Concrete Lintels...

[Jon Harris]

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

[Dave Plowman (News)]

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

[Jon Harris]

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.

[Set Square]

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.

[Andy Hall]

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

[Ian White]

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

[Jon Harris]

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

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.

[<root]

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.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

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

[Set Square]

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!

[Ian Stirling]

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

[Dave Plowman (News)]

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.

[Ian Stirling]

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.

[Rick Dipper]

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

[G&M]

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.