PAT Nails & Accessories

When people talk of shot fired tools they are actually referring to Powder Actuated Tools. This system uses small explosive cartridges, known as ‘shots’ to drive a piston onto a specially hardened steel nail, which is forced into the base material or structure. As these cartridges provide the power for the tool, Powder actuated tools are ideal for use where mains power is not available, they also create no dust, are not affected by weather and are compact by design. This type of powder actuated fastening is known as indirect as the explosive charge acts on a piston and not the fixing directly.

Shot firing is a very fast way of making permanent fixings in steel, concrete and brick. In the case of steel, the nail is forced into the material with such speed it creates enough heat to friction weld itself in place, providing a very strong fix. When nails are fired into masonry, the base material is compacted instantly generating enormous amounts of heat, causing sintering of the substrate with the fastener.

Powder Actuated Tools can use single shot nails or collated pins for fast repetitive firing, working in conjunction with different strength cartridges, depending on the power required to fire the nail into the substrate. PAT is often used for steel deck installation, fixing brick ties, attaching wooden battens to steel and masonry and fixing clips and bracketry.

Order your PAT nails and accessories before 5 pm and make full use of our next day delivery service, while all orders placed above £50 benefit from free delivery. Similarly, if you’d rather collect your order in person, simply reserve your items online then pop into any of our depots to pick it up.