16mm x 800mm standard masonry bits

[grim_d]

I'm having my plumber mate round on Thursday to put an outside tap in for me, the problem is that he doesn't have have a drill bit long enough so asked me to get one for him, my walls are just over 700mm thick.

Getting an SDS bit in that size is no problem, about £14, but he doesn't have an SDS drill and looks like it's impossible to acquire one with a normal round or hex shank, albeit with a step down on it for a 13mm chuck, am I looking in the wrong places or do they simply not exist?

I will need to see if I can borrow an SDS from somebody, but it begs the question, how would one have drilled a 16x800mm hole before SDS was commonplace?

 

[Pete.]

You can put SDS drills in a normal chuck but it's hard to get them to run true. A split sleeve would help a lot - just slit a couple of inches of thin-walled tube and slide it over the SDS end, grip in drill chuck. Trouble is, most power drills spin too fast and hit too lightly for SDS bits so very quickly cook the ends, especially on concrete lintels.

Othewise, Screwfix sell SDS drills for £60

 

[Spark plug]

how would one have drilled a 16x800mm hole before SDS was commonplace?

Hammer and chisel

 

[grim_d]

You can put SDS drills in a normal chuck but it's hard to get them to run true. A split sleeve would help a lot - just slit a couple of inches of thin-walled tube and slide it over the SDS end, grip in drill chuck. Trouble is, most power drills spin too fast and hit too lightly for SDS bits so very quickly cook the ends, especially on concrete lintels.

Othewise, Screwfix sell SDS drills for £60

I have put an SDS bit in a normal chuck before but it was only about 100mm long so running true was not an issue but over 800mm I think it may amplify somewhat, If i can't get a hold of an sds then I will try a sleeve, good idea, the wall we are going through should be soft sandstone so it shouldn't be too hard on the bit.

Thanks for the idea.

 

[Hitch]

If the end is long enough, just cut the sds bit off......?

Long way to drill with a non sds machine..... hard going unless its cob or something.

 

[brightspark]

I have put an SDS bit in a normal chuck before but it was only about 100mm long so running true was not an issue but over 800mm I think it may amplify somewhat, If i can't get a hold of an sds then I will try a sleeve, good idea, the wall we are going through should be soft sandstone so it shouldn't be too hard on the bit.

Thanks for the idea.

some sandstone aint soft its as hard as hell even kango hammers with chissel bits have a hard job to get through

 

[grim_d]

If the end is long enough, just cut the sds bit off......?

Long way to drill with a non sds machine..... hard going unless its cob or something.

That makes sense, it's often the simplest answers that elude me.

Knowing my luck It won't be...

Very long way to go, rather him than me. Hopefully I can borrow an SDS.

some sandstone aint soft its as hard as hell even kango hammers with chissel bits have a hard job to get through

It's pretty soft, have an exposed wall in the house that likes to throw itself all over the floor. Unlike the flags I just laid in the garden, sandstone? More like sodding granite.

 

[Engineer1964]

You can hire an SDS drill for about a tenner a day

http://www.nationaltoolhireshops.co.uk/Medium-Duty-SDS-Hammer-Drill-90020-for-Hire/

any local hire shops should be able to help you

 

[grim_d]

You can hire an SDS drill for about a tenner a day

http://www.nationaltoolhireshops.co.uk/Medium-Duty-SDS-Hammer-Drill-90020-for-Hire/

any local hire shops should be able to help you

I've got 2 days before I need to resort to that. I'm Scottish don't you know...

I recently mixed about 8 tonnes of drymix by hand rather than hiring a mixer.

 

[the snooper]

I've got 2 days before I need to resort to that. I'm Scottish don't you know...

now that is more of a problem then the drill bit
ive heard the scottish are not tight just very good with money

 

[the snooper]

i must admit i have welded round bar onto a drill bit to get the length i wanted and it worked a treat and saved cash

 

[grim_d]

now that is more of a problem then the drill bit
ive heard the scottish are not tight just very good with money

Haha you might be onto something there, although I'm definitely tight, what is it they say about turning coal into diamonds...

i must admit i have welded round bar onto a drill bit to get the length i wanted and it worked a treat and saved cash

That sounds like my kind of tool making, although if i tried that it would end up being more like a banana.

 

[the snooper]

give it a go just make sure you prep both mating ends and get a good weld

 

[grim_d]

give it a go just make sure you prep both mating ends and get a good weld

I don't have a 16mm bit to donate to the cause otherwise I probably would, on this occasion I don't mind buying the bit.

 

[Shedendman]

a plumber or any tradesman with no sds drill,your kidding me?

 

[grim_d]

a plumber or any tradesman with no sds drill,your kidding me?

I thought it odd also but he works solely on brand new builds for a large home construction company so I guess he doesn't need one otherwise he would have one. Either that or there has been a communication breakdown somewhere.

 

[Pete.]

Wasn't it two Scotsmen that accidentally invented copper wire - fighting over a penny?

 

[madkayaker]

a plumber or any tradesman with no sds drill,your kidding me?

Most likely he gets provided tools at work but it is very strange these days for a trades man that does odd jobs

 

[zzr1200]

I don't have a 16mm bit to donate to the cause otherwise I probably would, on this occasion I don't mind buying the bit.

Buy a cheap screwfix drill weld up the SDS slots, grind it round again then cut back the drill shank to remove as much welded shank as possible to fully fit in the drill chuck.

Then possibly grind 3 driving flats on the drill if required.

 

[Fintray]

Got to admit that I think by the time you have arsed about modifying a SDS drill bit to fit an ordinary drill the daily hire of the SDS drill will be money well spent and only take a few minutes to drill the hole. There is no comparison between using an SDS drill and bit and a normal electric drill even if it has hammer action!