NT wrote:
On Dec 11, 12:46 pm, The Medway Handyman
wrote:
Fixed a Wickes rad to a wall for a customer yesterday.

Rule One of fixing things to walls - throw away screws & fixings
supplied & use your own.

But these looked a bit good. Huge meaty plugs & coach screws.

I broke Rule One & tried to use them.

No size marked on plug as usual. Read instructions; "Using a 9mm
masonry bit, drill holes for the plugs".

9mm???

Check extensive stock of drill bits. 8mm & 10mm - no 9mm. Check in
Wickes book. No 9mm. Check in SF, TS, ITS catalogues - no 9mm.

Tried 8mm, plug wouldn't go in, tried 10mm, plug spun.

Applied Rule One & binned the bloody things.

Why would anyone make a plug that doesn't use a standard size hole?

Drill 10mm, put a bit of packing in, tap plugs in.


NT

Or revert to the well tested and tried plan B: Drill the 10mm hole, cut a
square piece of wood slightly bigger than depth and diameter of hole, cut a
small lead-in taper on the end, bang timber plug into wall, cut off to
length with a chisel and then insert screw (pre-drilling hole in plugs as
necessary).

Far too old-fashioned for TMH to use - or maybe even a too difficult a
solution for him to think of!

And for the purists here who may 'bang on' about sticking a screw in to end
grain - remember the method was around for many years before rawlplugs etc
were invented.