Core Drills

[TheOldFellow]

I've got to cut one hole for a shower waste (40mm - solvent weld probably) through a cavity wall. I don't expect to ever drill one again.

Is a cheap TCT core drill up to the job, I have a nice Makita 2Kg SDS+ to drive it? Or is it worth hiring a diamond core drill? I am 30 country miles from the nearest Hire Shop. The smallest seems to be

52mm though - and =C2=A344 a day.

I was thinking of this:

having done this before, should I really go for a larger, say 45mm drill to allow some room to get the pipe through?

I know I'll also need an arbour and pilot, is it worth getting a short arbour (100mm) to start, and a longer one (300mm) to finish?

And finally, how long will it take to drill?

Thanks, R.

[John Rumm]

Remember that 40mm pipe is not actually 40mm - and the variation depends on if its push fit or solvent weld.

The Makita is up to it (used mine to do 107mm cores on a number of occasions - something it _just_ copes with)

The TCT _may_be up to it - depends on the type of brick. For softish bricks, blocks etc it will romp through. Hard engineering bricks or concrete may need a diamond core.

Definitely - nothing more irritating than drilling a core to find it 1mm undersized since there is no easy way to open it up a bit.

I find for normal walls (i.e. either two course solid, or cavity), then a long arbour plus the length of the core bit itself is adequate. YOu may get a little more wobble and vibration at the start due to the extra length, but its ok for occasional use. Having a shorter one might be preferable if up a ladder though (but drilling from inside usually solves that).

A kit of bits like:

suit your needs better, since it has all the things you need and diamond cores rather than TCT.

Depends on your bricks etc. Anything from a minute per leaf on regular bricks, to say 20 mins on something hard.

[mike]

Anywhere near an Aldi? They might still have these in stock:

[Roger Mills]

> Not having done this before, should I really go for a larger, say 45mm

I don't think I'd bother with a core drill for that - I'd just drill a ring of holes from either side with an 8mm SDS drill and then knock out the bit in the middle. Not quite as neat as using a core drill, but by the time you've put some mortar or other sealant - which you'll need anyway - round the pipe, you won't notice the difference.

[js.b1]

I would not use TCT, lots of noise, sintered diamond are so cheap these days. I would not bother hiring for such a small size.

Go to

Type in Blue Spot There is a 52x150mm on there for =A317.99 You will need an arbor (separate) for SDS Turn Hammer off.

2kg SDS has enough power & already has a clutch.

When done sell it for about =A35-7 plus delivery on Ebay -- *net* cost is just =A310-12. Done it dozens of times, the bit will do a huge number of holes before the tabs wear down.

Stitch drilling is quick, but can often break up bricks and always ends up "bigger than the equivalent core drill". If you break a hire core bit you may get a surprisingly large bill (Marcrist or Hilti bits cost lots).

[TheOldFellow]

Thanks for all the advice, I've ordered a dry diamond 52x150mm from toolstation with 200mm SDS arbor, 200mm arbour extension, and pilot. I sold it to SWMBO on the basis that the hole would be 'clean' :)

R.

[ARWadsworth]

Thanks for all the advice, I've ordered a dry diamond 52x150mm from toolstation with 200mm SDS arbor, 200mm arbour extension, and pilot. I sold it to SWMBO on the basis that the hole would be 'clean' :)

R.

But they will swallow anything if you lie.

Adam