Concrete wall drilling problems

ct_roy

So I've been putting together a boat load of Ikea furniture recently. I got down to the last 2 pieces which are 2 fairly heavy wall shelves which I'm putting up on a concrete wall in an apartment. The first one went up pretty easily.

I went to drill the holes for the second one and my drill is only going in about 3/4's of an inch before coming to a stop. I'm using a fairly standard Black & Decker drill with a smal 6 inch drill bit. I'm guessing theres something in the wall that's stopping the drillbit from penetrating it. It's a solid concrete wall with nothing behind it (the stairwell of the apartment block is the other side of the wall).

I'm wondering could there be steel in the wall?

The shelves are part of a unit and need to be positioned precisely where the drill hole is so moving it is not really an option.

What are my options? Metal detector?! Better drill?

Are there better less obtrusive ways of hanging heavy shelves on concrete walls than drilling 3 inch holes in them?

Thanks

wwwboof

you have hit steel

use a hammer action sds with the same bit and you will go through it:D

ct_roy

wwwboof wrote: »

you have hit steel

use a hammer action sds with the same bit and you will go through it:D

cheers

feckin steel - now to just find a hammer action drill!

it defo wouldn't be pipes/electrics in a solid wall would it ? :eek:

Gen.Zhukov

Hope I don't start anything here with my first post but my thoughts would be-

You should be using a hammer action drill in the first place for concrete. You may have just hit a stone in the concrete and a hammer drill with a masonry bit should get through that.

If you have hit steel re-bar, then I would have thought a HSS steel bit should be used with the hammer action off.

Re wires and pipes, its unlikely there would be water pipes in the wall (unless there is an obvious reason, sink/tap in area) Wires always travel in a straight line in a wall so if there are no sockets below the area ur drilling you should be ok.

2 stroke

From your posts in this thread I'd say you shouldn't be drilling holes in walls. My guess is that either you are trying to drill concrete without hammer action or you have possibly hit steel, possibly an rsj. You won't get through an rsj with hammer action unless you have a damm fine sds drill. Yes you could have pipes/electrics in a solid wall, you should have checked this before drilling.

2 stroke

1.618 wrote: »

Hope I don't start anything here with my first post but my thoughts would be-

You should be using a hammer action drill in the first place for concrete. You may have just hit a stone in the concrete and a hammer drill with a masonry bit should get through that.

If you have hit steel re-bar, then I would have thought a HSS steel bit should be used with the hammer action off.

Re wires and pipes, its unlikely there would be water pipes in the wall (unless there is an obvious reason, sink/tap in area) Wires Should always travel in a straight line in a wall so if there are no sockets below the area ur drilling you should be ok.

FTFY

ct_roy

1.618 wrote: »

Hope I don't start anything here with my first post but my thoughts would be-

You should be using a hammer action drill in the first place for concrete. You may have just hit a stone in the concrete and a hammer drill with a masonry bit should get through that.

If you have hit steel re-bar, then I would have thought a HSS steel bit should be used with the hammer action off.

Re wires and pipes, its unlikely there would be water pipes in the wall (unless there is an obvious reason, sink/tap in area) Wires always travel in a straight line in a wall so if there are no sockets below the area ur drilling you should be ok.

thanks for the useful tips

ct_roy

2 stroke wrote: »

From your posts in this thread I'd say you shouldn't be drilling holes in walls.

LOL & agreed - that's what I told the missus

think i'll seek the services of someone who knows what they're doing

*puts away mechanical tools which cause danger in the hands of fools*

wwwboof

were bouts are you i have an sds if you need it its more likely you have hit a re bar than pipes or wire is there any sockets left or right of were you are drilling and if so how far from it:D