I have been trying to drill a hole into what appears to be
breeze-block, but it may be something else, and it has not proven to be
easy. When the drill is some distance in, it starts to move off centre
as if something is in the way in the breeze-block, or whatever it is. I
cannot stop this movement of the drill bit. What is going on here, why
does this happen and what can be done to stop it? It is really quite
annoying, because my beautifully marked up hole, exactly where I wanted
it, becomes irrelevant, and all my hard work goes to waste.

Is there anything to be done?
TIA
John

Steel reinforcement perhaps? That would be about a 3/4 inch thick steel
bar - you'd not easily get through that with a masonry bit.

You wouldn't likely get that in breeze block though, could it be
preformed slab?

John Edgar wrote:
I have been trying to drill a hole into what appears to be
breeze-block, but it may be something else, and it has not proven to be
easy. When the drill is some distance in, it starts to move off centre
as if something is in the way in the breeze-block, or whatever it is. I
cannot stop this movement of the drill bit. What is going on here, why
does this happen and what can be done to stop it? It is really quite
annoying, because my beautifully marked up hole, exactly where I wanted
it, becomes irrelevant, and all my hard work goes to waste.

Is there anything to be done?
TIA
John

John Edgar wrote:
When the drill is some distance in, it starts to move off centre
as if something is in the way in the breeze-block

Steel would do that, is it above a window or is there some iron conduit
in the house? Try drilling a few inches away where you can repair the
hole.

On 12 Aug 2006 03:44:33 -0700, "John Edgar"
wrote:

|I have been trying to drill a hole into what appears to be
|breeze-block, but it may be something else, and it has not proven to be
|easy. When the drill is some distance in, it starts to move off centre
|as if something is in the way in the breeze-block, or whatever it is. I
|cannot stop this movement of the drill bit. What is going on here, why
|does this happen and what can be done to stop it? It is really quite
|annoying, because my beautifully marked up hole, exactly where I wanted
|it, becomes irrelevant, and all my hard work goes to waste.

Point a torch down the hole, have a scrape with a screwdriver, and see what
you have hit.
--
Dave Fawthrop dave hyphenologist co uk Google Groups is IME the *worst*
method of accessing usenet. GG subscribers would be well advised get a
newsreader, say Agent, and a newsserver, say news.individual.net. These
will allow them: to see only *new* posts, a killfile, and other goodies.

John Edgar wrote:
I have been trying to drill a hole into what appears to be
breeze-block, but it may be something else, and it has not proven to be
easy. When the drill is some distance in, it starts to move off centre
as if something is in the way in the breeze-block, or whatever it is. I
cannot stop this movement of the drill bit. What is going on here, why
does this happen and what can be done to stop it? It is really quite
annoying, because my beautifully marked up hole, exactly where I wanted
it, becomes irrelevant, and all my hard work goes to waste.

Is there anything to be done?
TIA
John

breeze blocks are soft enough to carve with a kitchen knife, so theyre
esy to identify.

NT

The message . com
from contains these words:

breeze blocks are soft enough to carve with a kitchen knife, so theyre
esy to identify.

I don't think I have seen a modern breeze block but breeze blocks were
traditionally made from clinker and you would need a truely remarkable
knife to do more than scratch the surface of one of those.

--
Roger Chapman

In article . com,
writes:
breeze blocks are soft enough to carve with a kitchen knife, so theyre
esy to identify.

You have to be more precise. "Breeze Blocks" is rather loosely used
to refer to original breeze blocks (rather rare), clinker blocks
(very common) and thermal blocks (very common). Thermal blocks
behave as you describe, but breeze blocks and clinker blocks can
behave as the OP described because they have lumps of all sorts of
stuff in them.

--
Andrew Gabriel

"John Edgar" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have been trying to drill a hole into what appears to be
breeze-block, but it may be something else, and it has not proven to be
easy. When the drill is some distance in, it starts to move off centre
as if something is in the way in the breeze-block, or whatever it is. I
cannot stop this movement of the drill bit. What is going on here, why
does this happen and what can be done to stop it? It is really quite
annoying, because my beautifully marked up hole, exactly where I wanted
it, becomes irrelevant, and all my hard work goes to waste.

Is there anything to be done?

Some building blocks incorporate aggregate, so you could be hitting a piece
of stone. It is almost certain I will if drilling the walls in one of my
factory units. In that case, using a hammer drill usually works.

Colin Bignell

In message , Andrew Gabriel
writes
identify.

You have to be more precise. "Breeze Blocks" is rather loosely used
to refer to original breeze blocks (rather rare), clinker blocks
(very common) and thermal blocks (very common). Thermal blocks
behave as you describe, but breeze blocks and clinker blocks can
behave as the OP described because they have lumps of all sorts of
stuff in them.

Including one-pint glass orange bottles.
No, really, one of the blocks in the gable wall in my loft has a whole
pint bottle embedded in it.
--
steve

nightjar wrote:
Some building blocks incorporate aggregate, so you could be hitting
a piece
of stone. It is almost certain I will if drilling the walls in one of my
factory units. In that case, using a hammer drill usually works.

Colin Bignell

thats the most likely cause and solution john. Move a few inches one
side and try again but If you must drill the hole in that particular
spot, try packing the small hole with a tight short wooden or plastic
plug and cut down a screw to fit it.
Get a few better fixings on the rest of the job.
It depends on what you are fixing to the wall, a picture or a press?

wrote:
nightjar wrote:
Some building blocks incorporate aggregate, so you could be hitting
a piece
of stone. It is almost certain I will if drilling the walls in one of my
factory units. In that case, using a hammer drill usually works.

Colin Bignell

thats the most likely cause and solution john. Move a few inches one
side and try again but If you must drill the hole in that particular
spot, try packing the small hole with a tight short wooden or plastic
plug and cut down a screw to fit it.
Get a few better fixings on the rest of the job.
It depends on what you are fixing to the wall, a picture or a press?


Thanks for all the advice on this. At the end of the day, as it was in
my garage, it was not terribly important to be accurate on this
occasion and I managed to do the job even with the wandering drill bit.
I think it must be pieces of stone within these blocks, whatever kind
they are. I was interested to know what to do when it really matters!

Thanks again
John