Holes for picture hooks

[Tim Streater]

I'm trying to put up some pictures on an internal wall in a 30s house, using those picture hooks that have a pin going through at an angle. Bashing the pins into the wall results in a bent pin.

I bought a couple of 1.5mm bits, and each bit is good for drilling exactly one hole at an angle into the wall to a depth of about 1.5cm. There's something behind the plaster (which is only 2 or 3mm deep) that seems to defeat the bits - the bits either snap or are too worn to do more, on their second hole.

Any suggestions as to how to make the hole so I can just tap the pin in? Doubtless I was using the wrong type of bit for the job.

[Andy Dingley]

Bigger drill, big enough to be a real masonry bit. Then knock a dowel plug (bamboo chopsticks are good) in there.

[John]

Tim - masonry drill bits have a (grey) tungsten carbide end - they usually come in sizes from 6mm upwards.

For small lightweight pictures you can buy hooks that have 3 short sharp points attached. You just tap them onto the wall (a bit of glue helps to stop them working loose. Larger hole and chopstick is a good idea though.

[Toby]

You need a masonry bit with a flat-ish top like this

that what you have, or are you using an HSS bit like this time I put some pictures up, I used this sort of thing

[Tim Streater]

Yes. FiL is supposed to be giving me a set of masonary and other drill bits for birthday, so I'll see what's in that - ta.

[Tim Streater]

Yes. The smallest of these I have to hand is 4.0mm. I'll see what FiL donates.

size is right but the bit is wrong :-)

glued them on too. Bit of a pain as many are in spots where we don't want pix. Makes a bit of a mess to get them off.

[The Medway Handyman]

Sounds like you have walls rendered with a sand/cement mix rather than plastered. We have them here at Handyman Towers.

As others have said, the plastic things with 3 pins are designed for the job. I just drill & plug & use a screw.

[Tim Streater]

Do those 3-pin jobs have extra sharp points then, or what? Course, they don't go in as far (which is actually what prejudiced me against them).

[Owain]

"Do the job property and put up a batten" :-)

Slightly more elegantly, picture rail.

Owain

[Tim Streater]

Odd you should say that - the room does have a picture rail and longer term we'll use it and perhaps put more up, too.

[The Medway Handyman]

I reckon they are extra hard and supported by the plastic. We have used quite a lot of them for lightweight pictures & they work well.

[Tim Streater]

OK Dave - ta.

[John Rumm]

Yup, useless on hard walls. Try some hardwall picture hooks. These have three or four masonry pins ready mounted that you just hammer level with the back of the hook.

Say like:

[John Rumm]

If not glued, then a few gentle taps on the side with a small hammer will usually get the lose.

[chrisj.doran]

I have the same trouble in my 1880s house -- the walls are crumbling to dust everywhere _except_ where I want to hang a picture. One trick I have used is to throw away the silly pin and drill out the hole to take a proper masonry nail. Alternatively, dispense with the hook, just bash in a masonry nail at an angle, and hide it behind the picture.

Chris