit at the end of the screw predrills the wood so much that there is little wood left for the threads to bite into and they strip out easily.

[Bill Dufour]

update. About 10% the nails would not penetrate. The gun bounced but the nail just stayed in the gun. Did not even rip the tape so no movement. Always at a awkward location with not much down force on the gun. the gun just bounced.
Seemed to work pretty well in a open location with good pressure into the gun.

My loggers helmet is pretty ratty and the face screen holder broke so I ordered a new one. I bought it used 10 years ago. They are very nice for work like this since the screen does not fog up from sweating. Good sun protection outdoors like mowing and striming.
Bill D

[Jerome Stanek]

The truss guns we used sounded like a shotgun going off. Hearing protection really needed

[Rich Engelhardt]

Could you pre-drill the plate & then use a palm nailer to run the nail(s)?

[Bill Dufour]

Could you pre-drill the plate & then use a palm nailer to run the nail(s)?


Waste of time when I can predrill and use my positive placement nailer instead. I will use the palm nailer for the longer nails on the post hold downs. Placement nails are either 1.5 or 2.5 inches only.
Bill D