No one sells masonry punches any more?

[T i m]

Hi All,

So, a large 'home made' MDF rack / cupboard / storage system falls off the wall of my mates shop on Sat last thing (no one hurt) and he calls me on Monday morning in a bit if a panic to see if I can help him sort it out.

Long story short I refuse to try to repair / put back the MDF 'kit' that was laying on the floor and led him to some slotted upright shelving with real pine (t/g floorboards) shelves (strong, cheap, low sag unlike Conitiboard)?

He agrees and I rule out (checking for wires / pipes etc) and start drilling hole for the uprights. The shop is quite old and one or two of the holes hit flint. Now I know I could punch through it with my SDS drill (and eventually did) but I wanted to keep the noise down for the flat above (this *was* midday though ) and remembered I once had a 'masonary punch' that was perfect for cracking a hard thing with a few taps of a hammer then being able to drill on through. From memory it had a plated hex body like a cold chisel and a long fluted parallel shaft / 'punch' bit?

So I nipped round the sheds, nothing, Jewsons (I though they were pretty good?) nothing and a local very well stocked tool shop, nothing? At least the last one had someone in there that remembered such things but 'hadn't seen one for ages' ? ;-(

So, are they long gone .. do we just smash through everything with 3KW impact drills these days .. ?

Yours in hope .. all the best ..

T i m

[Bob Eager]

A quick google reveals this. I think it's what you are after...

[Chip]

Hmm, can't say I've heard of those, but they sound like a most excellent idea. The closest I have had any contact with is the old fashioned 'Rawlplug jumper" which had the fluted shaft etc, but used a long pointy bit somewhat similar to drill bit, only with just one flute, and not spiralled much. You'd tap it with the hammer, twist a little, tap more, etc. (Real fun when you belt one into a 30 amp cooker circuit that shouldn't be running diagonally up the wall)

If you know what one looks like, but can't find one new, a *really* good place to find old tools, often in very good condition, are car boot sales. People sell off Uncle Fred's tools while clearing out the house, and if Fred was a tradesman, he likely wrapped them in oilcloth

40 years ago and they're still in perfect condition:-)

[EricP]

They were Rawl things. Still got mine and use it occasionally. Trouble with them was getting the drill out of the handle. You banged it into a hard wall nicely and then tried to remove it, and only then did the bit slip easily out of the handle, leaving the bit as part of the wall. Any other time even the largest metalworking vice would fail.

Jolly little things.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Rawltool. But it wouldn't be anything like as fast as an SDS. And you needed more than a few taps of a hammer. But they would eventually go through stuff a hammer drill wouldn't touch. I've still got a few somewhere. And they were very hard work.

[Chip]

On 22 Jun 2005 21:23:07 GMT,it is alleged that "Bob Eager" spake thusly in uk.d-i-y:

Wow. Cool. +[other expressions of pleased surprise] :-)

[T i m]

wasn't sure what they were called so that wouldn't help my search ..) ;-(

But alas they aren't what I am thinking of Bob as they look like they are designed for an SDS drill and that was what I was trying to avoid (in this case).

All the best ..

T i m

[T i m]

That's the badger Chip .. ;-)

I wish .. I'm the bloke that would watch the only one at the boot sale being sold just as I got there for 5p .. ;-(

All the best ..

T i m

[T i m]

The one I remember was built as one item (no doubt the punch and handle were two different steels) but the two were fused together somehow.

They were indeed ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[T i m]

Speed isn't always everything Dave?

And you

I am only talking about fracturing a stone or flint that's trying to re-direct ter drill bit .. not making the whole hole with the thing (even though you could).

But they would eventually go

Indeed .. or break up something sufficiently to let you continue with a lighter/ quieter cheapo 'hammer' (that aren't) drill?

I've still got a few

Typical .. you have 'a few' but don't use them and I would like one but can't find one anywhere ... ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[Bob Eager]

What you needed was:

[Bob Eager]

Well, I wasn't expecting you to find them on Google. I only tried because the name came to mind. I remember my father using them, in the days before he bought his Black and Decker and all the attachments (circular saw, orbital sander, jigsaw...)

But look closely; I don't believe they are SDDS bits. I think they are mean to fit the handle...

[EricP]

First prize for Googling. :))

I had thought them extinct. Might get some more bits then :))

[Rob Morley]

"Ideal for use where power drills cannot be used"

These are the good old "hit and twist" drills that grandad used.

[John Rumm]

I have always found my SDS to be much quieter than my standard hammer drill. Especially as you can usually drill using very little speed giving quite a low frequency note - far nicer than my old bosch howling like a banshee!

[T i m]

I bet if I knew what they were officially called it would find them though! ;-)

I only tried

My first electric drill was a Stanley (still going), then a Rockwell (sorta going) then BD .. (still going). ;-)

Ah, sorry, I'm just used to every bit fitting into SDS tools these days .. drill, chisel, cocktail mixer ... ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[T i m]

Yep .. ;-)

T i m

[T i m]

;-)

If there was any chance of the bit falling out and getting jambed in the hole then it would happen to me .. ;-(

All the best ..

T i m

[T i m]

And at a quid, can't be expensive eh? ;-)

T i m

[T i m]

Hmmm .. good point. ;-)

The only minor fear I have is when drilling older houses (like mine ..

1897, solid 9" walls and morter mostly sand) that the power of an 'impact' drill might knock some of the bricks about? Also with SDS drills being generally heaver I think you loose a bit of 'feel' compared with a lighter drill?

Still looking ...

All the best ..

T i m