The "Subject" pretty much says it ...
My Daughter wants to fix a curtain pole over a big window and has discovered that the "wall" over the window is actually a bit of plasterboard covering a metal lintel. A friend trying to help attempted to drill into the lintel and only succeeded in blunting his drill bit. This must be a very common problem - suggestions how to solve it would be very welcome.
Many thanks.
Almost certainly a Catnic or similar lintel which are covered with a matrix of holes. Originally would have been fitted with spring clips to take a batten prior to plastering but most builders can't be arsed to fit them. Select a suitable sized batten deep enough to rest on the lintel and finish level ish with the plasterboard. Cut a slot in the plaster board to fit the batten and then use the existing holes to attach the batten direct to the lintel. Fix curtain pole to the batten after painting/filling as desired.
Thanks both for very helpful replies. Phil L, that was kinda the original plan but the drill bit (Friend assured me it was a suitable HSS drill) wouldn't touch the lintel, it just got blunt without making a hole! Bob, that's a comprehensive and very useful reply. The scope of the work is rather beyond our ability (I am disabled and the afore-mentioned Friend is but a well-meaning amateur, as am I). Time to call in a professional I fear.
I used a Dewalt Extreme bit, allegedly designed for metal. A joy to use and completely different to the standard HSS bit. Don't give up till you've tried a decent drill bit
Can you fix a board at each end beyond the lintel? It might mean bigger curtains but it has worked for me in the past.
Jonathan
I often find that people lack the technique to drilling in steel, ie really quite slowly and with a lot of axial force. It's worse when they're using a mains drill as they spin the bit against the surface as fast as possible to heat it up and ensure it loses its hardening.
A better bit would just take longer to wreck ;-)
Scott M wrote in news:lq3sid$2si$ snipped-for-privacy@speranza.aioe.org:
+1 Well put. Rubbed metal is hard to cut
Learn how to drill steel, it is common for home handymen to burn drill in steel,all my apprentices used to. You have to use the correct pressure and speed, most inexperienced are too timid and use insufficient pressure and burn drills..
Fix a batten to the wall, fixed securely at each end, past the lintel. Apply grab adhesive all along the batten prior to fixing. Fix the pole to that.
You need a very sharp metal drill - eg DeWalt:
Those bad boys will go through anything metallic. Of course you can buy the single bits.
The steel is tough but only about 2mm thick.
Use a plug like this should hold round the back of the steel:
Are you absolutely sure that it's metal? Could it be concrete? If so, you'd need an SDS drill.
If it *is* metal, it could be a Catnic type (hollow mild-steel box section) which would be easy enough to drill with a decent HSS drill bit, or it could be an RSJ or a length of heavy duty angle iron. Either of these would be tougher, but can still be drilled if you push hard and don't run the drill too fast.
When drilling through a mixture of materials multi-purpose drill bits (as often demonstrated at trade shows) can sometimes be useful.
I always use a small diameter sharp drill first - slowly with lots of pressure - it has to bite not spin. Then use successively larger drills. If you select the correct size drill it will bite due to the previous hole, but if the size is too close, it can jam in the hole. Used this method to drill through RSJs using ordinary cheap HSS drills. Simon.
/ always use a small diameter sharp drill first - slowly with lots of pressure -/q Snip
What diameter to start? Vs how much pressure?
Jim K
I had to do several 12mm holes in an RSJ to bolt timber into the web. I think I started with a 4mm drill, then 8mm, then 12mm. A new HSS drill fr om Toolstation, it was.
Enough pressure for the drill bit to wobble slightly - any more and I worri ed I'd break it. Or as much pressure as I could apply whilst pushing the dr ill horizontally. You get a feel for the right amount - the aim is to get t he drill to bite into the steel. For the successive drills, less pressure is required as the drill will bite into the edges of the previous hole. Oh, and keep stopping to prevent the drill bit overheating. To do it "properly" some cutting / cooling fluid is probably required. Simon.
apprentices are taught to cut steel slow, with lube. And pressure.
too fast and you destroy drill temper.
Use the cheapest sized (NOT cheapest quality!) drill from the range - usually 3 to 3.5mm as if you are going to break it, then the cost is minimised. Thereafter the width of the chisel end of the next drill should be narrower than the current hole size until you get to final size.
You may have to break a couple in the beginning, it is a learning curve, the trick is to use as much pressure as you can without breaking the drill.It is possible to use more speed if you can supply enough pressure.This is with hand held drills.With bench drills it is easier to controll
If as you say the plasterboard is directly attached to the lintel then the chances are that there are wooden noggins either wedged of screwed to the l intel onto which the PB is attached. Have you tried tapping along the linte l? A solid sound at intervals will indicate noggins, if so you will be able to screw directly into them.
Richard
Had a similar problem in a gite in France. Done loads of drilling to put up cabinets, mirrors etc. in the house, then trying to find studs in the gite was hopless. Discoverd that the partitions were on metal (should have known as there were spare lengths on the roof of the gite - it was built in about
40% of a barn and was about 1000 sq. ft.). Had a good drill and bits, but that thin metal (22 ga. at most) was finhard, just couldn't get into it. Did have an idea or two but had leave before trying them. Phew!Don't like poles - the weight of the curtains is taken on 2 (or 3) small faced things. With a rail you can add as many fixings as you need and it doesn't matter about their spacings.
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