Fixing flooring to steel joists

Does anyone have any experience using a nailgun to fix a timber floor to steel (duragal) joists? I've got some of studleys 80mm hardwood flooring which I was going to use the secret nail profile to fix to timber battens fixed to the sides of the steel joists. However I have heard of nail guns which will fix timber to steel. The issues though are:

What sort of nail won't pull straight back out of the steel?

And what sort of nail can be used at around a 45 degree angle (secret nailing) and not 'bounce' off the top of the steel joist?

There isnt any nails that will attach at 45 degress.The nails that are used are hardened screw shank nails that are intended for sheet fooring and are around $200 a box .Even these nails aren't perfect.The odd nail here and there will nail home too hard and will not want to live where it is supposed to..

darn, thanks.

So they work vertically, but at 45 degrees is too much of an ask?

Cheers

I don't think even RamSet (explosive cartridge) would go 45 degrees.

Why do you need 45 degrees to fix the battens? Don't you only need that for flooring to battens? Or do I not understand your terminology?

Joe

The boards are being secret nailed so thats goes in at an angle?

Ahhhh! Finally figured it out. You prefer to not use battens, right? In that case, I think the answer is "No" to nailing. In fact, I doubt self-drilling screws would work at 45 degrees either.

Joe