Drilling holes

[codswallop]

Do any of you DIY's of a certain age remember when an electric drill was a luxury and tungsten tipped drills were very expensive there used to be a "Rawltool" that was used to make holes in all types of walls.You held it by hand and struck it with a club hammer gave it a twist and hit it again and again till you made a hole of suitable depth.Getting to the point of my post all the walls in my old house are very difficult to drill,the hole just "spreads" and I was hoping to purchase the old type tool which is much easier to control....but where can I get one if at all?????Thanks for your patience!!!

[alexanderd]

I know what you mean, have you tried B and Q I would ask one of the older assistants in there , the young ones probably would not know what you are talking about

[paddywak]

Not that it helps you much I've got one in my tool kit for making holes for size 8 screws,
I have seen them in B & Q, but if you can't get one there try an find an old fashioned type hardwear shop.

[Xaviour]

If the wall material is crumbly and you end up with an oversize hole a trick
that I use is to vacuum out the dust from the hole, fill the hole with a
quantity of hot melt glue, and then push the plug into that.
Let the glue
set and bingo - a very strong fixing

[codswallop]

Thanks for the quick reply but I've tried the big DIY stores like B&Q and Homebase as you say most of them wouldn't know what I was referring to.They are only interested in selling the latest gear.

[WILLWONKER]

Going on the crapp BQ sell i would not think the powers that be who run BQ would know

[tamborine]

is it a yankee screwdriver ?

http://www.rutlands.c.../psProdDet.cgi/DKRV25

[thedodge]

I used to use them when i started work they are called star drills, we only had one electric drill so the new lad had the star drill.

[alexanderd]

Good idea xaviour, Pollyfilla would probably work as well, I have done that before

[thedodge]

http://www.google.co....dTUBA&ved=0CCwQ9QEwAw

[jomifl]

If the wall is too hard for a tungsten drill bit in a hammer drill I doubt that a 'rawltool' would work any better. I have one and it takes ages to make a hole. If the wall material is friable then either hot melt glue as xaviour suggested or the polyurethane exterior wood glue which expands and cures in about 2 hours.

[codswallop]

Hi Paddywak,I'm frequently in my local B&Q but never seen one.Where do you find an old hardware shop these day,the big stores have "killed them off"
Xaviour I used to do something similar with wet newspaper and pvc glue,but it's a drag having to do that when there is possibly a tool to do the job. Also sometimes it's not possible to find the correct centres again after filling an oversize hole.
Thanks again all !!

[paddywak]

Unfortunately thats all too true, codswallop but every now and then you still come across a traditional type shop down some back street

[scotman]

I also am old enough to know what you mean but have not seen one of those for years. Can you not try starting the hole with a small drill and enlarging it later. I find that sometimes works.

[kia cat]

Yes I remember them [I must be that certain age!]

http://www.amazon.co....ef=pd_sl_9c43i3f8vl_e Have yet to find one anywhere.

We have a similar problem with some of the breeze blocks in our walls. I try to use either a very thin masonry bit and work up to the size I need. Try drilling without the hammer action on? Another solution, I've used an old six-inch nail /frame screw to break through the tough lump. [my school woodwork teacher would have been horiffied!]. I bet you remember that rawplug stuff you had to mix up and put in the hole too and the fibre type rawlplugs.

[kia cat]

you might try contacting rawlplugs: http://www.rawlplug.c...k=view&id=4&Itemid=38
to see if they have any still available?

[theshedman]

Why not take a look at the next car boot sale in your area. They often have old tools for sale.

[codswallop]

Thank you all for your replies,I think that I have enough to get on with now

[jomifl]

one no.12 available on ebay now. ref no. 220654286890 5days left

[ChuckFickens]

Oh is that what they are.... my dads got a load laying around, we have sharpened the ends and just use them as centre punches now :)

[regulo]

I seem to remember the stuff you wetted and fed into the hole you'd made to take the screw was laced with asbestos!! Not a good idea, as wetting was often done using good old fashioned spit.