Have You Ever Used a Hilti Power Tool?

For those of you who have no idea what a Hilti is, it is a power tool that is used to attach materials like wood or plaster board to hard surfaces like concrete. The fastener is shot out of the Hilti by means of a chemical propellant charge. The effect is very similar to a gun shooting a bullet though it does not make use of gunpowder or a bullet but rather a nail and chemical propellant.

It used t be possible to get power tools similar to the Hilti in one of two forms. There was the high and low velocity version. The low velocity version is the kind that is still used and produced in the United States, the high velocity version is considered too dangerous.

The fasteners that are most frequently used are nails. These nails have to be extremely heavy-duty to be able to withstand the force with which they are propelled into very hard surfaces. There are a few other variations of fastener that can be used in power tools like the Hilti. These other variations will most often have very specific applications.

It is interesting to note that the use of power tools for fastening materials to hard surfaces was first used in World War Two as a way to do quick and temporary repairs on ships until they were able to limp into a dry dock to have proper repairs done to them. They are still used in the construction of ships and other steel structures today.

You have to be very careful when you are using this kind of power tool. It is actually possible to accidentally kill someone if you are not careful about how to discharge the fastener. If you take into consideration that a Hilti is considered to be low velocity when it expels its fastener at a speed of 150 metres per second, this is not especially surprising. Make sure that you only have your finger on the trigger when the muzzle of the tool is in contact with the surface you wish to drive the fastener through. Never leave a Hilti loaded. It might accidentally get discharged when the next person takes it out to use it or if it is jolted while in storage. Make sure that you know what you are doing before you start to work with this kind of tool, it is actually a good idea to get qualified to use the tool before you are willing to use it.

The Hilti and the rest of the power tool family are wonderful inventions that have mad the lives of construction workers a lot easier. They really do make it easier to attach materials like wood to hard surfaces like concrete or steel. Just be sure that you know what you are doing and that everyone around you, also using the tools, knows what they are doing so that you can all avoid accidents when using these tools. If you are thinking about using a Hilti for your next construction project just be sure that you know what you are getting into first.