# Ramset guns



## mcworker (Jun 10, 2012)

I've never used a powder fired tool til recently. Bought the Ramset Cobra. Had to attach some 1/16 metal to the floor of a 25 year old 10 floor hotel. This was thru the carpet and padding. Very inconsistent success, Started with yellow loads then went to reds. The reds worked best but had to dial them back. Ended up with alot of bent nails (1 1/2" w/ washer) I tried to tap the nails thru the carpet before shooting which helped some. Anybody got some tips?


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## Snobnd (Jul 1, 2008)

cut and remove the carpet. (but make sure its in the correct spot)


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## plazaman (Apr 17, 2005)

Hilti


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## jamestrd (Oct 26, 2008)

ney to the above...

try arrowsmith fasteners


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

Yup Hilti is what a pro would use but a residential guy would have a hard time finding a Hilti guy and paying for it

I still have my 1987 Hilti drywall gun still goes strong and to me is irreplaceable fits just right and works even better


And it's in my favorite color


But yea as far as tips he was right you want metal to concrete not the hacker method


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

mcworker said:


> I've never used a powder fired tool til recently. Bought the Ramset Cobra. Had to attach some 1/16 metal to the floor of a 25 year old 10 floor hotel. This was thru the carpet and padding. Very inconsistent success, Started with yellow loads then went to reds. The reds worked best but had to dial them back. Ended up with alot of bent nails (1 1/2" w/ washer) I tried to tap the nails thru the carpet before shooting which helped some. Anybody got some tips?


I only own a hilti and I've never tried shooting through carpet but I only get bent nails when its time to replace the piston.


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## mike d. (Dec 2, 2009)

Use a Tapcon


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## MLCcarpenter (Dec 11, 2011)

I would suggest tapcons also. Ramsets are more effective when shooting directly on top of the slab.


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## Bowtechian (May 18, 2012)

I'm A tapcon guy, might take 30 seconds longer but then again not if your always fighting bent nails,blow out, our concrete that doesn't want to holda nail very well.


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

Bowtechian said:


> I'm A tapcon guy, might take 30 seconds longer but then again not if your always fighting bent nails,blow out, our concrete that doesn't want to holda nail very well.


Sounds nice until your staring at a pile of hat track or a case or two of wall angle...


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## Robs660 (Jan 15, 2012)

Or you start drilling through the carpet to save a minute and you get a snag that pulls 2' of carpet to your bit in an instant. Metal to concrete and if it's going really bad back off the pin length.


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

Robs660 said:


> Or you start drilling through the carpet to save a minute and you get a snag that pulls 2' of carpet to your bit in an instant. Metal to concrete and if it's going really bad back off the pin length.


I knew I wasnt the only one to do that. Thanks for that!


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## Rich D. (Oct 14, 2011)

Why not just cut the carpet where u need to fasten these strips. 

Ramset/ hilti guns are great for fastening down metal track, tophat track and the such but is not the best for precise placement and acurate fastening.

Tapcons , mushroom head hit pins and the such are deffinitly a better idea but I have yet to find a good carpet drill bit. :laughing: Snagging carpet is the worst. For your wrist and the carpet.

I would suggest to cut back the carpet....

Also a tip for the ramset gun. Try the green shots. That may be all you need. I sometimes give a nail too hits with green and have better luck then with a hit of red or yellow. Too much power leads to a blow out. Or the concrete may be to old and brittle or too high of a psi.

May I ask what these strips your trying to fasten are for?

Good luck


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## MALCO.New.York (Feb 27, 2008)

Improper static down-force on the unit before pulling the trigger is a VERY easy way for this to occur. You have to hold that baby very firmly with HEAVY downward force. You must be the counter resistance that battles the floor resistance.


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## mr_user (Jun 11, 2012)

mcworker said:


> Ended up with alot of bent nails (1 1/2" w/ washer) Anybody got some tips?


The problem is not the tool or the carpet you're fastening over, its the length of the fastener. An 1-1/2 is as deep as you would ever want to go with a powder fastener. Look at any manufacturers performance data, thats as deep as they publish data for. It's also tough to drive a pin that deep! The deeper you go the more chance that fastener is going to hit the big chunks of stone in the concrete. This is why you're having inconsistent results. Why put yourself through that if you dont need to.

I would suggest that you back off on the fastener length, go 1" to 1-1/4" maximum with that same yellow load. Most drywall track in a commercial non-load bearing situation is shot down with a 3/4-inch pin. Load bearing track to concrete an 1-1/4 pin is used.

Say add a 1/4-inch of pin length for the compressed carpet thickness and track, gives you 3/4 in the concrete, so a one-inch pin is plenty.


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## jamestrd (Oct 26, 2008)

Come out of the stone ages guys...


invest in the tool that saves and makes you money..

http://www.aerosmithfastening.com/hn120

I can personally attest to the CT90.

they are expensive..I got 2 of them..they were 1000 each about 7-8 years ago..

if their other nailers are like these..you found your new toy

I can nail a sheet 0f 3/4" plywood to concrete in about 1 minute


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## sunkist (Apr 27, 2012)

if its concrete its hilti, say no more, but if concrete is cured tapcon! 25 years its tapcon, go buy 1000 drive system!


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## mcworker (Jun 10, 2012)

I was taking into consideration the thickness of carpet and pad with choice of 1/12" nail.


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## mcworker (Jun 10, 2012)

I put all I had into holding the gun down.


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## mcworker (Jun 10, 2012)

Cutting carpet not an option. I had done this before with Tapcons and had to fight carpet snag. That's why I went to the Ramset.


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