Impact dowels / nail anchors - Information on prices and application
- Function - knock anchor
- Special features of knock anchors
- Nail anchors from FISCHER
- Nail dowels from WÜRTH
- Buy hinged dowels and nail dowels
Anyone who has learned a construction profession, this saying will be known: "And the master would not believe it - even with the hammer you can screw". This subtle admonition to always use the correct tool has now been obtained by the technical development: For knock-in dowels and nail dowels are actually a fusion of screw and nail, which can be treated with both a hammer and a screwdriver. Read in this article everything you need to know about knock anchors and nail anchors.
Dowels - solid but laborious
The insertion of a dowel in a wall requires various tools and is therefore quite complex: First, a hole is drilled, then introduced the plastic dowel and then screwed the wood screw. You either have to have two drills at hand or you have to constantly rebuild the existing machine: drill out - bit in and vice versa. This is very annoying and time consuming in the long run. Especially in professional use, the call for a more efficient method became louder and louder. For this reason, the dowelled connection was developed, which can be hammered in and released with a cordless screwdriver.
Function - knock anchor
How does a hammer-in dowel work ">
The knock-in dowel basically consists of the same components as a normal dowel joint also: A nylon or PP dowel is inserted into a borehole. The inserted screw spreads the dowel apart so far that it jams against the inner wall of the drilled hole. The difference from the normal screw-plug connection to the knock-in dowel is that the screw is inserted with a hammer blow. Not only does it not go faster, it also saves the annoying rebuilding of the cordless screwdriver. In the workflow, the cordless screwdriver or the drill can only be used to set the drill holes. Since every ordinary builder has a hammer hanging on his belt, the impact is in seconds.
The terminology of "Schlagdübel" and "Nageldübel" is not quite selective. At the moment, both terms mean the same thing. The variants of this product are very diverse.
If you would like to attach heavy objects to walls and ceilings, we recommend heavy-duty dowels - everything about heavy-duty anchors and their use can be found here: //www.zhonyingli.com/schwerlastanker-schwerlastduebel/
Special features of knock anchors
The normal dowel that can be hammered apart differs from the normal dowel joints by its geometry: Normal dowels are longer and thinner than dowels. This has the following reason:
For the screw to be knocked into the dowel, it must be straight and secure in the wall. For this she is already inserted so far into the dowelled hole that she can no longer wobble. For this purpose, the long and thin geometry is ideal. Another reason is the friction and clamping force: It is the clamping connection between dowel and wall, which establishes the firm connection. The larger the surface of the dowel, the tighter it can sit in the wall. Large screw dowels can therefore handle a relatively short drilling depth. But to achieve the same strength, the knock-in dowel must be correspondingly longer. Nevertheless, knock-in dowels do not quite reach the carrying capacity of screw plugs
The ability to knock in these dowels is additionally supported by the fact that the screw has a large, flat head and the dowel also has a wide ring on its shaft. The ring acts as a buffer that can cushion the impact of the chosen screw.
It is particularly ingenious with impact dowels and nail dowels that the screw can be turned out again normally with a screwdriver. However, it should only be used a motor driven screwdriver, otherwise you get easily in manual mode a tendonitis.
Leading manufacturers of impact anchors are the companies FISCHER and WÜRTH. We would like to introduce you to the most common types of nail dowels from these suppliers.
Nail anchors from FISCHER
Nailable dowel NS
The Nageldübel NS is a unit of nylon dowels and galvanized nail screw made of high-strength stainless steel. To make assembly as efficient as possible, these knock-in dowels are already pre-assembled into one unit. This is very advantageous especially for a series installation. The NS has an integrated impact lock. This prevents premature spreading of the plastic anchor. The nail head has a cross-slot-holder and can be easily turned out with a cordless screwdriver. When screwing in again, the screwdriver is also recommended.
The NS is available with a core diameter of 5 to 10 millimeters and a length of 30 to 230 millimeters. His prices start from 0.06 euros per piece. However, these low prices are not available in the single price, but only in containers of at least 50 pieces. The manufacturer Fischer offers a total of 26 different types of NS dowels.
The manual describes the NS as suitable for through-hole mounting.
Nailable dowel NF
The nail anchor NF has an enlarged slot on the shaft of the nylon plug. He can spread this more than the NS. Technically, both dowels are quite similar. The NF also has an impact lock. It is well suited for substructures made of metal or wood. These include profiles for the wall connection or auxiliary rails for plastering. For cable platforms it is conditionally suitable: Here, the payloads should be precisely calculated and adhered to. To be on the safe side, a stronger anchor should be used for indefinite shear forces. For fixing foils, perforated tapes or clamps the knock anchor NF is however well used. As a supporting building materials, all normal materials for solid masonry and their high-hole variants can serve. In addition, the NF is also suitable for solid plaster and aerated concrete by its ability to spread.
The NF is available with a core diameter of 5 to 8 millimeters and a length of 25 to 120 millimeters. His prices start from 0.10 Euro per piece. However, these low prices are not available in the single price, but only in containers of at least 50 pieces. The manufacturer Fischer offers a total of 19 different types of NF anchors.
The manual also describes the NF as suitable for through-hole mounting.
Nailable dowel NP
The characteristic of the knock anchor NP is its wide mushroom head. This makes it particularly suitable for the attachment of components with low material thickness in the visible range. The wide mushroom head and the correspondingly wide head of the drive screw ensure a particularly strong connection of thin material. Even with vibrations on the building a tearing in the material is prevented by the large contact surface. This makes the Nageldübel NP ideal for sheets, foils and signs, even if they are in the field of vision.
His instructions for installation describes it suitable for through-hole mounting.
The NP is available with a core diameter of 5 to 8 millimeters and a length of 30 to 40 millimeters. His prices start from 0.06 euros per piece. A single purchase is possible. The manufacturer Fischer offers a total of 6 different types of NP dowels.
Nailable dowel NP K
The nail anchor NP K differs from the NP by a very important detail: The knock anchor NP K is made entirely of plastic. Although this significantly reduces its load capacity. However, this nail plug has not been developed to carry large loads. His job is to make an electrical installation as safe as possible. The absolutely non-conductive knock anchor is ideal for setting electrical installations. Above all, cable ducts, which consist of thin-walled sheet metal or plastic, can be ideally fastened with this knock-in dowel. Through his mushroom head he has the same advantages as the nail anchor NP.
His instructions for installation describes it suitable for through-hole mounting.
The very limited task of the NP K makes a large selection of variants unnecessary. That's why the plastic knock-in anchor is only offered in a single version. The prices are about 0.07 Euro per piece.
Nailable dowel NS D
The nail dowel NS D is in contrast to the NP K a real hard worker. Basically, the NS D is a simple NF. With an integrated sealing washer and a turning screw made of high-strength, galvanized and stainless steel, this impact anchor is particularly suitable for outdoor use. He is not only corrosion resistant himself. The large sealing disc ensures a wide contact pressure and a seal from outside to inside. This makes the NS D particularly suitable for places that are exposed to the weather and whipped water. The wide support surface is ideal for processing thin-walled materials such as sheets and signs. Even films can be fixed well with it.
The nail plug NS D is only available in two variants. They differ mainly in the diameter of the sealing washer and in the length. They require a diameter of 6 millimeters from the borehole and are 40 and 60 millimeters long. The prices start at
Nail dowels from WÜRTH
The nail dowels from WÜRTH differ from FISCHER products mainly in that they are mostly made of metal. Of course that makes them much more expensive. However, they are also intended primarily for special applications where high shear forces can occur.
Impact anchor WS-D / external thread WS-D / internal thread WS-D
This metal dowel is designed for ceiling mounting of light to medium heavy loads. It is mainly used in fixing thermal insulation. The instructions state that it will be used for non-load-bearing multiple fasteners. In addition, the instructions require the use of collar drills. Würth offers the WS-S in five sizes. The dowel length is 38 - 114 millimeters. Würth sells only to traders, therefore, no information on prices can be determined.
The internal or external threaded dowel are very convenient for easy installation of bulky trailer loads. These dowels are designed according to the instructions only for light loads. For the borehole, collar drills are required. They can only be introduced in solid concrete. The carrying capacity of the WS-D dowels is generated by frictional force. The prices for the thread versions of the WS-D are only visible to registered fabric users.
The Nageldübel W-SD WSS 2 / L extends the WS-D dowels with an integrated mounting module for suspended ceilings and thermal insulation. With this system plug a decoupling of structure-borne sound is produced. This makes its use for multi-family houses very interesting. The instructions also require the use of collar drills for this dowel in order to be able to produce the smoothest possible borehole. The loads are held only by frictional force. The fully galvanized dowel is particularly resistant to rust. The prices are also visible for this special dowel only for registered customers.
Turn-in dowel W-SD WSS 3 / L
This special dowel has an integrated mounting rail in addition to the dowel screw unit. It is primarily used for direct mounting of ventilation ducts
Turn-in dowel W-SD WSS 1 / L
The special dowel W SD WSS 1 / L is equipped with an integrated lug for mounting sound absorbing suspension systems and mounting rails. It is equipped with an integrated rubber buffer, which largely decouples it from structure-borne noise.
Buy hinged dowels and nail dowels
As with all small-scale construction products, prices are based heavily on the quantity purchased. It is important that you do not just buy it or just look for the cheapest prices. Fastening dowels must always be laid strictly according to instructions. The instructions tell you how deep the hole should be. The instructions also prescribe the drill to be used. Great care and attention should be paid to this, so that the assembly does not fail due to the wrong execution.
Tips for quick readers
- Use pull-in dowels for large series
- Always use the appropriate dowels
- Compare prices and reduce as large quantities as possible
- Always install exactly as instructed
