Home DIY

Depends on how much plaster you want to cut, but I'm a bolster and club hammer guy. Wired my whole house using them.

Whoever plastered our house used a lot of cement in the mix - masonry nails can't penetrate it.

Therefore my plan is to cut in two short channels, both of around 50cm which will take the cable up to an existing channel (where the ceiling meets the wall).

Not worth the expense of hiring a proper cutter, therefore, but might validate the purchase of a multi-cutter with a tile cutting blade was my thinking.

Some prick used concrete in my house in some places. And also this incredibly dense ceramic type of plaster which is as hard as glass. Just awful.

Cutting a meter of plaster should be easy:

Mark it up, score heavily with a Stanley knife, drill a series of holes with a 6mm masonry bit along the score, then chisel* it out.

*A plunge blade like you were describing can probably handle most of this, but you still have to knock away the plaster from the brickwork.

The problem is that a chisel can't "cut" this plaster - it can make it crack, and then come away from the wall in sheets, but it can't cut a neat channel in it.

It's just too tough.

Same with the SDS - which I've used extensively as a power-chisel, it'll cut into the plaster, but it will then crack and fragment into sheets, rather than allowing a neat channel to be formed.

It needs to be cut - angle grinder with masonry wheel works well here, but for the aforementioned dust issue.

I'll pick up a multi-cutter and tile/masonry blade, has anyone got personal experience of a good one that they can recommend?

Although Robadobs score/drill/chisel approach sounds the most likely to not lead to total disaster if I don't get a multi-cutter.

as previously mentioned, hire an extracted wall chaser, the right tool for the job

Get someone in to do the job?

How close to the ceiling can one of those cut?

Get someone in to do the job?

I don't trust someone else not to cause dustocalypse

appx 3"

I'd hire a chasing machine for sure. Cutting with a bolster can take quite a while if there's lots of concrete in the mix. A multi purpose cutter probably wont be up to the task either. For the sake of £40 or whatever it'll cost I'd get the right tool for the job, with a dust extractor it shouldn't produce too much mess either.

Ikea type questions: Has anyone "on here" built a wall of shelving using Kallax/Expedit?
I want to stash all my records (~1000 (plus room to grow)) on one wall. I'm concerned about the amount of mass it can handle. Anyone?
What would be the best way of strengthening the units?

They seem to handle "mass" quite well:

They come with a wall bracket which joins both sides, at the top, to the wall to stop it from toppling. Once installed, and at full load, they won't go anywhere.

Ah ha.

They're probably ok as long as you don't put them sideways...

^ this is a good point :)

Make sure the long dividers (that go the length of the unit) are horizontal and not vertical!

Yes, I think I've seen that picture...

I had one of them packed full of record...

But I double braced every angle with

It was bombproof when it was up, but I took in down to move house and it was never the same.

Did you then put them on the wall?
Plan is to have a 5x5 plus some more on one wall.

if you buy the bits would you like a handynonspecificentity to come and install professionally?

I've read about people using them for LP storage.
As stated, when properly set up including the supplied braces (and Mr Prince's extra brackets wouldn't hurt) they've worked out fine. All the disasters were either improperly erected or corners were cut.
I've built one but haven't stored LPs on it.
I always either glue or loctite interfaces with IKEA stuff.

I've got one of those lined up.
Thanks though!
(serious, not sarcastic)

Would one of those vibrating things have the cojones to cut through plaster?

I recently cut through about a metre of 18mm thick solid oak floorboard with one of those. It should be well up to cutting through plaster. It will, however, create quite a lot of dust. If you have one, or can borrow one, then deffo give it a try, but int general I'd say hire the specific tool for the job.

Isn't that just hipster art?

The problem is that a chisel can't "cut" this plaster - it can make it crack, and then come away from the wall in sheets, but it can't cut a neat channel in it.

That is why you weaken it by making "pilot" holes along the lines which you wish to cut. I had concrete on the wall where I fitted my new fireplace, and I chased a cavity through the whole lot by drilling and chiseling.

Difficult to comment when you can't see the task in question though. You may well need a cutter as you suggest. But I still don't know how you'll knock the plaster away from the brickwork with just a cutter.

I was going to use my cock.