Whats your opinion on core drills?

[tamz]

I bought one from bes for about £100. At the time i was going to buy a marcrist shroud thing (i've got a marchrist gun) that was about half that but got the hoover attachment instead. You still get a wee bit dust but it is fine.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

have to get a dust extractor it does make a right mess coring especially red brick,i always wear a ffp2 mask as well the dust can knacker your lungs and cause silicosis which is often fatal

 

[Phil]

Dewalt D21570K 1300w 127mm Diamond Drill 240V - DeWalt available at Toolbox

This looks a good price for a Dewalt core drill, does anyone have one of these? Why is it £100 less than the Makita?

 

[PlumbingBud]

I have been thinking about investing in a good core drill for when I start doing boilers and fires.
Am I right in thinking a safety clutch is essential? And also, I noticed many are only rated up to quite a low diameter for diamond core masonry.

What sort of diameter would a typical flue be?

Thanks.

 

[tamz]

A clutch is essential for bigger cores. If it jambs it will break your fingers ......if you are lucky.
107mm fits flues but leaves little room for manouver.
117mm is fine as is 127mm.

Try using an 9" angle grinder for smaller cores. Very fast. Just keep a good hold of it as there is no clutch.

 

[WHPES]

Percussion core drills can sometimes make a mess of the opposite side of the hole when you break through. Diamond core drills make a neater and quieter job

 

[Phil]

Just wish those damn taper pilot drills would stay in, I've lost all mine down cavitys and its no fun trying the start off the hole with no pilot - if fact near impossible!

 

[tamz]

You are supposed to remove them once the core has bit in about a half inch.
Learn to use it without one. It is easy.

 

[Phil]

You are supposed to remove them once the core has bit in about a half inch.
Learn to use it without one. It is easy.

I know that now I lost them early days.

Whats the trick to a pilotless hole? Just start slow speed?

 

[Best]

Don't start hole without the pilot drill, then remove it when you have just cut core in as little as 1/4". I wonder if a jig of some type would be a good idea to stop core moving about? Wouldn't need a pilot drill then.

 

[tamz]

Whats the trick to a pilotless hole? Just start slow speed?

Drilling at normal speed, start at an angle and square it up as it bites. It is easy enough to get perfect accuracy after you get used to doing it.
Then again i've been doing it that way every other day for about 10 years so it should be easy.

 

[tamz]

I wonder if a jig of some type would be a good idea to stop core moving about? Wouldn't need a pilot drill then.

You can use a plywood template screwed to the wall if it suits you.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

have got me self a Hilti breaker last summer as some of the work I was doing the wall were 500-700mm engineering bricks ,few pilot holes and the chisel it away !
Normal brick wall I just use a 5" which gives me a room to play and adjust the flue to correct angle ( my 4" core has lost 3 toot's so no good any more ) the 5" one I got it for free with my drill .Using 4" is much quicker and yes ear defenders every time for me

 

[Phil]

Regarding the drilling without a pilot guide, when I bought a set of diamond tile cutting bits from Topps I was sold a water feed bottle and a guide which sucks to the tile with a suction cup and it quite literally 'sucks'.

Waste of money and the water feed bottle, its far easier to do what Tamz said and bite one edge in to start you off and in this case drip water on from a cloth.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

speaking of diamond drilling ,i did get the hilti product ! fantastic kit ! go to there web and see for your self!
it is expansive but it will last long time.