Driving spikes

[rustychev]

Has anyone ever used a cordless demo hammer or rotary hammer to drive spikes for fault lines or wall stands. 

Something like this.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-20-Volt-Max-1-in-SDS-Plus-Cordless-Rotary-Hammer-2-Batteries-and-Charge-Included/1001431230

with this 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bosch-5-8-in-and-3-4-in-Hammer-Steel-SDS-MAX-Ground-Rod-Driver-HS1924/301380083

 

Im looking for ways to both speed things up and to not be so worn out after setup.

[L3324temp]

A local club uses an small pancake air compressor and air chisel to install the spikes. With a long heavy extension cord and long air hose they can reach all the bays from a couple of outlets. Works well.


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[Sarge]

1 hour ago, rustychev said:

Has anyone ever used a cordless demo hammer or rotary hammer to drive spikes for fault lines or wall stands. 

Something like this.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-20-Volt-Max-1-in-SDS-Plus-Cordless-Rotary-Hammer-2-Batteries-and-Charge-Included/1001431230

with this 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bosch-5-8-in-and-3-4-in-Hammer-Steel-SDS-MAX-Ground-Rod-Driver-HS1924/301380083

 

Im looking for ways to both speed things up and to not be so worn out after setup.

Yes, our club uses one exactly like the Dewalt. A guy welded up a special driver assy that fits it. It’s recessed to stay on the spikes or rod.

[The Donald]

Club I shoot with bought 6 M18 Milwaukee roto hammers and a bunch of batteries. I bought the adapter to drive spikes, it really save time. Our bays are 6" of road base over a high lime content clay.

[David.Hylton]

We use the Dewalt, It works great.

[rustychev]

How long dose the battery last?

[perttime]

No spikes at out club. Long screws, instead, driven with cordless drill/screw driver.

[ChuckS]

12 minutes ago, perttime said:

No spikes at out club. Long screws, instead, driven with cordless drill/screw driver.

Yup, best solution ever, No more damaged props and people!

[rustychev]

4 minutes ago, ChuckS said:

Yup, best solution ever, No more damaged props and people!

We have talked about that but shoot in a gravel pit that can be soft in the spring and like concrete by the end of July so we us 12" spikes.  What size screws do you use and how is the holding power.

[GrumpyOne]

1 hour ago, ChuckS said:

Yup, best solution ever, No more damaged props and people!

So, we have shooters that can hit an A zone from 35 yards...but put a 6"-8" landscape spike with a 1" wide head 12" away, and they miss it? 

[rustychev]

40 minutes ago, GrumpyOne said:

So, we have shooters that can hit an A zone from 35 yards...but put a 6"-8" landscape spike with a 1" wide head 12" away, and they miss it? 

Not sure if this is a serious question.  Given how some of the shooters shoot.

[perttime]

2 hours ago, rustychev said:

We have talked about that but shoot in a gravel pit that can be soft in the spring and like concrete by the end of July so we us 12" spikes.  What size screws do you use and how is the holding power.

 

8 or 12 inches long, just based on recollection. Not sure what those screws were originally marketed for.

We don't have targets or props falling over at matches. YMMV.

[MikeBurgess]

we have a Milwaukee cordless SDS hammer drill and use it to pre drill holes for the spikes, our range is about 2" of 3/4 minus on top of big rock in a old gravel pit. we used to destroy the spikes left and right and had a heck of a time getting people to help drive them because it was so hard. now we drill the hole and just drop them in with a little tap from a hammer to sink them fully

[ChuckS]

On 2/2/2020 at 7:12 AM, GrumpyOne said:

So, we have shooters that can hit an A zone from 35 yards...but put a 6"-8" landscape spike with a 1" wide head 12" away, and they miss it? 

Sledgehammer damage is what I was referring to. No they can still hit anything if you put it down range and don't want them to!

[PatJones]

Has anyone ever used a cordless demo hammer or rotary hammer to drive spikes for fault lines or wall stands. 

Something like this.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-20-Volt-Max-1-in-SDS-Plus-Cordless-Rotary-Hammer-2-Batteries-and-Charge-Included/1001431230

with this 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bosch-5-8-in-and-3-4-in-Hammer-Steel-SDS-MAX-Ground-Rod-Driver-HS1924/301380083

 

Im looking for ways to both speed things up and to not be so worn out after setup.

Did you end up going in this direction? I'm thinking about it at our club. How long do the batteries last?

 

--

Pat Jones

Firestone CO

USPSA #A79592

 

 

 

[Nathanb]

4 hours ago, PatJones said:

Did you end up going in this direction? I'm thinking about it at our club. How long do the batteries last?

 

--

Pat Jones

Firestone CO

USPSA #A79592

 

 

 

Pat we’ve got a guy who has one and it is beyond unreal how well it works.  I considered buying one because it was so impressive. You do have to have some fab skills or a fab guy to fabricate the driving but but it’s an incredible time saver. 

[PatJones]

Pat we’ve got a guy who has one and it is beyond unreal how well it works.  I considered buying one because it was so impressive. You do have to have some fab skills or a fab guy to fabricate the driving but but it’s an incredible time saver. 

Is his cordless? Would you get 5 typical stages out of a couple batteries?

--
Pat Jones
Firestone CO
USPSA #A79592

[Nathanb]

We didn’t seem to have any issues with it for five stages.  I don’t know how many batteries he had for it though.  He’s a plumber and everything is dewalt. I can ask him on Saturday if I see him 

[rustychev]

I ended up with this one and have built over 4 stages with on battery.  Only problem I have had is some of our older nails have big heads and it slips off some times.  I love the thing just wish it did not cost so much.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NAZQUEO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

with this to drive them.  I did have to cut it way down and man that is some hard steel to cut.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QPGZS8K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Chills1994]

I have used regular lag screws meant for wood projects.

 

Here is an iKam or PivotHead  video I took years ago of me basically bolting my target stand to the ground (if I were to do it again, I would find a longer extension to go into the socket, and I would epoxy a rare earth magnet up inside the socket) :

 

 

 

[shred]

Best thing I've found to drive spikes is a sliding sleeve over an inner hammer made from a cut off factory tool.  Holds the spikes well and doesn't leave them sticking out unless you want them to be.

 

Take this drawing to your local fab guy or dude with a welder that fixes your target stands along with the cheapest solid-shank tool bit you can get (preferably with a flare at the working end-- chisels work well) and say "make me something like this".   Ordinary black iron pipe will work fine for the sleeve.  Using aluminum for the bushing cuts down on the noise a bit, but otherwise isn't critical.

 

SlideHammerSleeve-v2.pdf

[MisterB]

We use the Dewalt the club owns and I personally own the Ryobi version. Both work fine but the Dewalt seems to have more power. With two batteries the dead one will be recharged before the second one runs out. Rarely ever need the second one.  No way would I go back to a hammer.

[RobW]

Hey Nate, I was finishing off the spikes for him. First battery lasted I think 4 stages and the second battery finished them off.

 

On 9/17/2020 at 7:44 PM, Nathanb said:

We didn’t seem to have any issues with it for five stages.  I don’t know how many batteries he had for it though.  He’s a plumber and everything is dewalt. I can ask him on Saturday if I see him