Cutting recess for double-socket in brick.

[mark.hannah]

I am fitting a double-socket in my hallway, and the metal pattress box is 25mm depth. The wall is 15mm plaster on top of brick - I have already cut away the plaster to the correct shape using a bolster - question now is how do I get the brick out without destroying loads of plaster?

I started by making several parallel horizontal cuts with a grinder and knocking them out with the bolster - but now I have a "bowl" shape in the brick where it is at the correct depth in the middle, but not the edges.

What's the best way to cut out the edges without removing lots of plaster?

Thanks, Mark.

[Lobster]

Probably difficult to do now, but what you should have done (sorry!) is use a masonry drill to mark out the corners, and then stitch-drill (ie honeycomb) the whole area. Should then knock out easily with a bolster.

Maybe you've enough 'meat' left at the cormers and edges still to be able to do this?

Whatever, you're lucky if you manage to make the whole hole without damaging the surrounding plaster at all - normally needs some making good afterwards. In any case, you've normally got chasing to fill, where your cable runs.

David

[mark.hannah]

Thanks - I'll see if this will work tonight!

Mark.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Drill lots of holes along the edge. 5mm or so in diameter. An old 1" wood chisel - reasonably sharp - will cause less damage elsewhere than a bolster.

[TMC]

I use a scutch chisel

?sc=2&category=316Tony

[Dave Liquorice]

Or better still a sharp 1" cold chisel. A bolster spreads the impact over to large a line to cut out brick effectively. A smaller chisel will work much more effectively, always assuming these are ordinary soft house bricks not engineering brick. B-)

Good hefty hammer as well, 4lb lump hammer or similar. And eye protection.

[Steven Campbell]

Probably a bit late now but that is one of the reasons I bought a cheap SDS drill.

SDS.htm were doing this for £19.99 last year. I had 7 double sockets to do so invested in one. Initially I went round the hole with an old wood chisel to cut out the plaster then the SDS drill removed the brickwork underneath. It was so easy to do, I only had to plaster a tiny part of one of the holes.

Steven.

[mark.hannah]

Superb. That's the justification I needed to buy an SDS drill!

Mark.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

drill.http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/7110247/Trail/search...>SDS.htm> > were doing this for £19.99 last year. I had 7 double sockets to do so

Not if you wish to minimise surrounding damage. They're brilliant devices but not for precision engineering. ;-)

[Steven Campbell]

drill.http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/7110247/Trail/search...>SDS.htm>> > were doing this for £19.99 last year. I had 7 double sockets to do so

I agree with Dave, they can cause mayhem if you aren't careful. But if you make sure you chisel out the perimeter of the hole right through the plaster you should be fine.

Steven.

[The Medway Handyman]

drill.http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/7110247/Trail/search...>SDS.htm>>> were doing this for £19.99 last year. I had 7 double sockets to do

True enough, but using one to chain drill the outline, then a chisel bit on roto stop to cut the outline works a treat.