Drill and bit for drilling through brick walls

Tom d'Angler · Post by **Tom d'Angler** » Mon Oct 18, 2021 7:23 am

One of our sons is about to move into a new house. He wants me to drill a few holes through his external walls for lighting and CCTV cables.

I previously bought a decent drill bit to do this in his current house but it didn't go all the way through, and we had a right palaver trying to thread the cable through the two misaligned holes, so I need a longer bit.

I've had a look but the longer bits all seem to be for SDS drills, whcih I'd never heard of before. Are there any longer bits that fill fit in my regular (electric hammer) drill or do I need to buy a new SDS drill? I only need it for three or four holes so it seems a waste.

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Mon Oct 18, 2021 8:15 am

Tom, Have a look on Amazon for 400mm drill bits, loads of conventional type bits on there to choose from. You only need a 6mm bit to go right through with a pilot hole then the holes can be enlarged with a conventional drill from either side. I bought an Amtech set cheap, years ago, I still have a use for them occasionally.

DWD

Tom d'Angler · Post by **Tom d'Angler** » Mon Oct 18, 2021 10:37 am

That's great advice - thank you DWD.

aeromech3 · Post by **aeromech3** » Mon Oct 18, 2021 3:15 pm

Good advice from DWD, you won't blow the brick face or plaster so much with a smaller size. I use the longer wire from a coat hangar to attach the cable at one end with sticky tape and thread the wire thru, then if there is 2 of you, can pull and push to get cable to follow.
ps ordered an 8mm x 400mm Bosch from Amaz, as mine is living at my Son's house along with my SDS drill !

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Mon Oct 18, 2021 3:57 pm

As an aside it got me thinking how long I have had my cheapo set of Amtech 12" wall bits? I think it must have been 1983 or so as I recall I needed to drill a hole through when I set up my first Sky dish. I have lost count of how many holes since, probably not that many, but they are still sharp and do the job. I think they were only about £5 and Amazon does the same set for £8 now, great value

DWD

aeromech3 · Post by **aeromech3** » Mon Oct 18, 2021 4:00 pm

DWD, from the reviews I doubt they are the same quality nowadays!

Dave54 · Post by **Dave54** » Mon Oct 18, 2021 4:35 pm

I've got a set of Amtech short SDS bits I bought somewhere when I needed a certain size. They've drilled a lot of holes for DIY use.

Personally having drilled too many holes with an ordinary hammer drill, some of them in really hard stuff, I'd have an SDS every time. I won't say I use mine a lot, and it's a corded one so I don't have to worry about it being sat around, but it eats through walls even with big long bits.

wine~o · Post by **wine~o** » Mon Oct 18, 2021 5:27 pm

Dave54, I used my old Hitachi hammer drill to put 22mm holes through outer brick and inner block, didn't need SDS+ although it would have been quicker, fillings were rattling around in my teeth after. seems screwfix have stopped doing them though, titan 400mm x 22mm

Tom d'Angler · Post by **Tom d'Angler** » Mon Oct 18, 2021 5:56 pm

wine~o wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 5:27 pm fillings were rattling around in my teeth after.

Dave54 · Post by **Dave54** » Mon Oct 18, 2021 5:57 pm

wine~o wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 5:27 pm Dave54, I used my old Hitachi hammer drill to put 22mm holes through outer brick and inner block, didn't need SDS+ although it would have been quicker, fillings were rattling around in my teeth after. seems screwfix have stopped doing them though, titan 400mm x 22mm

Yes I've done than a few that sort of size with the old Bosch hammer drill I still have. I've got extensions for a couple of the bigger drills as well.
If the brick's not too hard, then it's fairly easy, damage to fillings aside that is! It's when it's stuff like engineering brick, or the concrete blocks this place is made from that's got decent sized pebbles in it. You hit one of those and you're finished with a normal hammer drill, at least until you get a point in there to break it up by hand.

SDS is just so easy.