Nailing Through Sheet Metal

Have you ever had to drill through metal.

Nailing through sheet metal.

Sheet metal can best be attached with roofing nails. Here is a quick and efficient way of how to get the job done. How to nail sheet metal to wood step 1. A socket or wrench is then used to turn the draw stud gradually pulling the punch through the sheet metal and into the die.

Over driving the nail can split the washer and dimple the metal causing leaks. Use 1 1 4 inch nails to cover the outline of the roof with strips of metal eave flashing also called edging. Position the sheet metal. Simply sandwich the sheet metal between two pieces of wood and clamp everything down on a table or workbench.

Drilling holes through a thin sheet of sheet metal such as that used for a roof s flashing does not require a lot of effort and will make attaching the sheet metal easier. If there are gutters installed on the eaves the eave flashing should be installed to overhang the lip of the gutter by about 1 2 inch. Nail placement must be in the ribs for roofing applications to minimize the potential for roof leaks. These nails are specially designed to go through sheet metal and into wood and provide a seal that is hard for water to penetrate.

Once the punch is completely pulled through the hole is complete and. Drill pilot holes through the sheet metal that are smaller than the heads of the nails you are using to secure. Regardless of the material the driving point needs to be larger than the depth of the material being driven into. For clean precise holes in thin sheet metal make a wood sandwich.

The wooden bread layers of the sandwich keep the sheet metal flat and prevent the drill bit from wandering as it bores through the sheet metal. Mark the locations where you want to secure it. Put your sheet metal in place on top of the wooden frame. The correct way to fasten steel panels with nails is to drive the nail through the top of the rib so the washer is compressed securely against the metal.

Amazon affiliate links listed below. First of all don t hold the nail with your thumb if possible put it between your first two fingers with the back of your hand facing the timber. Regardless of type self clinching fasteners install permanently in thin ductile metal sheets by being pressed into place in a properly sized drilled or punched hole and by applying sufficient squeezing force.