Home DIY

Looking for a custom bathroom cabinet being made, was there someone in here which does it?
If not will give Jon Grant a shout.

That first one is so banging. PVC to hardwood window box. Deffo something to consider for the future.

Hammer drills, do I need a better one (I suspect so).

I have this.

I bought a cheap (~ £50) SDS one from Screwfix. Happily coped with drilling 500mm through brick with a 20mm bit.

Thought that was a cheaper and easier (I don't want my battery drill to weigh a ton) option than trying to get a battery one that could do everything.

We have the old version of it too but I have this setup and my only criticism is it loud as fuck. The only version still gets used and has never let us down but I just needed a new set for my van.

https://www.sgs-engineering.com/m18fpp2a2-502x-fuel-twin-pack?gclid=Cj0KCQiAvvKBBhCXARIsACTePW-oWYD1t9Q1PbA2J0z-5ihTx5ODPfmxEOE-ockytTtPUanPFoUUnrIaAr2dEALw_wcB

Entirely depends what for (but yes if you want to drill into masonry/concrete etc).

do I need a better one (I suspect so).

Unless you are doing really wild shit (like putting a cat flap through a solid wall) then I suspect you just need new / better bits if your current drill is struggling to get through masonry to hang a picture frame or some shelves.

Also on the do i need a better one, I had the same with a grinder recently. Had a perfectly fine plug in one I used and could use but had to have the new battery one.

Anyone got a link for non abrasive pads for applying Osmo oil?

Maybe that's the issue, or it may just be the actual walls.
Hate to blame the tools but one of my walls is just a nightmare to drill into with dry and crumbly stone filled bricks which result in any hole crumbling to twice its intended size.

Still, the job would be easier with a better tool. A dedicated SDS drill will make the whole process quicker and more straightforward.

The bad workmen blame their tools adage is annoying for several reasons:

1. Bad tools exist.
   
2. The wrong tool for the job exists.
   
3. Good workmen may still blame their tools.
   
   
   

I thought I had impenetrable walls in my last flat. Bought a big fuck off SDS+ drill to compensate. Turns out I just had shit masonry bits. With good bits, my battery combi drill with it's "hammer" setting was just fine. Although, the SDS+ drill was fine too, just overkill.

So, as a chap with more experience in such things as myself you'd suggest a proper SDS drill? I am getting sick of taking 4 attempts to drill every hole in my crumbly brick.

What bits did you get? I have Bosch ones but maybe they are getting old...

I did just get a new set of bosch ones. But anything newer with a decent, sharper (masonry aren't really sharp) point/t-section will be better. But it doesn't necessarily rule out fire power upgrades. Just cheaper to try out a new bit before getting a new drill.

After using other things (microfiber roller etc) we paid the postage and got these from Axminster. https://www.axminstertools.com/hermes-webrax-hand-pad-non-abrasive-910348

So much better!

So, crumbly brick is always a pain to work with - that is unavoidable in this instance. However, a better powered drill motor, with a much heavier duty hammering action will be easier to use.

I'm assuming that when using your green Bosch, you're having to rag it quite hard to drill your holes, which won't help with the quality of hole you end up with. Instead with a dedicated SDS, you'll use it much more gingerly, and with new bits the whole drilling procedure is likely to go smoother.

I've got a half decent Makita combi drill, but I'd never use it for masonry if I have any kinda of access to an SDS drill.

THROW ME A LINK CAPTAIN.

I want to get diamond tipped carbon ones.

This sounds like it makes sense. Any recommendations?

We only use the SDS for drilling holes through walls now, the battery guns are very powerful compared to what they use to be and as i said they only issue I have with the milwaukees is the battery ones are loud as fuck

It is nice getting your drill out knowing it's powerful enough to put a neat hole in any wall. I've got a Makita SDS and it's way more firepower than I need but on the other hand I won't run into any power issues either.

It's all a bit budget dependent. If you got a big powerful combi drill like the Milwaukee one Konstab posted, that'll be more than enough for most home jobs. But it's quite an outlay if it's not going to get used much. However, a decent battery combi drill and impact driver will make so many jobs so much easier/more pleasant. It all kind of depends how much of each thing you're going to do (and how much you're happy to spend).

https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-erh750-3-4kg-electric-sds-plus-drill-220-240v/232fv

That will do all you need, and has a hammer only function which is always useful. Erbauer is a Screwfix brand so if it breaks it's easily replaced, and it's at the cheaper end of the scale.
A Bosch or Makita will be around £100-140.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/milwaukee-m18-cblpp2a-402c-18v-4-0ah-li-ion-redlithium-brushless-cordless-combi-drill-impact-driver-twin-pack/699fj

A bit of an outlay, and you can always shop around etc, but it also gets you onto the Milwaukee battery platform which has a ridiculous selection of tools. And both the drill and impact driver will last forever, especially if just for DIY use.

The one caveat is that if you do go for upgrading your combidrill, you may still find certain jobs where having a dedicated SDS is much more preferential. But again, this is down to the scope of what you intend to do.

Yep - ^ absolutely no reason why a good battery powered drill cannot put a neat hole in masonry for all but the wildest applications. Just needs high quality bits (but when masonry, you always need a good bit)

If your walls are crumbly then downsize your bits or upsize your fittings. SDS or a corded drill will not fix that.

SDS is good for smashing plaster off your walls if you fancy it with the chiseling action.

shit though for chasing

Even with a decent scutch?

New mains water supply connected up today. Won't ever see the damn thing but I guess that's a peace of mind!
Next job is to knock out a couple of new doorways, the one into the bathroom downstairs is way below 6ft and despite me thinking it wasn't that much of a big deal I've hit my head enough for it to become a big deal.