I don't know if I'm tackling the job in completely the wrong way but I've
always found screwing a batten accurately to a wall (e.g. for a shelf
support) very tedious.
It seems to me that the best way to get it positioned correctly is to drill
through pre-drilled holes in the batten. But many of these universal plastic
wall plugs need a much bigger hole than is required to clear the screw. So I
end up drilling pilot holes in the wall and then opening them out to fit the
plug.
I usually fix one end loosely, level it up, and then drill another hole. I
seem to spend a lot of time changing drill bits and fixing and removing the
batten.
Where am I going wrong?
TIA
Nick.

"Nick" no_bother@all wrote in message
...
I don't know if I'm tackling the job in completely the wrong way but I've
always found screwing a batten accurately to a wall (e.g. for a shelf
support) very tedious.
It seems to me that the best way to get it positioned correctly is to
drill
through pre-drilled holes in the batten. But many of these universal
plastic
wall plugs need a much bigger hole than is required to clear the screw. So
I
end up drilling pilot holes in the wall and then opening them out to fit
the
plug.
I usually fix one end loosely, level it up, and then drill another hole. I
seem to spend a lot of time changing drill bits and fixing and removing
the
batten.
Where am I going wrong?
TIA
Nick.


Get a cheapo cordless drill to drill the pilot holes ??

On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 15:13:40 +0000, Nick wrote:

I don't know if I'm tackling the job in completely the wrong way but I've
always found screwing a batten accurately to a wall (e.g. for a shelf
support) very tedious.
It seems to me that the best way to get it positioned correctly is to drill
through pre-drilled holes in the batten. But many of these universal plastic
wall plugs need a much bigger hole than is required to clear the screw. So I
end up drilling pilot holes in the wall and then opening them out to fit the
plug.
I usually fix one end loosely, level it up, and then drill another hole. I
seem to spend a lot of time changing drill bits and fixing and removing the
batten.
Where am I going wrong?

I usually use hammer fixings, as these fit through the hole
and do not require you to remove the batten every time:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...3933&id=101149

Chris

"Chris Walton" wrote in message
news
On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 15:13:40 +0000, Nick wrote:

I don't know if I'm tackling the job in completely the wrong way but
I've
always found screwing a batten accurately to a wall (e.g. for a shelf
support) very tedious.
It seems to me that the best way to get it positioned correctly is to
drill
through pre-drilled holes in the batten. But many of these universal
plastic
wall plugs need a much bigger hole than is required to clear the screw.
So I
end up drilling pilot holes in the wall and then opening them out to fit
the
plug.
I usually fix one end loosely, level it up, and then drill another hole.
I
seem to spend a lot of time changing drill bits and fixing and removing
the
batten.
Where am I going wrong?

I usually use hammer fixings, as these fit through the hole
and do not require you to remove the batten every time:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...3933&id=101149

Chris

These look like the sort of thing I'm after. Please can you give me a quick
run-down on how you use them?
Nick.

In message , Nick
writes

"Chris Walton" wrote in message
news
On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 15:13:40 +0000, Nick wrote:

I don't know if I'm tackling the job in completely the wrong way but
I've
always found screwing a batten accurately to a wall (e.g. for a shelf
support) very tedious.

I usually use hammer fixings,

These look like the sort of thing I'm after. Please can you give me a quick
run-down on how you use them?

Drill hole (of same diameter) though batten and in the wall.

Insert fixing ('screw' and plug together).

Hit with hammer till home.

Notes.

1. You can just drill though the batten into the wall in one go - a
masonry drill, esp. in an SDS will go though the batten with brute
force, but I often drill the timber first, then put the masonry drill
though the hole.

2. Depending on fixing/timber the countersunk bit may counter sink to
vary degrees, if it matters I countersink the hole first.

3. Ignore the screwhead, this is for removing the fixing if necessary.
--
Chris French, Leeds

In article ,
Nick no_bother@all wrote:
I don't know if I'm tackling the job in completely the wrong way but
I've always found screwing a batten accurately to a wall (e.g. for a
shelf support) very tedious. It seems to me that the best way to get it
positioned correctly is to drill through pre-drilled holes in the
batten. But many of these universal plastic wall plugs need a much
bigger hole than is required to clear the screw. So I end up drilling
pilot holes in the wall and then opening them out to fit the plug. I
usually fix one end loosely, level it up, and then drill another hole. I
seem to spend a lot of time changing drill bits and fixing and removing
the batten. Where am I going wrong?

Use frame fixings.

--
*Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else.

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

Nick wrote:

I usually fix one end loosely, level it up, and then drill another hole. I
seem to spend a lot of time changing drill bits and fixing and removing the
batten.
Where am I going wrong?

Don't know you are going wrong as such... you may not be doing things in
the most efficient order.

Personally I would drill the batten, level it up, mark through the holes
(pencil, nail, handy pointy object, unloved screwdriver), remove batten
and drill all the holes and fit plugs in one hit.

If you are desperate for a quick fix, then SDS straight through wood and
wall with 7mm bit, screw the screw partially into brown plug then use
the screw to drive the plug through the batten and into the wall. Once
at about right depth switch to screwdriver. Can be handy when adding a
fixing point to an already fixed batten.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
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"Nick" no_bother@all wrote in message
...
I don't know if I'm tackling the job in completely the wrong way but I've
......................helpful suggestions snipped...

Thanks to you all for the replies. I think I'll get a selection of fixings
from Screwfix and experiment.
Nick.

Nick wrote:
"Nick" no_bother@all wrote in message
...
I don't know if I'm tackling the job in completely the wrong way
but I've
......................helpful suggestions snipped...

Thanks to you all for the replies. I think I'll get a selection of
fixings
from Screwfix and experiment.
Nick.

Nick,

Chris told you the correct (andy very easy) way.

First put a hole through your batten and then mark the first hole
through this onto the wall. Dill hole (for most things unless very
light or heavy, use a 6mm sds bit and red plug). Insert plug in hole,
screw batten through this one hole nice and tight. You can either do
this in the middle of the batten or at one end. I usually put it in at
the end but it's up to you. The batten is now held onto the wall
(albeit rather tenuously) and you can now level it up. Once it's
level, draw a pencil line along the top (or bottom if you're working
from below) of it. This is so when you're drilling your other holes,
you'll know the batten hasn't moved. Drill through the batten and into
the wall (sds will have no problem with this). When you have your
second hole drilled, put the plug into the wood and tap it in until
it's level with the face of the wood, then put the screw into the plug
and tap this until you feel a refusal. This is pushing the plug further
into the hold and, to a degree, the screw into the plug too. Tighten
up screw. You should still be able to make slight adjustments to level
or plumb even at this stage but as you put more screws in using this
method, the batten will be exactly where you want it and tight as a
ducks. One batten, five minutes

p.s. use decent woodscrews such as turbogold. You'll save yourself so
much time you won't know what to do with it all, and use a dril driver
too.

xav