Can someone tell me what the trick is to use the "Truss Nail Tooth Plates"? Also called "truss mending plates". If you dont know what I mean, there is a picture here:
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In the past I always used the flat ones with a bunch of holes where you got to pound in a bunch of roofing nails. I just decided to give these a try. They are near impossible to attach by hand, at least where they are not all beat up in the end from hammering on them.
What's the trick, or are they mainly made to be put on with a special press or something? Considering how much trouble i had with these, and the lousy looking job in the end, I'll stick to pounding in roofing nails on the flat ones with the holes.
I am referring to the stamped ones with all the "nails" are part of the original piece of metal. I agree, a press must be needed. I cant get them on even close to straight with a hammer.
I had the same problem while helping someone else, finally used a cheap air chisel with a sawed off bit to form an air hammer. It didn't look good but did get them in pretty well intact by moving to different sections in rotation.
How about using two steel plates clamped on either side with C-clamps? The plates would distribute the pressure evenly, keep the mending plates flat, and with a couple or three middling to large C-clamps I'm sure there would be no problem in driving the gang nails home.
You could probably try using just a piece of steel directly on the mending plate and smack that with a lump hammer. Should work fine if your framing can take the pounding.
I've used my ground tamper to set them. It just requires the wood to be on a flat solid surface like a driveway or garage floor. If the plate is larger than the tamper, I used a 2 X
Those are made to be pressed in with big machines at the truss-fabricating shop.
Without the proper equipment, I wouldn't use them no how no way.
No matter how careful you are, you're probably not going to be able to put them in properly...the chords of the truss are going to flop around while you're flailing with the hammer, the gangnails are going to get all mashed to hell, and you're just going to end up with a weak, chowed mess.
This is from Simpson Strongtie's web site regarding their Mending Plates (MP):
Versatile and easy-to-use mending plates for wood-to-wood connections. No nails or notching of wood required. For non-structural applications only; and not for truss applications. Material: 20 gauge. Finish: Galvanized Installation: * Place plate over two pieces of aligned wood with arrows aligned at joint. * Hammer the plate to embed the prongs.
And this from USP's web site regarding their equivalent product:
TPP - Prong plates with straight prongs. PRPL - Prong plates with angled, hammer-in prongs. Materials: See chart Finish: G90 galvanizing Installation: =B7 These products are not intended for structural use. No load ratings are assigned. These plates are not intended for use in truss assembly.
The site I mentioned above says the same thing. They call them TRUSS PLATES (Truss Nail Tooth Plates), then go on to say "These plates are not intended for use in truss assembly." DUH !!!!!
That's kind of like listing all the nutrients in a particular food supplement and then saying "not intended for human or animal consumption"
Actually, I'm lucky, I was not making a truss, just a frame for a barn door, and the steel siding on the door pretty much keeps the door together in the end, but something is needed to make the frame since the 2x4's are used flat, so nailing is not a real option. Aside from that, if they cant be used for trusses, they are pretty useless.
There were some good suggestions on here for installing them, but considering all the trouble, I think I'll use the nail on ones in the future, It's not that much trouble to pound in a dozen or so 1" roofing nails, and that way I know they are all into the wood, not crushed underneath.
Those truss companies apparently have some huge presses because I have tried to pull some broken trusses apart to salvage the 2x4's and found there is no way to remove them. I finally just sawed the 2x4s ends off and where those plates were in the middle of the 2x4, I just used my angle grinder and cut off the excess metal past the edge of the wood, and left the rest of the plate on the 2x4. Inside a wall, who cares if they are there.
Option 1: Pocket screws. With 2x4's, you could probably install pocket screws from each side for additional strength.
Option 2: Drill holes and install long lag bolts through the edge of the
2x4 into the end of the other 2x4.
Option 3: Half Laps. Set your circular saw to half of the depth of the
2x4's, then make several cuts on the ends of each 2x4. Knock out the pieces, clean it up with a chisel, overlap the two pieces (add glue if you wish), then screw it together with several 1-1/4" screws.
Option 4: Temporarily toenail the 2x4's together, then nail on a sheet of plywood to the inside of the door.
Option 5: Use 2x2's for either the vertical or horizontal members of the frame, then use standard 3" deck screws. Or, just cut a notch in the end of the 2x4's so only 1-1/2" or so overlaps the end of the other 2x4.
replying to RicodJour, Trussifier wrote: There are mending plates and then there are truss plates. Mending plates are not intended for structural use. Trusses are a structural use. Use the right thing for the right job. Also it isn't hard to make a press for trusses if you know how to weld. Just need metal, and a 50 ton bottle jack.
Hey this was interesting to me because the mending plates I used in
2002 to make trusses for my shed have lived 15 years and 2 major hurricanes later without even a hint of failure. I seated them with the flat top of a 16 pound sledge hammer in the (concrete) driveway.
Yes and it should be a listed truss plate, not a mending plate. (longer spikes) If you only use one the joint will peel apart. I have made trusses with mending plates and a sledge hammer but they were pretty small (10' span) for a shed, not a house.
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