How much weight does a metal self drive wall plug take?

pjomara

I've a picture weighting 16 KG that I need to put on a plasterboard wall.
I bought one of those metal self-drive wall plugs as advertised by Tommy from TV. I was wondering would one of those take the weight?
Also, for the string at the back of the picture, do I just attach that on to the screw that goes into the wall plug or do I get something else?

ormus

contact the manufacturer for specifications. but they do seem very reluctant to provide data for say PB fixings.
prob because there are too many variables.
i would use at least 2 fixings for such a weight on PB. and i would prob use butterfly spring toggles rather than selfdrill plugs.

maninthestreet

16kg? That's just over 35 pounds - how big is this picture?

steve-o_3

If you mean these things (or similar)

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/34215/Fixings/Cavity-Fixings/Self-Drilling-Plasterboard-Fixing-50mm-100Pk

Then I know that 4 of them will hold on a 1500mm radiator, which must weigh somewhere in the region of 70kilos when full??? So I'd say one should take 16kilos, but it might be wise to explore more secure options?

If its hung by string, then whats stopping you putting 2 or even 3 screws in a row to spread the weight across and ensure the string sits on all 3 screws?

Main worry for me wouldn't be the screws or the board, it would be the strength in the string!

Alias_Omega

I would go with tapping the wall to find a solid fixing, and at least get one that is going to be good.

Then the remainder use them toggle spring, only problem is coming to take it down.

Even better would be a batton across the wall fixed into 2 studs, if they were close enough, then secure it that way..

ormus

this is what i used for a large mirror recently. (used 2 of them) with small washers.

Hitch

Why not screw a batten between two joists, then your hanging screws into that.
I gather its quite a large picture...? so will hide it easily.

pjomara

I'm making a tough old job of it so looking for advice about the next step.
I bought some spring toggles but then I saw that it needed 14mm drill bit which I didn't have. Individual drill bits were so expensive I decided to get a set of Ryobi masonary drill bits. However the 14 mm drill bit didn't fit in my drill which takes a maximum drill bit size of 10 mm. I switched from going down the route of the spring toggles to a metal self drive plug only to find out that after 20 mm of plaster board there is a concrete wall, so I decided to stop and ask some questions before continuing.
1. I have some 40mm heavy duty plugs. Is it ok to use those and just use an extra long wood screw of around 80 mm to make up for the width of the plasterboard and thus leave 20mm hanging out?
2. I only have a 14.4 V Makita hammer/rotary drill and some Ryobi special tipped masonary bits. Will I be able to drill through concrete with that? I don't mind if it takes 15 minutes.
3. I hope to use the spring toggles in the future, so I was wondering is there some adapter or special 14mm drill bits that I can use in my drill with it's 10mm restriction? Or could I just use a 10mm drill bit and swirl it around to widen it to 14mm?
Or are there spring toggles which only require a 10mm drill bit.

Thanks for all replies so far. I've made the simple art of drilling a hole in the wall very complicated and will soon have a wall that'll look like the Berlin wall a few hours after the border was lifted.

steve-o_3

lol, sounds like a right episode!!!

If I get what you're saying, you've got a dry lined wall (plasterboard dabbed over a brick wall), if so, just get your 7mm masonary drill bit out, decide where your hole(s) going to be, and drill through the plasterboard, and keep going another couple of inches into the brick wall behind.

Get yourself some rawl plugs (the brown ones) and push it into the hole, force it through the plasterboard so its seated inside the wall behind (you might need to tap it in with a screwdriver or something similar), get yourself a nice 3" (or longer if required) screw so that it anchors into the rawl plug which you have seated in the brick wall behind the plaster board.

You could go one step further and start putting heavy duty wall anchors in, but a simple brown rawl plug and a beefy screw should hold your picture no problem in a brick wall.

Your battery drill is more than up to the job.

As for your 14mm bits, unfortunately its never going to fit in your 10mm chuck, you can however buy 14mm bits which have 10mm shafts on them (the bit that goes into the chuck) so you can still drill 14mm holes with a 10mm chuck, but thats just more expense.

I personally don't like the spring toggles as the hole you have to drill out to fit them weakens the plasterboard wall, whereas the easidriver type screws (if fitted correctly and not over tightened) compound the plasterboard together as they screw themselves in and hence, are just as strong and effective as a rawl plug in brickwork.

ormus

if theres a proper wall behind the PB then drill into that and use normal plugs and long screws. you can make good any PB hole damage with filler etc.

re PB & toggles,
you can makes the holes bigger in PB with almost anything, by hand. you dont really need a 14mm drill bit.