Been a bit stupid I think :-(

[Roger465]

10 + years ago I did what you did up a ladder - wasn't injured but very very lucky, literally landed on my feet

what power was your SDS ? the 2000 watt ones you really have to brace yourself and keep a good hold of them, mine doesn't have a clutch and I have stalled it without it ripping from my hands

2000w is the best part of 3 horse power!

1500 I believe

 

[foxhole]

Had a drill spin on me drilling 20mm hole in steel, only broke the one finger.

 

[opps]

That's the very machine that hit me

Agree with everything you say

Consolation is that I can't remember the last time I hurt myself, in decades of DIY, so I mustn't be completely thick. Sadly getting on a bit now though, so maybe my judgement is no longer up to scratch...

I only initially purchased that drill to break up some concrete. I already had a 2Kb SDS drill. One day I used it to drill a core for a soil pipe. The clutch kick in a few times. I had anticipated it and held the machine firmly. Later, I used it to drill out a metal gate fitting in a brick post. It almost did the spinning thing. On reflection, I think I let my guard down and wasn't paying as much attention as I should have. Ultimately, it was a bad on my behalf... I took the proverbial eye off the ball and, yeah, I had minor wrist sprain.

 

[Roger465]

I've just tried to drill some small holes (like 3mm) for the screws and rawlplugs for the camera to go in, without success. It's like the bricks are made of cast iron, and the drill won't touch them. I've tried 3 different bits - and it's a 700W mains hammer drill, not some poxy cordless thing

And, studying the bigger hole I made with the SDS drill, I can see what happened - the brick split and fragmented, then the big drill bit jammed between a couple of the fragments, which is why I got smacked on the head.

I've never encountered this before, and over the decades I've drilled a lot of holes in bricks, to put hanging baskets up etc.

Don't know if there are different kinds of brick

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I've fitted stuff to walls that needed half a dozen fixings and had to use a couple of different types of fixings, materials can be mismatched from sawdust to rock hard and everything in between even in a single wall.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I've tried 3 different bits - and it's a 700W mains hammer drill, not some poxy cordless thing

Hammer drills, are not a patch on sds. The hammer drill is never brought out, now I have a range of sds to choose from.

You have two choices, when using sds - either keep a very tight grip on it, chance it jambs, or hold it loosely, so it can rip out of your grip, without doing you any damage.

 

[opps]

I've just tried to drill some small holes (like 3mm) for the screws and rawlplugs for the camera to go in, without success. It's like the bricks are made of cast iron, and the drill won't touch them. I've tried 3 different bits - and it's a 700W mains hammer drill, not some poxy cordless thing

And, studying the bigger hole I made with the SDS drill, I can see what happened - the brick split and fragmented, then the big drill bit jammed between a couple of the fragments, which is why I got smacked on the head.

I've never encountered this before, and over the decades I've drilled a lot of holes in bricks, to put hanging baskets up etc.

Don't know if there are different kinds of brick

When I first moved into my current home years ago, I tried to drill a 7mm hole in a wall and failed. The walls were made with some king of cinder block with a very hard cement skim over the top. I used an old skool 705w Metabo "hammer drill". I gave up after 7 minutes once the drill bit started to glow red. I borrowed a SDS drill, and then purchased one. 6 seconds to drill a hole.

 

[Roger465]

Thanks for all the replies. Yes, the SDS jobbie is a lot more brutal, and so effective - maybe I should buy a set of small bits for it and try those.

*Update: the chuck on my old faithful Black & Decker has seized now, can't get bits in or out. And it can't be much more than 35 years old you couldn't make it up.

 

[opps]

Thanks for all the replies. Yes, the SDS jobbie is a lot more brutal, and so effective - maybe I should buy a set of small bits for it and try those.

*Update: the chuck on my old faithful Black & Decker has seized now, can't get bits in or out. And it can't be much more than 35 years old you couldn't make it up.

You can definitely use your existing SDS for drilling small holes but you may find it tiring given the weight. I use a smaller SDS drill for 5mm and 7mm holes. Actually, my smaller Metabo drill is too heavy for one handed use (perhaps I am a wimp). If I had to do one handed work off an extension ladder, I would consider a significantly smaller and lighter cordless SDS (granted one that doesn't have a chisel function and will be limited to smaller holes).

As an aside, I did use the SDS that you have for core drilling a soil pipe once (9" wall). I turned off the hammer action, drilled a pilot first and then drilled from both directions. I regularly pulled the drill back and forth to let the crumbling bricks/dust out. It did struggle a little and the torque control kicked in a few times. I allowed it to rest from time to time to cool down. To be honest I didn't care if I killed it. It had already paid for itself the first time that I used it to break up some concrete. I eventually binned it because the sds bits kept falling out. The motor seemed to be fine. Given the low cost of the drill, I couldn't be bothered to try to fix it.

 

[Roger465]

Well, I've certainly answered my own question (the title of this thread). Believe it or not, I've been doing this sort of thing without major hassles for over 40 years - but with this (simple!) project, everything just keeps going wrong.

I've now been at it on and off all day, trying to drill from each end of the hole, to get them to meet in the middle. But the drill must have wandered off, as they're not meeting very well - though I can see a bit of light coming through from outside.

Actually... wow, there seems to be some sort of hardboard or something in the cavity, and of course a masonry drill won't have much effect on that, no matter how powerful the drill. And I haven't got any kind of conventional bit that long.

Anyway, eventually, I plucked up my courage and tried the SDS machino again - was really clever this time, and braced the main handle against the wall to my right, so it couldn't spin.

Of course, it got a fair way in, then jammed solid as before. Except this time the bit is utterly locked in place, and I can't get it out of the ******* wall, no matter what I try. Have put mole grips on the end and tried to turn it with all my strength, but no joy. And the drill doesn't seem to have a reverse action.

Any suggestions? Except throw myself off the nearest cliff - I've already thought of that one.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Does your B&D have a reverse? When you drilled the hole were you regularly pulling the spinning bit out to clear the hole of brick dust?

 

[opps]

I am only guessing- perhaps whack the end with a club hammer. Hopefully that will dislodge whatever is trapping the bit. Then re-attach the drill and try bouncing it back and forth. Whacking whilst twisting simultaneously may also help.

 

[Roger465]

Does your B&D have a reverse? When you drilled the hole were you regularly pulling the spinning bit out to clear the hole of brick dust?

Yes it does, but not powerful enough. Good thought though Yes, I was working the bit back and forward - just there was a bit at the end of the hole that it kept catching on, I guess...

I am only guessing- perhaps whack the end with a club hammer. Hopefully that will dislodge whatever is trapping the bit. Then re-attach the drill and try bouncing it back and forth. Whacking whilst twisting simultaneously may also help.

Yes thanks, did a bit of that, and more and more twisting etc - came out eventually.

Then I tried again, very very slowly this time - suddenly it broke through. And broke the f'ing wall

I think I'm just too old for this stuff. I mean, seriously - how many of you guys would take two days to get a hole in a brick wall?? And injure yourself in the process!

 

[opps]

In future go for a long, really small diameter sds drill bit. I tend to measure up and drill from the outside in because it is easier to deal with the inevitable blowout in the plaster. That said, yeah, I appreciate that when the hole position inside is critical, you need to drill from the inside out.

But you could have used a 10mm drill bit first. There would have some break out, but less than you experienced.

With regards to injuries- I have made several mistakes over the years. Often the result of a lack of concentration.

You are not unique, and you won't be the last.

Best of luck.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

With regards to injuries- I have made several mistakes over the years. Often the result of a lack of concentration.

To compact down, a quite narrow run of gravel, on my drive, I decided my sds set to roto-stop, just hammer, was perfect. I welded a bit of bar, to the end of a sds chisel bit, and set to work compacting. It worked well, I took a break, to admire my work, then restarted - except I'd accidentally caught the roto-stop switch, the bar swung round at high speed and clouted my ankle bone. The pain was tremendous and was sore for days afterwards..