How to Spin Concrete Without a Hammer Drill (5 Steps)
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It is not necessary to have a hammer drill to make a neat hole in a concrete surface.
This is easy to do with a stone nozzle. Do not use a conventional drill. They are not as strong and sharp as masonry bits. As an electrician and contractor, I regularly drill lots of holes in concrete on the fly and do it all without drills. Most rotary hammers are expensive and sometimes they may not be available. Thus, knowing how to drill a hole without them will save you a lot of hard work.
Some steps to easily screw into a concrete surface without a hammer drill:
- Get a stone drill
- Make a pilot hole
- start drilling
- Pause and chill the bat in the water
- Clean the hole by removing dust and debris
Below I will show you in detail how to follow these steps.
First steps
Drilling any concrete surface without a hammer drill requires patience. However, with the right (aforementioned) drills, you can do this easily.
Step 1: Get the right drill
First of all, you need to choose the right drill for the task. The most suitable drill for this task is the masonry drill.
Why a stone drill and not a regular drill?
- He has tungsten carbide tips, makes it durable and able to penetrate hard concrete surfaces. A normal bat does not have these features and can break easily.
- Pungency — Masonry drills are designed for hard surfaces; the sharpness of the drill makes them increasingly suitable for drilling concrete surfaces.
Step 2: Put on your protective gear
The drill bit ejects debris when it penetrates the material. Concrete is hard and can hurt your eyes. Sometimes the sound of a drill is deafening or disturbing.
For example, a screech when a drill plunges into a concrete surface can affect some people who react to it. Therefore, to prevent such situations, wear protective goggles and ear protection.
Remember to wear an appropriate face mask. When drilling concrete, a lot of dust is generated. Dust can cause or exacerbate respiratory infections.
Step 3: Make a Pilot Hole
The next thing to do is to map the areas where you want to drill a hole in the concrete. You can use a pencil, caliper, or drill to determine where the holes should be.
Whichever tool you use, make sure the area is marked to avoid drilling the wrong sections.
Step 4: Make a cut
It is important how you orient or tilt the drill at the beginning of the cut. I recommend starting the cut at a 45 degree angle (the best technique for drilling large holes). You don't need to measure the angle; just tilt the drill and approach the corner.
As soon as the drill enters the concrete surface, gradually increase the drilling angle to 90 degrees - perpendicular.
Step 5: Keep Drilling
Like I said before, the key is patience. So, drill slowly but steadily with medium pressure. Too much pressure can damage the entire incision.
To speed up the process, try to get up and down on the instrument frequently. It will also help push debris out of the hole, making the drilling process faster and more efficient.
Step 6: Take a Break and Cool Down
Concrete materials and surfaces are rigid. Thus, the friction between the drill bit and the surface generates an enormous amount of heat, which can damage the drill bit or even start a fire if flammable materials or gases are nearby.
To prevent such incidents, take regular breaks to cool off. You can also pour cold water into the hole to speed up the cooling process.
Dip the drill into the water. Pouring water on a concrete surface is a lubricant that reduces drill friction, overheating, and dust problems.
Step 7: Clean and Continue Drilling
While your drill is cooling, take a moment to clean out the hole. Scrape off the concrete debris with the tool. Removing debris from the hole will make drilling easier. You can use a vacuum cleaner to remove dust.
After the drill has cooled and the hole has been cleaned, continue drilling until you reach the target depth. Make sure you switch to larger drills as you move towards larger holes.
Step 8: Fixing a Stuck Drill
Using a regular drill to drill a hole in a concrete surface is not as smooth as you might think. The drill bit often gets stuck in the hole due to the accumulation of debris.
Solving the problem is simple:
- Use a nail and a sled to break it
- Don't drive the nail too deep into the surface to make it easier to remove.
- Remove debris or growths
Step 9: Large Holes
Perhaps you want to enlarge or drill large holes in concrete surfaces without a hammer drill. Here is what you should do:
- Get the main beat
- Start the cut at a 45 degree angle.
- Then strictly follow steps 1 to 7.
Use long drill bits for through holes. This way you don't have to remove the cut part in the middle of the drilling process. However, the process will be more difficult for older concrete surfaces.
The best drill bit for drilling concrete
As mentioned, the right drill is essential for this task. Unsuitable or conventional drill bits may break or not give good results.
Get yourself a masonry drill.
Masonry drills - recommended
Objects:
- They have tungsten carbide coated tips, which make them tough and unique. The hardened tip allows them to penetrate tough surfaces without fuss. Concrete is hard, so these masonry drills are required.
- Masonry drills are sharper and longer than conventional steel and cobalt drills. Sharpness is the most important characteristic. However, if you already have suitable drill bits, make sure they are sharp.
- Easy to change drills. As you progress, you can gradually upgrade to larger drills.
Other factors to consider when looking for the best drill bit for drilling concrete surfaces include the following:
Shank
Choose a drill with the correct shank.
Drill size
This is an important aspect. For large holes, start with small drills and then work your way up to larger drills.
Get a good brand of masonry drill bits
The brand of the drill is also critical. Poor quality or cheap masonry brands will disappoint. Thus, getting a brand with a solid reputation for the task. Otherwise, you will be wasting money on re-purchasing bits or wasting time on a badly performing drill.
A good brand will save time, money and energy. The tool will do almost all the work. (1)
How do masonry drill bits work?
Stone drill bits drill holes in concrete surfaces in two steps.
The first step: The masonry drill tip has a larger diameter than the shank underneath. So, when the shaft enters the hole, it enters.
The second step: Drilling is performed at a lower speed. Slow rotation of the bit reduces heat generation and overheating. (2)
Do's and Don'ts
| PDO | Etiquette |
| Remove the drill from the hole regularly to remove dust and debris. The impact action also reduces friction. | Do not work at high speed when drilling. You may break the drill or get stuck. Continue patiently. |
Take a look at some of our articles below.
- What is a step drill used for?
- What is the size of the dowel drill
- How to use left hand drills
Recommendations
(1) save time, money and energy - https://www.businessinsider.com/26-ways-to-save-time-money-and-energy-every-single-day-2014-11
(2) heat generation - https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/
heat generation
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