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I fitted a 5ft punch bag to a joist in my garage. I used the rawl plugs and screw provided. I drilled 6cm deep by 1cm diameter. Bashed the plugs in and tightened the fixing. The bag stayed up for 15 minutes and then fell. The plugs and screws came out. The bag has approximately 50kg weight in it. On top of the joists there is board (loft flooring).

Another buyer made the same complaint so I was expecting it.

My question is which rawl plugs can I buy to make sure that it stays up. I have looked on various websites but I have been unable to deduce which plug will work best.

The fixing: enter image description here

The joist from which the fixing fell: enter image description here

The joist from a perpendicular angle (for context): enter image description here

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    People on this stack love photos. because it helps them understand. For myself there is the prurient joy of looking at things that have failed. Please add images of the bag, where you want it and the plug and screws that came out.
    – Willk
    Commented Dec 4, 2021 at 18:40
  • I am glad the thing that falls down is the bag, not the joist. What kind of joist, size, and location of hanging (in the mid-span or near the end)? Also, can't find any information on "Raul Plugs", please show a picture of it.
    – r13
    Commented Dec 4, 2021 at 20:46
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    I like the term “Fixings”. It’s not a construction term, but implies a “recipe” for the manner in which the pieces go together.
    – Lee Sam
    Commented Dec 4, 2021 at 20:55
  • Apologies for taking soo long to add photographs. You can see the relevant parts and also the joists from 2 angles.
    – GettingItDone
    Commented Dec 8, 2021 at 12:36
  • See how those rawl plugs are nice and smooth on the outside? There is no way those are going to hold up the weight of a punching bag for more than a few minutes or more than one punch. You never use plugs when attaching things to wood. You only use them when attaching to drywall, plaster, brick, block or concrete - things that a screw cannot cut threads into, or are too weak for the threads to hold once cut. Good thing this is a nice cheap lesson for you with nothing broken and nobody injured - welcome to "learning through experience"!
    – FreeMan
    Commented Dec 8, 2021 at 12:50

3 Answers 3

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I would recommend spanning two joists with a perpendicular member then attaching the bag to that crossmember with heavy wood screws. This spreads out the load on the joists. I don't like to drill large holes into the edge of a 2x4" joist, then putting a point load on a screw into that edge.

EDIT

Forty years ago I installed some very heavy ceiling fans in our house which has 2x4" ceiling joists on 24" centers. I inserted a 22.5" piece of 2x4 between two joists and attached it to the sides of the joists with Simpson Strong Tie metal corner brackets. I used the Simpson screws so as not to damage the ceiling drywall by nailing.

The heavy Hunter fan required drilling a single rather large hole (maybe 5/16" or larger) and screwing in a single heavy hook into the hole. I also used thread lubricant on the threads of the hook.

EDIT2

Given the low cost of the metal corner brackets you should use a total of four, two on each end.

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  • That makes sense. I realise my mistake now. I have weakened the joist at that point. Perhaps I should fill those holes and/or add a brace either side to support it.
    – GettingItDone
    Commented Dec 8, 2021 at 13:24
  • @fpsdkfsdkmsdfsdfm a hardwood dowel glued into the hole is a good start - it will prevent the wood of the joist from compressing there, allowing for a failure. Additionally, properly nailing more 2x material on one or both sides will definitely help. I'd suggest asking a new question about how to do the repair work, though.
    – FreeMan
    Commented Dec 8, 2021 at 13:30
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Why are you putting rawl plugs into wood? They are meant for concrete and brick, unless your joist is not wood.

For wood, given you now have some holes that are enlarged, I would drill through and fit bolts with large washers to spread the load, even consider using a hardwood block each side to help perhaps glued to the joist face.

enter image description here

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  • There are loft floor boards directly on top of the joists. Will this approach still work?
    – GettingItDone
    Commented Dec 4, 2021 at 19:18
  • @fpsdkfsdkmsdfsdfm yes, as I stated - now given you a diagram to show the bolt going from one joist face to the other...
    – Solar Mike
    Commented Dec 4, 2021 at 19:23
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As the fixings are going into a wood joist, the best choice would be long wood screws as they can be used without the need for wall plugs. The boxing bag bracket shown in the image below was mounted with this method, and it's been holding fine for several years. enter image description here

To get a strong hold, you need to make sure the screws are located away from the existing holes you have drilled in the joist. To make the hold even stronger, you can also try adding a strong adhesive between the metal bracket and the wood.

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  • I appreciate the additional information I will combine this with the accepted answer.
    – GettingItDone
    Commented Dec 9, 2021 at 17:06

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