Greetings, everyone!

I'm planning to use tapcons (just remembered the name - got CRS syndrome) to
mount the corner bracket mentioned in my other thread to the outside brick
wall of my house. I also need to drill a hole through the wall and into the
house large enough to thread three cables with connectors attached. FWIW,
they are one BNC, - oops, CRS strikes again - one 12VDC power cable with a
coaxial center pin and an as yet undetermined connector for the two very low
voltage RS-485 PTZ network controller wires. Advice needed about those,
too - what sort of non-permanent connector would be best for what look like
two 22 gage stranded wires? A 4 pin modular phone connector? Mini-plug and
jack? Jelly beans?

Anyway, I got some long masonary bits from Harbor Fright and the bits that
come with the tapcon kit but I am wondering how to make sure the hole I
drill from the outside ends up exactly where I want it on the inside. The
plan is to very carefully measure from a reference point accessible from the
inside and out - in this case the window frame - and drill from the outside
in because I am afraid the brick will spaul if I go from the inside out. I
can always spackel a messy inside hole but I've yet to see brick spackel.

The problem is that the inside hole location is far more critical than the
outside one. I have a B&D (alledged) hammer drill that's got lots of
torque - 11A worth but I've never detected any particular hammering action
no matter how I set the various levers and adjustments. It looks like a
regular drill and very unlike the hammer drills Harbor Fright sells - which
I would be willing to buy if such a drill is required to do the job right.
I always welcome an excuse to buy a new tool! :-)

Someone said it's better to drill through the mortar, but I don't think the
holes in the camera mounting bracket will line up with more than one mortar
joint and drilling into crumbling old mortar spooks me a little. It's
really old brick. I mean really, REALLY old. I seem to recall someone
posting about a disasterous kitchen vent fan install thru a brick wall a
while back, so I would like to hear (or be pointed to a good site) that
discusses the trials and tribble-ations of drilling into and through old
brickwork.

I am more than a little concerned because a neighbor mounted a new handrail
on his brick porch and discovered that the mortar was bad and collapsed a
whole course of bricks. Since my bricklaying experience is equal to my
brick drilling experience (nada por dos) I thought I would seek advice from
those who have been there and done that. Thanks!!!!

For what it's worth, I have a number of practice bricks that I will begin to
play with tomorrow just to get a feel for things.

SH

On 09/15/2014 08:13 PM, Sherlock.Homes wrote:
Greetings, everyone!

I'm planning to use tapcons (just remembered the name - got CRS syndrome) to
mount the corner bracket mentioned in my other thread to the outside brick
wall of my house. I also need to drill a hole through the wall and into the
house large enough to thread three cables with connectors attached. FWIW,
they are one BNC, - oops, CRS strikes again - one 12VDC power cable with a
coaxial center pin and an as yet undetermined connector for the two very low
voltage RS-485 PTZ network controller wires. Advice needed about those,
too - what sort of non-permanent connector would be best for what look like
two 22 gage stranded wires? A 4 pin modular phone connector? Mini-plug and
jack? Jelly beans?

Anyway, I got some long masonary bits from Harbor Fright and the bits that
come with the tapcon kit but I am wondering how to make sure the hole I
drill from the outside ends up exactly where I want it on the inside. The
plan is to very carefully measure from a reference point accessible from the
inside and out - in this case the window frame - and drill from the outside
in because I am afraid the brick will spaul if I go from the inside out. I
can always spackel a messy inside hole but I've yet to see brick spackel.

The problem is that the inside hole location is far more critical than the
outside one. I have a B&D (alledged) hammer drill that's got lots of
torque - 11A worth but I've never detected any particular hammering action
no matter how I set the various levers and adjustments. It looks like a
regular drill and very unlike the hammer drills Harbor Fright sells - which
I would be willing to buy if such a drill is required to do the job right.
I always welcome an excuse to buy a new tool! :-)

Someone said it's better to drill through the mortar, but I don't think the
holes in the camera mounting bracket will line up with more than one mortar
joint and drilling into crumbling old mortar spooks me a little. It's
really old brick. I mean really, REALLY old. I seem to recall someone
posting about a disasterous kitchen vent fan install thru a brick wall a
while back, so I would like to hear (or be pointed to a good site) that
discusses the trials and tribble-ations of drilling into and through old
brickwork.

I am more than a little concerned because a neighbor mounted a new handrail
on his brick porch and discovered that the mortar was bad and collapsed a
whole course of bricks. Since my bricklaying experience is equal to my
brick drilling experience (nada por dos) I thought I would seek advice from
those who have been there and done that. Thanks!!!!

For what it's worth, I have a number of practice bricks that I will begin to
play with tomorrow just to get a feel for things.

SH




Drilling into the mortar is generally how it's done. If it's a good
quality "hard" brick it will be like trying to drill through stone.

In my town, 100 years ago there was a beautiful "Cream City" brick that
is soft and has proven not to hold up well. That kind of stuff is
probably drillable.

I would look to either drill new holes in the mounting bracket or make a whole new mounting bracket so I could drill into the mortar. Never heard of anyone successfully drilling into bricks.

I would be careful of inside vs outside measurements for locating the cable hole. The trim around the outside of the window may be different dimensions from the trim around the inside of the window, so you should measure from some common point like the edge of the glass itself, for example.

On Mon, 15 Sep 2014 21:13:37 -0400, "Sherlock.Homes"
wrote:

Greetings, everyone!

I'm planning to use tapcons (just remembered the name - got CRS syndrome) to
mount the corner bracket mentioned in my other thread to the outside brick
wall of my house. I also need to drill a hole through the wall and into the
house large enough to thread three cables with connectors attached. FWIW,
they are one BNC, - oops, CRS strikes again - one 12VDC power cable with a
coaxial center pin and an as yet undetermined connector for the two very low
voltage RS-485 PTZ network controller wires. Advice needed about those,
too - what sort of non-permanent connector would be best for what look like
two 22 gage stranded wires? A 4 pin modular phone connector? Mini-plug and
jack? Jelly beans?

Anyway, I got some long masonary bits from Harbor Fright and the bits that
come with the tapcon kit but I am wondering how to make sure the hole I
drill from the outside ends up exactly where I want it on the inside. The
plan is to very carefully measure from a reference point accessible from the
inside and out - in this case the window frame - and drill from the outside
in because I am afraid the brick will spaul if I go from the inside out. I
can always spackel a messy inside hole but I've yet to see brick spackel.

The problem is that the inside hole location is far more critical than the
outside one. I have a B&D (alledged) hammer drill that's got lots of
torque - 11A worth but I've never detected any particular hammering action
no matter how I set the various levers and adjustments. It looks like a
regular drill and very unlike the hammer drills Harbor Fright sells - which
I would be willing to buy if such a drill is required to do the job right.
I always welcome an excuse to buy a new tool! :-)

Someone said it's better to drill through the mortar, but I don't think the
holes in the camera mounting bracket will line up with more than one mortar
joint and drilling into crumbling old mortar spooks me a little. It's
really old brick. I mean really, REALLY old. I seem to recall someone
posting about a disasterous kitchen vent fan install thru a brick wall a
while back, so I would like to hear (or be pointed to a good site) that
discusses the trials and tribble-ations of drilling into and through old
brickwork.

I am more than a little concerned because a neighbor mounted a new handrail
on his brick porch and discovered that the mortar was bad and collapsed a
whole course of bricks. Since my bricklaying experience is equal to my
brick drilling experience (nada por dos) I thought I would seek advice from
those who have been there and done that. Thanks!!!!

For what it's worth, I have a number of practice bricks that I will begin to
play with tomorrow just to get a feel for things.


Drill into the mortar joint and use plastic anchors and SS screws.
I've done that in many places. One of them is to hold a hose reel
weighing about 50 lbs.
If the bracket holes don't line up with the joints, attach a couple
wood strips to the mortar joints and screw your bracket to those.
Don't risk cracking your bricks.
If the mortar is crumbling, you need tuckpointing.

Don't drill into ANY mortar joint, drill into the HORIZONTAL mortar joints.

The vertical mortar joints on a brick wall will often only be filled with mortar for the first inch or so. Beyond that, the joint is empty. The horizontal mortar joints have to support the entire weight of the brickwork above, and will be completely full of mortar.

If the holes in your bracket don't line up with your mortar joints, drill more holes in your bracket.

"philo " wrote in message news:lv839q$5lu$1@dont-

Drilling into the mortar is generally how it's done. If it's a good
quality "hard" brick it will be like trying to drill through stone.

That's why I thought I would ask. When I looked around outside I noticed
that the power lines from the pole, the phone lines, A/C control box, etc.
were all mounted via the mortar. That's why I asked. Never done this
before in my life! I probably would have figured it out - eventually.

In my town, 100 years ago there was a beautiful "Cream City" brick that
is soft and has proven not to hold up well. That kind of stuff is
probably drillable.

I have some bricks I can test with, but I am assuming that brick widths are
standard and the holes on the bracket I get *might* be spaced accordingly.
If they aren't, they will be. Muchos gracias!

SH

wrote in message
...
I would look to either drill new holes in the mounting bracket or make a
whole new mounting bracket so I could drill into the mortar. Never heard of
anyone successfully drilling into bricks.

I won't be the one to break your streak. Into the mortar I go! If I need
to drill new holes, that should be simple enough. Like a stopped watch
being right twice a day, at least two horizontal holes should line up.

SH

wrote in message
...
I would be careful of inside vs outside measurements for locating the cable
hole. The trim around the outside of the window may be different dimensions
from the trim around the inside of the window, so you should measure from
some common point like the edge of the glass itself, for example.
================================================== ==
Good point, hr. I was going to open the nearest window and clamp a long 1
by 2" wood strip in the corner of the open window's frame. Should be the
same distance inside and out, yes?

SH

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 15 Sep 2014 21:13:37 -0400, "Sherlock.Homes"
wrote:

Greetings, everyone!

I'm planning to use tapcons (just remembered the name - got CRS syndrome)
to
mount the corner bracket mentioned in my other thread to the outside
brick
wall of my house. I also need to drill a hole through the wall and into
the
house large enough to thread three cables with connectors attached.
FWIW,
they are one BNC, - oops, CRS strikes again - one 12VDC power cable with
a
coaxial center pin and an as yet undetermined connector for the two very
low
voltage RS-485 PTZ network controller wires. Advice needed about those,
too - what sort of non-permanent connector would be best for what look
like
two 22 gage stranded wires? A 4 pin modular phone connector? Mini-plug
and
jack? Jelly beans?

Anyway, I got some long masonary bits from Harbor Fright and the bits
that
come with the tapcon kit but I am wondering how to make sure the hole I
drill from the outside ends up exactly where I want it on the inside.
The
plan is to very carefully measure from a reference point accessible from
the
inside and out - in this case the window frame - and drill from the
outside
in because I am afraid the brick will spaul if I go from the inside out.
I
can always spackel a messy inside hole but I've yet to see brick spackel.

The problem is that the inside hole location is far more critical than
the
outside one. I have a B&D (alledged) hammer drill that's got lots of
torque - 11A worth but I've never detected any particular hammering
action
no matter how I set the various levers and adjustments. It looks like a
regular drill and very unlike the hammer drills Harbor Fright sells -
which
I would be willing to buy if such a drill is required to do the job
right.
I always welcome an excuse to buy a new tool! :-)

Someone said it's better to drill through the mortar, but I don't think
the
holes in the camera mounting bracket will line up with more than one
mortar
joint and drilling into crumbling old mortar spooks me a little. It's
really old brick. I mean really, REALLY old. I seem to recall someone
posting about a disasterous kitchen vent fan install thru a brick wall a
while back, so I would like to hear (or be pointed to a good site) that
discusses the trials and tribble-ations of drilling into and through old
brickwork.

I am more than a little concerned because a neighbor mounted a new
handrail
on his brick porch and discovered that the mortar was bad and collapsed a
whole course of bricks. Since my bricklaying experience is equal to my
brick drilling experience (nada por dos) I thought I would seek advice
from
those who have been there and done that. Thanks!!!!

For what it's worth, I have a number of practice bricks that I will begin
to
play with tomorrow just to get a feel for things.


Drill into the mortar joint and use plastic anchors and SS screws.
I've done that in many places. One of them is to hold a hose reel
weighing about 50 lbs.

I have some plastic coated screws called Tapcons. I hope they will do the
trick.

If the bracket holes don't line up with the joints, attach a couple
wood strips to the mortar joints and screw your bracket to those.

Oooh. Ugly, but we're talking about a PTZ camera that looks like the head
of a decapitated robot. I guess that makes ugly relative. :0)

Don't risk cracking your bricks.

I've already been convinced. Mortar is more easily drilled - and replaced
if it crumbles.

If the mortar is crumbling, you need tuckpointing.

What are you, my wife??!!!! I KNOW I need tuckpointing and we were just
arguing about that yesterday because the front porch got seriously eroded
from just one shot of that deicing crap and one of the bricks is actually
working loose. My neighbors used some sort of expensive "safe for the
environment and walkways" crap when we were away. So while I appreciated
them clearing the porch and saving us from a lawsuit, as they say, no good
deed goes unpunished. The rest of the mortar around the house is in better
shape, but not much better. I guess I should start a new thread about
tuckpointing and whether I should/could do it myself or whether it's best to
hire it out. Dziekuje bardzo for your thoughts, Vic.

SH

"nestork" wrote in message
...

Don't drill into ANY mortar joint, drill into the HORIZONTAL mortar
joints.

The vertical mortar joints on a brick wall will often only be filled
with mortar for the first inch or so. Beyond that, the joint is empty.
The horizontal mortar joints have to support the entire weight of the
brickwork above, and will be completely full of mortar.

If the holes in your bracket don't line up with your mortar joints,
drill more holes in your bracket.

Excellent points, especially vertical joints have less mortar. Never
would have thought of that - it's why I love the "brain trust" of the
internet. When the bracket arrives I am hoping that the holes will line up
with the brick mortar joints but if they don't, by God they soon will! Does
Harbor Fright carry a hole mover? Grinning, ducking and running! I should
ask one of the clerks just to see what they say.

SH

On 09/16/2014 06:31 AM, Sherlock.Homes wrote:
"philo " wrote in message news:lv839q$5lu$1@dont-

Drilling into the mortar is generally how it's done. If it's a good
quality "hard" brick it will be like trying to drill through stone.

That's why I thought I would ask. When I looked around outside I noticed
that the power lines from the pole, the phone lines, A/C control box, etc.
were all mounted via the mortar. That's why I asked. Never done this
before in my life! I probably would have figured it out - eventually.

In my town, 100 years ago there was a beautiful "Cream City" brick that
is soft and has proven not to hold up well. That kind of stuff is
probably drillable.

I have some bricks I can test with, but I am assuming that brick widths are
standard and the holes on the bracket I get *might* be spaced accordingly.
If they aren't, they will be. Muchos gracias!

SH





Happy experimenting

On Tue, 16 Sep 2014 07:48:12 -0400, "Sherlock.Homes"
wrote:

The rest of the mortar around the house is in better
shape, but not much better. I guess I should start a new thread about
tuckpointing and whether I should/could do it myself or whether it's best to
hire it out. Dziekuje bardzo for your thoughts, Vic.

Dla nics. You can use vertical joints. Haven't found them less
sturdy than horizontals on my 2 brick houses.
Wood isn't ugly if you do it right. I use tapcons for concrete, and
plugs for mortar. Tapcons should work.
I had the works, ladder jacks, tools and mortar color when I started
tuckpointing my 2-flat. Did about 1/4 of one rough bricked side wall,
and found it so mind-numbing I got a crew to do it.
Glad I didn't try the finish brick.
On my current house my son was old enough (15) to pay him to do the 2
rough brick walls. I showed him how to mix the mortar (sand, cement,
lime, no coloring) and he did it, using the containers I provided.
The 2 sides with finish brick were ok, and still are. He did a
thorough if sloppy job, but I told him not to worry about it, just get
the mix right and fill the joints.
Simple pointing tools, with a convex joint.
He was afraid to do the chimney, and I let that go. About 10 years
later a guy scoping chimneys in the neighborhood rang the doorbell,
and offered to do it for $150. It was done that day. He did a fine
job.
It all depends on how neat you want it. You want the face bricks
absolutely neat, but may not care about the appearance of the joints
of the rough brick. I didn't.
You don't have to cut out mortar if the house had bricks laid with a
good mortar. It weathers away. Just remove loose mortar and work
new into the joints.
Except for the face brick, which takes skill, it's very doable.
You could do the finish brick with patience and time.
But boring as all get out.

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 16 Sep 2014 07:48:12 -0400, "Sherlock.Homes"
wrote:

The rest of the mortar around the house is in better
shape, but not much better. I guess I should start a new thread about
tuckpointing and whether I should/could do it myself or whether it's best
to
hire it out. Dziekuje bardzo for your thoughts, Vic.

Dla nics. You can use vertical joints. Haven't found them less
sturdy than horizontals on my 2 brick houses.

Good to know, still, I think Nestork might have a point. This house was
clearly built on the cheap and if any house is going to have bad vertical
mortar joints, its this one.

Wood isn't ugly if you do it right. I use tapcons for concrete, and
plugs for mortar. Tapcons should work.

What kind of plugs? I have lead bolt anchors that I could use.

I had the works, ladder jacks, tools and mortar color when I started
tuckpointing my 2-flat. Did about 1/4 of one rough bricked side wall,
and found it so mind-numbing I got a crew to do it.

I guess I won't have to start a new thread.

Glad I didn't try the finish brick.
On my current house my son was old enough (15) to pay him to do the 2
rough brick walls. I showed him how to mix the mortar (sand, cement,
lime, no coloring) and he did it, using the containers I provided.
The 2 sides with finish brick were ok, and still are. He did a
thorough if sloppy job, but I told him not to worry about it, just get
the mix right and fill the joints.

I'm going to do more reading since I think I will have it done but I want to
make sure they use the right stuff.

Simple pointing tools, with a convex joint.
He was afraid to do the chimney, and I let that go. About 10 years
later a guy scoping chimneys in the neighborhood rang the doorbell,
and offered to do it for $150. It was done that day. He did a fine
job.

I am surprised nobodys come out to ring my doorbell and offer the service
because all the houses in this neighborhood are the same age and most of
them need repointing. This is the time of year to get it done, too.

It all depends on how neat you want it. You want the face bricks
absolutely neat, but may not care about the appearance of the joints
of the rough brick. I didn't.

I want to plug some of the major holes that have appeared. Its funny - I
did not notice how bad it was until I started looking for places to mount
the camera. It sort of blends into the background and as I age, I don't
noticed as much as I used to. I tell my wife she still looks as lovely as
she did when I married her but I don't tell her it's because my eyesight's
gotten so crummy.

You don't have to cut out mortar if the house had bricks laid with a
good mortar. It weathers away. Just remove loose mortar and work
new into the joints.

That's good to know.

Except for the face brick, which takes skill, it's very doable.
You could do the finish brick with patience and time.
But boring as all get out.

A perfect job for someone other than me!!!!

I guess I should ask the landscaping crew chief - the only one that speaks
English - if he knows someone who can do it. I've been putting it off but
it's getting to be time to get it done.

Thanks, Vic.

SH

You better hope your wife doesn't read your posts!!!

If the bracket holes don't line up with the brick mortar joints, just use a piece of lumber to install the bracket. Screw the lumber to the horizontal mortar joints, and then screw the bracket to the lumber. If that camera doesn't weigh more than a few ounces, you can fasten the bracket to the lumber with 5/8 inch screws and that will be plenty strong enough.

Paint the top end/edge and back side of the lumber (facing the brick) with end cut preservative so that any rain water accumulated there won't cause the wood to start rotting. Allow a half hour for the end cut preservative to be absorbed, and then wipe the excess off before mounting the lumber. You can paint the rest of the wood to match the brick colour if you want.

PS:
And, if it were me, I would caulk around 3 sides of the wood (Top and both sides, leaving the bottom uncaulked) with Stone Mason Gutter and Siding Sealant sold at Home Depot in Canada (at least) to prevent rain water accumulation behind the wood. This product is made by the Henry Company, which I think also operates in the USA. If you can't get this, then an identical product is called "Kop-R-Lastic" caulk which you should be able to find locally. Kop-R-Lastic comes in 8 colours, whereas Stone Mason Gutter & Siding Sealant only comes in white and clear. Kop-R-Lastic has a larger colour choice, Stone Mason's packaging (the tube graphics) are a little more attractive, but what's inside the tubes is identical.

Stone Mason | Stone Mason Gutter & Siding | Home Depot Canada

The reason why you want to use this caulk, and nothing but this caulk, is because it's cohesive strength is even higher than it's adhesive strength, meaning that it sticks to itself even better than it sticks to most construction materials, like brick and mortar. So, if you ever want to remove that bracket, to replace it or eliminate it, you just have to get one end of the caulk started and it'll pull off the brick and mortar cleanly, just like a rubber rope. It won't leave a mark on your porous brick that's difficult to remove like other caulks will. I have 66 windows in my apartment block, and I won't use any other caulk on them except this one. If you can't get this caulk, I wouldn't use any caulk at all.

wrote in message
...
You better hope your wife doesn't read your posts!!!

Not a chance! You don't think I'd post something like that where I would
have to answer for it???!!!!

SH

On Tue, 16 Sep 2014 09:52:29 -0400, "Sherlock.Homes"
wrote:



What kind of plugs? I have lead bolt anchors that I could use.


Any 1/4" or 3/8" plastic plugs should do for a camera. Same as you
use for drywall, but get SS screws. Lead plugs are for heavy stuff,
like porch ledger beams.
Get the right drill bit with plugs, and just tap them in with a
hammer.


I am surprised nobodys come out to ring my doorbell and offer the service
because all the houses in this neighborhood are the same age and most of
them need repointing. This is the time of year to get it done, too.

He was a little middle-aged Polish guy. Hustling. Knew his stuff.


I want to plug some of the major holes that have appeared. Its funny - I
did not notice how bad it was until I started looking for places to mount
the camera. It sort of blends into the background and as I age, I don't
noticed as much as I used to.


And it gets progressively worse as water penetrates and freezes.
You can practice your mortar mixing on the joints behind the camera.
Before you put the camera up.

I guess I should ask the landscaping crew chief - the only one that speaks
English - if he knows someone who can do it. I've been putting it off but
it's getting to be time to get it done.


That method has worked for me, or spotting a crew doing the work.
The price can vary tremendously, so shop.

"nestork" wrote in message
...

'Sherlock.Homes[_2_ Wrote:
;3284187']
When the bracket arrives I am hoping that the holes will line up
with the brick mortar joints but if they don't, by God they soon will!
SH

If the bracket holes don't line up with the brick mortar joints, just
use a piece of lumber to install the bracket. Screw the lumber to the
horizontal mortar joints, and then screw the bracket to the lumber. If
that camera doesn't weigh more than a few ounces, you can fasten the
bracket to the lumber with 5/8 inch screws and that will be plenty
strong enough.

Camera is two and a half kilos, or so it says on the box, but it also says
worth $50 for customs declarations, so who you gunna believe? It feels like
15 pounds but I will weigh it just for the helluva it.

And, if it were me, I would caulk around 3 sides of the wood (Top and
both sides, leaving the bottom uncaulked) with Stone Mason Gutter and
Siding Sealant sold at Home Depot in Canada (at least) to prevent rain
water accumulation behind the wood. This product is made by the Henry
Company, which I think also operates in the USA. If you can't get this,
then an identical product is called "Kop-R-Lastic" caulk which you
should be able to find locally. Kop-R-Lastic comes in 8 colours,
whereas Stone Mason Gutter & Siding Sealant only comes in white and
clear. Kop-R-Lastic has a larger colour choice, Stone Mason's packaging
(the tube graphics) are a little more attractive, but what's inside the
tubes is identical.

'Stone Mason | Stone Mason Gutter & Siding | Home Depot Canada'
(http://www.homedepot.ca/product/ston...-siding/901739)

The reason why you want to use this caulk, and nothing but this caulk,
is because it's cohesive strength is even higher than it's adhesive
strength, meaning that it sticks to itself even better than it sticks to
most construction materials, like brick and mortar. So, if you ever
want to remove that bracket, to replace it or eliminate it, you just
have to get one end of the caulk started and it'll pull off the brick
and mortar cleanly, just like a rubber rope. It won't leave a mark on
your porous brick that's difficult to remove like other caulks will. I
have 66 windows in my apartment block, and I won't use any other caulk
on them except this one. If you can't get this caulk, I wouldn't use
any caulk at all.

I am really hoping that if it doesn't line up, my drill will fix that. If
that's not possible, I may punt and consider a wooden intermediate plate. I
may consider smearing construction adhesive on the flange that contacts the
brick to give it some added strength and as a sealant. Good idea.

Thanks!

SH

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 16 Sep 2014 09:52:29 -0400, "Sherlock.Homes"
wrote:



What kind of plugs? I have lead bolt anchors that I could use.


Any 1/4" or 3/8" plastic plugs should do for a camera. Same as you
use for drywall, but get SS screws. Lead plugs are for heavy stuff,
like porch ledger beams.

I got the lead jobbies for some masonary project maybe 20 years ago and for
the life of me I can not remember what. I have matching lag bolts that
could be SS but I'll bet they are not. I was really hoping to finally do a
project that didn't involve even ONE trip to Home Depot. Oh well.

Get the right drill bit with plugs, and just tap them in with a
hammer.

I think the tapcons will hold, especially if I drill an extra set of holes.
If it ends up I have to go to the depot, I will consider SS screws/lag
bolts/whatever. Can't tell for sure what I will use until the bracket
arrives, hopefully tomorrow.

I am surprised nobodys come out to ring my doorbell and offer the service
because all the houses in this neighborhood are the same age and most of
them need repointing. This is the time of year to get it done, too.

He was a little middle-aged Polish guy. Hustling. Knew his stuff.

Very few Polish people hereabouts. Even my wife is only 1/4 Pole and now
that I am a little worried she might someday see this, I'll keep the joke
about what quarter and why to myself.

In this neighborhood its only Hispanics that hustle for work. Some good,
some not so good, mostly so-so.

I want to plug some of the major holes that have appeared. Its funny - I
did not notice how bad it was until I started looking for places to mount
the camera. It sort of blends into the background and as I age, I don't
noticed as much as I used to.


And it gets progressively worse as water penetrates and freezes.
You can practice your mortar mixing on the joints behind the camera.
Before you put the camera up.

You are violating my tried and true principal of "one thing at a time!" I
have plenty of low-down (pun intended) mortar joints to practice on if I
feel so inclined. Getting some test mortar is enough of a reason to go to
HD to get the SS screws. Now I remember - I have stainless machine screws
but nothing for anchors. Just the normal zinc plated stuff.

I guess I should ask the landscaping crew chief - the only one that
speaks
English - if he knows someone who can do it. I've been putting it off
but
it's getting to be time to get it done.

That method has worked for me, or spotting a crew doing the work.
The price can vary tremendously, so shop.

If I had the time I would relate one truly disasterous experience doing
things that way. Every once in a while, a second story guy poses as a
workman to get a close up view of the place and possible points of entry.

SH

On Tue, 16 Sep 2014 07:31:54 -0400, "Sherlock.Homes"
wrote:


In my town, 100 years ago there was a beautiful "Cream City" brick that
is soft and has proven not to hold up well. That kind of stuff is
probably drillable.

I have some bricks I can test with, but I am assuming that brick widths are
standard and the holes on the bracket I get *might* be spaced accordingly.

Unless the bracket is made of kryptonite, you can probably drill through
it.

If they aren't, they will be. Muchos gracias!

SH

On Tue, 16 Sep 2014 07:36:17 -0400, "Sherlock.Homes"
wrote:

wrote in message
...
I would be careful of inside vs outside measurements for locating the cable
hole. The trim around the outside of the window may be different dimensions
from the trim around the inside of the window, so you should measure from
some common point like the edge of the glass itself, for example.
================================================= ===
Good point, hr. I was going to open the nearest window and clamp a long 1
by 2" wood strip in the corner of the open window's frame. Should be the
same distance inside and out, yes?

SH

It depends on whether the universe is hyperbolic or not. Or at least
whether your house is.

On Tue, 16 Sep 2014 12:34:52 -0400, "Sherlock.Homes"
wrote:

Camera is two and a half kilos, or so it says on the box, but it also says
worth $50 for customs declarations, so who you gunna believe? It feels like
15 pounds but I will weigh it just for the helluva it.

I love it when Amazon gives the dimensions of the box, but not the item.

On Tuesday, September 16, 2014 7:33:43 AM UTC-4, Sherlock.Homes wrote:
wrote in message

...

I would look to either drill new holes in the mounting bracket or make a

whole new mounting bracket so I could drill into the mortar. Never heard of

anyone successfully drilling into bricks.



I won't be the one to break your streak. Into the mortar I go! If I need

to drill new holes, that should be simple enough. Like a stopped watch

being right twice a day, at least two horizontal holes should line up.



SH

I would agree that drilling the mortar would be the easier solution. But
I have to disagree with those that say you can't drill through bricks.
I did it a few years back to add a bath fan. It required making an opening
in the brick wall to fit the exhaust pipe, ie about a 3.5 or larger hole.
I drilled holes all around the perimeter, then knocked the pieces out.
I didn't even have a hammer drill, just a regular one with a masonry bit.
It wasn't all that hard. Bricks may vary, but these were not that tough.

"trader_4" wrote in message
...
On Tuesday, September 16, 2014 7:33:43 AM UTC-4, Sherlock.Homes wrote:
wrote in message

...

I would look to either drill new holes in the mounting bracket or make
a

whole new mounting bracket so I could drill into the mortar. Never
heard of

anyone successfully drilling into bricks.



I won't be the one to break your streak. Into the mortar I go! If I
need

to drill new holes, that should be simple enough. Like a stopped watch

being right twice a day, at least two horizontal holes should line up.



SH

I would agree that drilling the mortar would be the easier solution. But
I have to disagree with those that say you can't drill through bricks.
I did it a few years back to add a bath fan. It required making an
opening
in the brick wall to fit the exhaust pipe, ie about a 3.5 or larger hole.
I drilled holes all around the perimeter, then knocked the pieces out.
I didn't even have a hammer drill, just a regular one with a masonry bit.
It wasn't all that hard. Bricks may vary, but these were not that tough.

That's good to know. Wife's health crisis delayed the project for a while,
sorry to say. The bracket that CRNG located for me arrived and the camera
fits exactly (the mount even came with SS bolts and nuts for the camera
arm - a real bonus!) but the two of the four holes for the walls do not line
up with the mortar.

I will thus be drilling two holes that will align with the mortar since that
seems to be the easiest course of action. When I get the time, I will
experiment with brick drilling since I have a hammer drill (or so the label
says) and a set of HF masonary bits. There may come a time when that's the
only solution. Thanks for the input.

SH

"micky" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 16 Sep 2014 12:34:52 -0400, "Sherlock.Homes"
wrote:

Camera is two and a half kilos, or so it says on the box, but it also
says
worth $50 for customs declarations, so who you gunna believe? It feels
like
15 pounds but I will weigh it just for the helluva it.

I love it when Amazon gives the dimensions of the box, but not the item.

While this particular item came from Ebay I agree that Amazon is not the
best when it comes to detailed descriptions or useful photographs. For that
reason, I now scan through all the comments/reviews when buying something
where dimensions are critical.

I've had more than one occasion where they gave the unit measurements - a
microwave that had to fit in a specific opening - and they were wrong. Even
though I sent them a note (as did others, as of today they are STILL listing
the wrong size - way too big). To their credit they took it back and paid
the return shipping but wouldn't it make more business sense to just correct
the listing?

Latest peeve - looking for an HD media player. You'd be surprised at how
many items have a half a dozen pictures or more - top view, side view, photo
of the shipping box but NOTHING showing the keys on the remote. The one
that did have a good closeup photo showed the keys labeled in Chinese!!!!

SH

"micky" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 16 Sep 2014 07:31:54 -0400, "Sherlock.Homes"
wrote:


In my town, 100 years ago there was a beautiful "Cream City" brick that
is soft and has proven not to hold up well. That kind of stuff is
probably drillable.

I have some bricks I can test with, but I am assuming that brick widths
are
standard and the holes on the bracket I get *might* be spaced
accordingly.

Unless the bracket is made of kryptonite, you can probably drill through
it.

Appears to be made out of cast rodinium - The hardest substance known to
Federation science.

http://www.google.com/search?q=cast+rodinium

I am looking for used Romulan Warbird on Ebay to make it drillable. :-)

SH