Apologies if this has already appeared, I posted it last night and I can't
see it on the ng as yet!

*****
Hi,

I had a quick look to see if i could find this in a previous thread or in a
FAQ, but couldn't find it, so apologies as I'm sure it's a regular!

I have limited tools available and i need (the nagging is getting
unbearable!) to drill a number of holes above a window which seems to use a
concrete lintel.

My basic B&D hammer drill just doesn't seem to have the guts to make any
impression on the concrete. What bit should i be using and are there any
other tips you could give this frustrated DIY newbie?!

Many TIA,

Jon H

In article ,
Jon Harris wrote:
My basic B&D hammer drill just doesn't seem to have the guts to make any
impression on the concrete. What bit should i be using and are there any
other tips you could give this frustrated DIY newbie?!

You need an SDS drill, I'm afraid. Uses a different method of 'hammering'
which is strong enough to go through concrete.

--
*Everybody lies, but it doesn't matter since nobody listens.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Jon Harris wrote:
My basic B&D hammer drill just doesn't seem to have the guts to make any
impression on the concrete. What bit should i be using and are there any
other tips you could give this frustrated DIY newbie?!

You need an SDS drill, I'm afraid. Uses a different method of 'hammering'
which is strong enough to go through concrete.

Thanks Dave, having a Google around I saw the SDS drill bits and wondered if
hiring one of the drills was the way to go.

Many thanks for the advice, much appreciated!

Cheers,

Jon H.

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Jon Harris wrote:

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Jon Harris wrote:
My basic B&D hammer drill just doesn't seem to have the guts to
make any impression on the concrete. What bit should i be using and
are there any other tips you could give this frustrated DIY newbie?!

You need an SDS drill, I'm afraid. Uses a different method of
'hammering' which is strong enough to go through concrete.

Thanks Dave, having a Google around I saw the SDS drill bits and
wondered if hiring one of the drills was the way to go.

Many thanks for the advice, much appreciated!

Cheers,

Jon H.

There are a lot of sub-50 quid SDS drills around these days which are ok for
occasional DIY (though not professional!) use - so buying one may be
preferable to hiring.

You are *sure* it's concrete, aren't you? A lot of lintels are made of steel
box section - which will also resist a normal hammer drill, but which need
an HSS bit without hammer action rather than an SDS drill.
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 18:50:41 +0100, "Jon Harris"
wrote:

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Jon Harris wrote:
My basic B&D hammer drill just doesn't seem to have the guts to make any
impression on the concrete. What bit should i be using and are there any
other tips you could give this frustrated DIY newbie?!

You need an SDS drill, I'm afraid. Uses a different method of 'hammering'
which is strong enough to go through concrete.

Thanks Dave, having a Google around I saw the SDS drill bits and wondered if
hiring one of the drills was the way to go.

Many thanks for the advice, much appreciated!

Cheers,

Jon H.



I suspect that you will find that the rental cost would add up to
buying one in two to three rentals.....



..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

Andy Hall wrote:

Thanks Dave, having a Google around I saw the SDS drill bits and wondered if
hiring one of the drills was the way to go.

Many thanks for the advice, much appreciated!

Cheers,

Jon H.



I suspect that you will find that the rental cost would add up to
buying one in two to three rentals.....


He won't want to hire one more than once, anyway :-)


--
Ian White

"Set Square" wrote in message
...

Thanks Dave, having a Google around I saw the SDS drill bits and
wondered if hiring one of the drills was the way to go.

There are a lot of sub-50 quid SDS drills around these days which are ok
for
occasional DIY (though not professional!) use - so buying one may be
preferable to hiring.

Given the age of the B&D it maybe a good time to get soemthing else anyway.

You are *sure* it's concrete, aren't you? A lot of lintels are made of
steel
box section - which will also resist a normal hammer drill, but which need
an HSS bit without hammer action rather than an SDS drill.

An educated guess really. The house is just post war (well, the previous
house had a V1 land on it so i guess it was built 1945-46) and there are
concrete lintels over all of the downstairs windows (they're exposed
outside)

To keep her indoors happy it's been temporarily installed by actually
hanging it from *above* the lintel, but it doesn't look very good...

Thanks again,

Jon.

Jon Harris wrote:
"Set Square" wrote in message
...

Thanks Dave, having a Google around I saw the SDS drill bits and
wondered if hiring one of the drills was the way to go.

There are a lot of sub-50 quid SDS drills around these days which are ok
for
occasional DIY (though not professional!) use - so buying one may be
preferable to hiring.

Given the age of the B&D it maybe a good time to get soemthing else anyway.

An SDS drill does not substitute for an ordinary hammer drill.
For small holes in wood, metal, the SDS RPM can be low, and the weight
can be quite a bit higher.

It's a very good tool to add, as it can do things that the hammer drill
simply can't.

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

In article ,
wrote:
An SDS drill does not substitute for an ordinary hammer drill.
For small holes in wood, metal, the SDS RPM can be low, and the
weight can be quite a bit higher.

But you don't need a hammer drill for drilling wood and metal...

Agreed. I think the previous poster was re-inforcing my earlier point that
an SDS drill shouldn't be your *only* drill. It's horses for courses. Even
though you may be able to attach a conventional chuck to an SDS drill, and
use it for drilling wood etc., it doesn't do it very well - because it's too
slow and also too big and heavy for the job in hand. So you need at least
one "ordinary" drill as well - which doesn't need hammer action, but will
probably have it anyway!
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote:
In article ,
wrote:
An SDS drill does not substitute for an ordinary hammer drill.
For small holes in wood, metal, the SDS RPM can be low, and the weight
can be quite a bit higher.

But you don't need a hammer drill for drilling wood and metal...

Are there such things as small electric hammer drills - that can't
have the hammer turned off?

In article ,
Ian Stirling wrote:
An SDS drill does not substitute for an ordinary hammer drill.
For small holes in wood, metal, the SDS RPM can be low, and the weight
can be quite a bit higher.

But you don't need a hammer drill for drilling wood and metal...

Are there such things as small electric hammer drills - that can't
have the hammer turned off?

Not that I know of. But if you have an SDS drill, an ordinary non hammer
drill will be fine for everything else. That was the point I was making.

--
*Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote:
In article ,
Ian Stirling wrote:
An SDS drill does not substitute for an ordinary hammer drill.
For small holes in wood, metal, the SDS RPM can be low, and the weight
can be quite a bit higher.

But you don't need a hammer drill for drilling wood and metal...

Are there such things as small electric hammer drills - that can't
have the hammer turned off?

Not that I know of. But if you have an SDS drill, an ordinary non hammer
drill will be fine for everything else. That was the point I was making.

The small electric hammer drill I have (800g?) is infinitely more convenient
for making small holes in masonry when on a ladder than the SDS would be,
for example for fixing security lights.

Yes, the SDS would make the holes faster, but the setup would be much worse,
as using the SDS one-handed isn't really an option.

With the hammer drill, you can easily, and safely work the drill one-handed,
even at a moderate distance from the ladder, as long as there is something
to hold onto.

On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 17:50:22 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article ,
Jon Harris wrote:
My basic B&D hammer drill just doesn't seem to have the guts to make any
impression on the concrete. What bit should i be using and are there any
other tips you could give this frustrated DIY newbie?!

You need an SDS drill, I'm afraid. Uses a different method of 'hammering'
which is strong enough to go through concrete.


The lintels I fitted last night have a steel rod in the middle, if you
hit this when drilling I would guess your masonary bit will be in big
troubble.

If you have go an inch or so in, they may be what has happened.

Rick

"Rick Dipper" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 17:50:22 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article ,
Jon Harris wrote:
My basic B&D hammer drill just doesn't seem to have the guts to make
any
impression on the concrete. What bit should i be using and are there
any
other tips you could give this frustrated DIY newbie?!

You need an SDS drill, I'm afraid. Uses a different method of 'hammering'
which is strong enough to go through concrete.


The lintels I fitted last night have a steel rod in the middle, if you
hit this when drilling I would guess your masonary bit will be in big
troubble.

And if you don't break the bit the lintel is in bigger trouble. Any damage
to the steel rod will make the lintel utterly useless.