Using a drill

[Deleted User]

Hi all

I've looked on YouTube but no videos so far has been able to answer the question why my driving rarely goes to plan. I have a Bosch drill and use the drill bits that came with it. Main problem I have is drilling through brick seems like a mighty effort and I have a few particular questions. 

When hanging my curtain rod, when drilling the wall, it seems to take a great effort to drill a deep enough hole for the wall plug to go in. I've noticed that the drill bit goes in deep no problem but the wall plug doesn't go all the way in. One technique I used was to drill in a circular motion after the initial hole. This would open it up a little and allow the plug to go in. However, the hole is now too big and the plug is loose. Is there something I'm missing?

Also, how much effort should be required to drill a brick wall? I was spending a few minutes just to drill one hole but when I see people on YouTube fitting a standard size screw into the wall, it looks like it takes them seconds. 

TadleyBaggie

Does your drill have a hammer setting?

Carrot007

Depends a lot on the brick.

Modern bricks are like butter. Older ones may require a SDS drill.

I would rather live in an old house and use a sds drill personally.

aYou also seem not to know how to drill for right plug size. Start and .5mm below. UIse a hammer with an upturned big bolt to tap it in.

And yes rotate the smaller drill bit to get it to fit. The actual drill recomandations are for perfect sizes and if you go there it might require a bif of padding.

GrumpyDil

And are you using masonry drill bits? 

flashg67

Make sure you use hammer setting and masonry drill bits. The wall plug 'holder' tells you the drill size to use. 'Clear' the debris from the hole by inserting and removing drill bit a few times. I find a gentle tap with the hammer will usually get the plug flush with the wall. Some bricks/concrete will need quite some force to get a hole into, some not - often you can't tell until you start. I sometimes user a smaller drill to start then move up to the correct one.

FreeBear

flashg67 said: I find a gentle tap with the hammer will usually get the plug flush with the wall.

The wall plug should be below the surface of any plaster. As you drive the screw in, the plug will expand. If all it has, is plaster to grip on to, the plaster will crack and even come away from the wall. Push the plug in 5-10mm and use a longer screw if needed.

stuart45

If it's for a curtain rail you might be drilling into a concrete lintel.

TELLIT01

Have you actually checked that the drilled hole is deep enough for the wall plug?  Ideally the hole will be a couple of mil deeper than the length of the plug.

Mistral001

You might be hitting a steel reinforcement bar in a concrete lintel over the window.  You cannot drill through these bars nor should you try to do so as they give the lintel its strength.  However, curtains are not heavy and the screws need not be very long.  Cutting the plugs to fit the hole usually works.  Make the cut at the pointy end. 

aoleks

It doean’t sound right. With the right tools, it should go right through.

first, does your drill (I assume a wireless hand drill) have a hammer setting? If not, that explains a lot.

second, gear. Use the second gear on your drill if available, that what it’s for.

third, use the right drill bit. Don’t just use any masonry drill bit you have lying around, they might be worn out. Get a new, quality one.

forth, if you use the right size, the plug will slide right in, snug and tight. 5mm drill for a 5mm plug, 8mm drill for a 8mm plug, you get the drill!

use masking tape to mark the depth on your drill bit, allowing a few mms extra (2-3). Hoover the hole when done and if need be, use a hoover.

Section62

aoleks said:

forth, if you use the right size, the plug will slide right in, snug and tight. 5mm drill for a 5mm plug, 8mm drill for a 8mm plug, you get the drill!

The finished hole size will depend on how carefully the hole has been drilled - the bit tends to 'wander' as it rotates, which can be a particular issue in harder materials, and as a result the hole ends up larger than the bit size. Using the 'finished size' bit (e.g. 5mm for 5mm) in masonry almost always leads to an oversize hole, especially for people not used to drilling.

Therefore the best approach is to pilot drill using a smaller size (e.g. 3mm), then enlarge the hole with a bit which is 0.5mm smaller than the recommended - e.g. 6.5mm for a 7mm (brown) plug.  If the finished hole is too tight it can be opened up a little, but that's usually only necessary in really hard materials.