Productivity

It’s a Gas

Gas-actuated fastening tools can speed light-duty concrete and steel fastening jobs.

Gas-actuated fastening systems can speed installation tasks, which can quickly translate into jobsite cost savings. Several new models are making them even more versatile and cost-competitive with other fastening systems.

How gas-actuated tools work

“It’s really a one-cylinder engine,” says Matt Davis, national marketing manager at ITW Ramset. “Gas from the fuel cell and air are metered into the combustion chamber when the unit’s nosepiece is depressed.
The trigger fires a spark that ignites the fuel/air mixture and drives the piston/driver onto the fastener, which embeds the fastener into the base material. A fan then evacuates the chamber and resets the piston for the next firing.
“The first tools were designed to fasten drywall track to concrete, hollow block, structural steel and pan deck,” Davis says. “These tools can speed the installation by as much as 50 percent, depending on the application.” Part of that efficiency comes from highly specialized tool designs. With their lower installation cost, they make drilling and anchoring a tedious and expensive process and can give powder-actuated fasteners a run for their money. Plus, users don’t have to be licensed as they are with powder-actuated tools, says Craig Pratt, product manager at Simpson Strong-Tie Anchor Systems.
The tools generally have 40-pin fastener magazine, compared with a 10-fastener magazine used with powder-actuated tools. The fuel cell provides about 1,000 shots before it’s spent compared with one load/one fastener with powder-actuated tools, Davis adds.

Replace powder-actuated tools?

The experts agree that gas-actuated tools are a very viable alternative for light-duty fastening, but won’t totally replace powder-actuated tools (PAT) or drilling and mechanical or chemical anchoring systems.
“Gas tools were first used by drywallers for attach track to concrete. The hope was to replace powder-actuated tasks, but the tools quickly proved they are not the best choice in a variety of base materials,” says Len Colasuanno, vice president of sales and marketing at Powers Fasteners.
“The original tools have only 30 percent of the maximum power of a PAT, which is similar to a PAT green load. Our GCN150 tool can shoot a .102 to .118 pin, where a PAT fires a .145 pin. Gas-actuated tools are best for non-load-bearing partition walls. They are mostly used for drywall track, furring strips and hat track,” says Pratt.

Powers’ C-4 EX and C-4 CZ gas tools (pictured above) offer 150 joules of power and can install .145 3/4" to 3" washer pins. “In the past, these could only be installed with a PAT. They can now be installed without recoil and in base materials and applications where other gas tools can’t be used,” says Colasuanno.
Second-generation gas-actuated tools are designed for use by the mechanical and electrical trade for fastening hangers to concrete, hollow block or pan deck. “These tools fire pre-assembled pins and are great where hundreds of fasteners are needed. Drywall track tools can shoot thousands of pins. That’s why gas-actuated tools are taking market share from PAT,” says Pratt. However, users still must use PAT for thicker pins and deeper embedments, such as 1/2" embedment in steel.

Tool rundown

Currently, four main manufacturers that work with conventional tool and supply distributors offer gas-actuated tools for fastening, and development is underway for new tools that meet specific trade or jobsite needs.
ITW Ramset offers four models, says Davis. “The TrakFast TF1100 has a pin range of 1/2" to 1 1/2" and can be used to install drywall track to concrete, hollow block, pan deck or structural steel. With longer pins and a collation strip, it can also fasten furring strips to concrete block or lathing discs for stucco installation. It can also handle 1 3/8" knurled pins that fasten plywood, roof sheathing or siding to metal studs,” he says.
ITW Ramset’s T3 MAG is a high-production drywall track tool, says Davis. “Electronic fuel injection monitors ambient temperature and adjusts the fuel/air ratio to maximize power. It can fully embed a 1" pin in concrete, block, or pan deck and 1/2" pins to fasten track to structural steel.
Its patented collation strip operates with much less pin jamming.” ITW Ramset’s T3SS is a single-shot tool that fastens conduit clamps and other fasteners. “It improves fastener installation by as much as five to 10 times when compared with drilling for chemical or mechanical anchors,” Davis says.
“The ITW Ramset GypFast tool (pictured at right) has a coiled magazine that holds 150 knurled pins for fastening sheathing or gypsum board to steel studs. It replaces screws in many exterior applications,” says Davis.

Powers offers five gas-actuated tools, Colasuanno says. “The Trak-It C-3 tool has a long magazine for drywall installation and the Trak-It C-3 ST has a short track for electrical trades. The C-4 and C-4 CZ models offer more power and can drive Powers’ powderactuated pins up to 3" in length. It is the first tool of its kind to attach 2x4s to concrete without having a compressor on site,” he says. Powers also expects to roll out its C-5 tool in 2010, which is in users’ hands now for field-testing. It promises to be lighter and have more features than present tools.

Simpson Strong-Tie has one gas-actuated model in its tool arsenal, says Pratt. “The GCN150 tool (pictured left) can be used to fasten drywall track and furring strips to concrete, steel, masonry, metal deck and structural steel,” he says.
TyRex offers one gas-actuated tool, the TY150CSG, that has a sister, the TY150ASC, that uses pneumatic power. Both models operate five times faster than powder-actuated systems, sources report, and are designed to accept pins and fuel packs from other manufacturers. The pneumatic tool uses conventional pneumatic power.

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