How to drill concrete properly with a drill

Concrete drill bits for drills: features of construction and application

One of the most common misconceptions among non-professional craftsmen can be considered the fact that, in their opinion, surfaces from such a material as concrete, without difficulty can be drilled with the most common cutters for metal or even wood. They seriously believe that the same drill bit can be used on any surface with ease.

In fact, working with concrete walls, you need a special drill bit. Choosing the wrong product, you’ll ruin it forever, and you can easily break an expensive device for drilling.

Diamond drilling

But there is still a normal way to drill concrete with a drill. It is carried out with the help of diamond drill bits. But this is just for general information. This method is not suitable for the home, because the bits themselves cost so much that it is better to buy a torch.

Besides, for diamond drilling they use powerful machines, mainly designed specially for this purpose, with water cooling and a pressure device. You want one of these in your house?

All right, all right, they are more modest than that. But still no reason to have one at home.

So, in order to work with concrete with confidence, I suggest you save up for a peorator. Well, for now, use the variant described. After all, there are times when you need a hole right now. you can’t wait for the necessary amount of money to be accumulated.

Diamond drills and other tools

Concrete cores have a full-length tungsten carbide facing, which gives them particular strength. Even when working with hard materials, they retain their technical properties.

They are also different in appearance, which makes it impossible to confuse them with others:

• The blunted end is made of brazed pobedite, which is almost as hard as diamond;
• products are white, unlike black for metal and light for wood;
• the tip is wider than the core.

Drill bits are relatively small, with shanks in the shape of a cylinder or polyhedron. For peorators. large, with SDS marking, they are often called drills, not borers.

• augers. for drilling deep holes;
• Spiral drill bits. for large hole diameters;
• flat. they make small holes.

Drill bits have a thicker shank and can be inserted into the chuck by snapping.

If you need to drill a wide hole, and do not have a drill bit, use a special nozzle. It is called a drill bit, it has teeth that fit into hard surfaces. drills are made of diamond or pobedite.

SDS bits are 35-120 mm in diameter. The special demand for drill bits with a diameter of 68 mm is the size of undercuts. Drill to a maximum depth of 150 mm, if more is needed, it is extended. Crowns for peorators have soldered teeth, and those for drills have a carbide coating instead.

It has some advantages: such a nozzle equally well drills concrete and tile, and highly specialized attachments for the peorator have to be changed. The crown can be used with an electric drill with a power of more than 1 kW.

Different kinds of nozzles are suitable for drilling:

• Impact bits with soldered-on teeth.
• Diamond. for hammerless drilling without a perforator. They have an abrasive edge, so they are faster to work with than an impact drill.
• CS: GO bits. with flaking on the edges.

Quality products are offered by Bosh, Makita, Metabo, among domestic companies. “Interskol”, “Zubr”. Chinese products can also be quality, if they are expensive.

How to drill evenly in concrete with a drill

First you have to be sure you have selected the right bit. Always work at low RPM. Usually, the tool stays on for 10 or 12 minutes at a time. During this time, it is guaranteed that it will not overheat or accidentally break. If the drill bit of the tool is accidentally left in the wall thickness, it must be carefully removed. Force must not be used. The drill bit can break and pieces of it can be left behind in the wall thickness. If necessary, the drill bit can easily be detached from the nozzle.

The drill must be held strictly perpendicular to the surface. If this is not done, there is a risk of damaging the drill bit and sometimes leaving a dent. It is also important to take care that the drilling dust does not get into the eyes. Wear safety glasses for this. Gloves can also be worn to prevent slipping of the hands during the process. Only a person with sufficiently strong hands can drill through the surface. Because the process requires considerable effort.

Additional tool for drilling in concrete

It is wise to start drilling in concrete if the electric drill is equipped with a hammer function. Using a drill with a hammerless tool makes no sense. The drill will simply overheat, which will end with the burnout of the motor. A large hole can be drilled with a diamond drill bit with a hammerless tool if the power of the motor permits.

For simple percussion drilling of small holes you will need an additional tool:

• Set of concrete drill bits of different diameters. They can be distinguished by special carbide tips. The element is a small plate with sharpened edges at an angle of 60 o. Screw part and cylindrical shank made of common tool steel.
• punch. The tool is made in the form of a rod with a sharpened tip. The drill helps to break up the concrete by hitting it with a hammer.

Concrete drill bits have one weak spot. The tungsten carbide tips break out when in contact with the reinforcement. If the drill stops sinking into the concrete and a characteristic whistling sound occurs, the drill bit is used to pierce the hole. In the presence of rebar, move the drilling site to the side.

When it is necessary to cut a large hole for a socket with a drill, instead of a drill bit, a core bit is used. When selecting a nozzle, look at the shank. Its shape must be suitable for clamping in the chuck. The drill can be fitted with a hexagonal or SDS shank.

Drilling concrete is carried out by three types of bits:

• Carbide bits have a serrated cutting edge. Bits are only used for percussive drilling. If the drill has no hammer function, the bit tips overheat and fall off the cup. Bits are not afraid of contact with rebar. To save the cutters, try drilling through the wall with a drill bit before drilling. An extra step to find out if there is any rebar in the area.
• Drilling in a concrete wall with a hammerless drill is done with a diamond drill bit. Nozzles do not have to fear contact with reinforcement. Air-cooled bits are available for residential use. They are recognized by the presence of holes in the cutting edge. Wet cutting bits are not used with a drill. Diamond dusting can be hard, soft or of medium hardness, which is indicated by the letters “T”, “M”, “C” on the bit. “CS: GO” drill bits are usually used with the drill. Nozzle design includes slots for air cooling. Dusting of cutting edge is made of diamond powder of medium hardness.

For a drill, bits made of carbide materials are sold, where there is a tungsten-carbide dusting instead of tips. The bit can be used to accurately drill through a tiled wall. It makes sense to use crowns if the power of the drill exceeds 1 kW.

How to choose a tool

The most common way to drill in concrete is with a peorator. It has several advantages over a regular drill.

Despite the listed advantages, such a tool is not always suitable for work. In some situations, its use is simply not appropriate.

An angle grinder is not suitable in the following cases:

• When you need shallow holes in the wall (10-12 mm);
• When working with foam block (otherwise the material will crumble);
• if the required number of holes does not exceed 15 pieces.

Based on this, we can conclude that for home use an ordinary drill is more suitable. To buy such a tool for drilling walls, you need to consider a number of important points.

The drill must meet such requirements:

• It must be percussive, because this type is most effective when drilling concrete walls. In a hammerless drill, the nozzle and chuck will fail too quickly.
• It is better to buy tips on it pobeditovye, with a destination for works on concrete. And the tip. with a coating of durable alloys.

You can also choose a drill-peorator. True, such a tool costs more than an ordinary model. But it has increased power, which can be adjusted to your liking.

The choice of tool and work with it

Choosing a tool in order to drill a hole, you should understand that your work depends on it. A good drill gently drills through a concrete wall or other desired material, making it easier to drill, while a bad drill is time-consuming and can fail or complicate the task. What to look for when choosing a drill:

• Is it possible to change the drilling speed??. this point is important because the speed control will ensure that the drill bit works accurately, helping it not to damage the surface.
• Is there a possibility of impact drilling and depth control??. percussive drilling can be used on problematic areas by softening them.
• Is it possible to hold the drill with both hands??. A drill is not a light tool, so preference should be given to models that are equipped with handles.
• Is the power of the tool satisfactory for your work?

Once you’ve decided on a drill, you need to get good at holding it before you start working. To do this, take the drill in one hand like a pistol, the other hand is placed on the handle of the tool (if it is not intended by the design, the hand is placed near the chuck). Hold the drill strictly horizontally in your hands so the hole does not become skewed and at an improper angle. Wait until the drill has reached ambient temperature before starting it up. Sharp temperature fluctuations can provoke the appearance of condensation. If you decide to rest during work, unplug the tool from the mains.

How to drill through a concrete wall with an ordinary drill

A pioneer is for drilling in concrete, but in many cases a manual electric drill can do the job if you don’t have one. It is possible to achieve success, if you choose the right drill bit or drill bit. To understand how to drill a concrete wall with an ordinary drill, it is necessary to know a clear algorithm of actions, take into account a number of important nuances of drilling.

Additional tools for drilling in concrete

Start drilling in concrete if you have a hammer function in your power drill. Using a drill with a hammerless tool makes no sense. The drill will simply overheat, causing the motor to burn out. It is possible to drill a large hole with a diamond drill bit without impact, if the motor power allows.

For simple percussion drilling of small holes, you will need an additional tool:

• Set of concrete drill bits of different diameters. They can be distinguished by special carbide tips. The item is a small plate with sharpened edges at an angle of 60 o. Screw part and cylindrical shank made of ordinary tool steel.
• Puncher. The tool is shaped like a rod with a sharpened tip. The punch helps break up the concrete by hitting it with a hammer.

Concrete drills have a weak point. When it comes into contact with the rebar, the tungsten carbide tips break out. If the drill stops sinking into the concrete and you hear a characteristic whistling noise, you can pierce the hole with the punch. In the presence of reinforcement, move the drilling site to the side.

When it is necessary to cut a big hole for a socket with a drill, the core bit is used instead of the drill. When selecting a bit, look at the shank. Its shape must be suitable for clamping in the chuck. The drill can be fitted with a hexagonal or SDS shank.

Drilling concrete is carried out by three types of bits:

• Carbide bits have a serrated cutting edge. Bits are only used for percussive drilling. If the drill has no hammer function, the tips overheat and fall off the cup. Fear of contact between core bit and rebar. to save the cutters, try drilling through the wall with a drill bit beforehand. An extra step to find out if there is any rebar in the area.
• Concrete walls can be drilled with a diamond core bit without a hammer function. Nozzles are not afraid of contact with fittings. For domestic use, air-cooled drill bits are available. They can be recognized by the presence of holes on the cutting edge. Wet-cutting bits are not used with a drill. Diamond dusting comes in hard, soft or medium hard, as indicated by the marking of the nozzle with the letters “T”, “M”, “C”. CS: GO” bits are usually used with a drill. The bit is designed with slots for air cooling. The dusting of the cutting edge is made of medium-hard diamond grit.

Drill bits made of tungsten carbide are sold, with a tungsten-carbide dusting instead of tips. The bit can be used to accurately drill through a tiled wall. It is reasonable to use drill bits if the power of the drill exceeds 1 kW.

Drilling a wall with a drill

The drilling process with an impact drill requires maximum effort. It takes more time than with a rotary tool because of the lower power of the tool. Drills are periodically given time to rest. The entire procedure of making a hole with a drill consists of the following steps:

• On the wall mark out the place of the future hole. Place the drill bit on the marking, hitting it sharply 2-3 times with a hammer.
• A small crater is formed in the concrete after impact. A pilot drill bit is inserted inside the cavity, and then the drill begins to drill. When the hand feels the overheating of the electric motor, the tool is given time to rest.
• The drill can stop penetrating for two reasons: hard fractions of concrete or rebar got caught. Stop drilling. A drill bit is inserted inside the funnel and a hammer is used to hit it hard. When the hard fractions break up, continue drilling. If you hit a rebar, it is better to displace the hole to the side. If this option is not suitable, the rods can be removed with a diamond drill bit or metal drill bit.

Continue drilling until the desired depth of the hole is reached.

The nuances of correct concrete drilling

To drill the concrete successfully, take into account a number of important nuances:

• Drilling a hole with a diameter of more than 12 mm and a depth of 100 mm is better to perform hybrid power tool drill-power tool.
• For plastic dowels, the depth of the hole is 7 mm longer than the length of the fastener. The stock will be blocked with concrete dust as the dowel bar is inserted.
• Start work at medium speed with the drill without impact mode. Increase speed when the drill is deepened to 4 mm. Tapering mode switched on at the same time. Such a measure is necessary to prevent the drill from shifting on the wall due to strong vibrations.
• The drilling process is accompanied by a large amount of dust. If a vacuum cleaner is used, flying particles of concrete are immediately sucked up and do not clog the room.
• When clamping the drill bit into the chuck, check that the drill shank goes all the way in.
• Work with a small drill for maximum 15 minutes. For the rest 10 minutes is enough. Dip the drill in water before starting work. A little trick helps to reduce the wear of the cutting tips.
• When making a through hole at high rpm, a piece of concrete can break off on the reverse side of the wall. Lower speeds help to avoid damage.

If the drill bit is stuck in the concrete, do not try to extract it by hammering, loosening with pliers. The shank will break off and the screw part will remain inside the wall. It is only possible to remove the stuck element if a small-diameter drill hole is drilled around it.

Drilling concrete can be considered successful if the end goal is achieved and the tool is not broken.

Safety precautions

Any construction or repair work involves certain risks, so it is important to know how to drill concrete without injury. A number of rules should be followed:

• First you need to check that there are no pipes or electrical wiring in the place of drilling. This can be done with a metal detector. If possible, turn off the electricity in the premises where the repair is carried out. Connect the drill to a separate outlet connected to the switchboard. Under a decorative cover, the metal detector may not recognize pipes or wiring. Drill in such places must be carefully to avoid unnecessary damage to the wall.
• If you have hidden gas lines in the house, you must turn off the gas for the duration of the work.
• You categorically cannot drill into joints in a block house. In the channel between the blocks often lay utilities in violation of building regulations.
• Be sure to check how the drill is secured in the chuck.
• In the process of drilling must use protective equipment: goggles, gloves, overalls. Wear a hat if you plan to work at height. Drilling generates a lot of dust. A face mask or respirator must be worn.
• When drilling through a wall, make sure that no other person is working on the opposite side.
• If the hole must be made at ceiling level, the work is performed not from a stepladder, but from a scaffolding or trestle. The stepladder is less stable. If there is no suitable support, the stepladder must be secured with supports.
• Do not operate the tool while resting against the work surface. Pressure and rpm increase smoothly.

• To ensure stability, the tool should only be held by the handles. It is strictly forbidden to hold a running drill by the chuck.
• In some regions, there are legally enshrined time in which noisy work can not be carried out. This should be taken into account when making a plan of action.

To get the hang of it, drill slowly and carefully through the concrete a few times. It will help to understand that with the observance of nuances and safety precautions, this work does not cause great problems and difficulties. Even beginners can do it themselves.