Demolishing walls / SDS Drill?

[Fredxxx]

I am in the process of removing a couple of walls. So far I have
attacked them with a club hammer and chisel.

Lets just say the mortar is held apart by the blocks and it's hard work.

I have never owned or used a SDS drill with a chisel bit, but is this a
good idea to make things easier?

[Tony Bryer]

Once you've used an SDS drill and chisel you'll never want to go back
to doing this sort of thing by hand. Experience seems to suggest that
the el-cheapo SDS hammer drills are better than many cheap power tools
but they are heavy and if you're doing a lot of this you might want to
consider something lighter.

--
Tony Bryer, Greentram: 'Software to build on',
Melbourne, Australia www.greentram.com

[EricP]

On Mon, 17 Feb 2014 13:53:57 +1100, Tony Bryer
<to...@delme.greentram.com> wrote:

>On Mon, 17 Feb 2014 01:29:40 +0000 Fredxxx wrote :
>> I am in the process of removing a couple of walls. So far I have
>> attacked them with a club hammer and chisel.
>>
>> Lets just say the mortar is held apart by the blocks and it's hard work.
>>
>> I have never owned or used a SDS drill with a chisel bit, but is this a
>> good idea to make things easier?
>
>Once you've used an SDS drill and chisel you'll never want to go back
>to doing this sort of thing by hand. Experience seems to suggest that
>the el-cheapo SDS hammer drills are better than many cheap power tools
>but they are heavy and if you're doing a lot of this you might want to
>consider something lighter.

Go hire a kango hammer. Lovely things for diy demolition.

My neighbour has one and happily lends it out. Oh joy!

[Bill Wright]

Fredxxx wrote:
> I am in the process of removing a couple of walls. So far I have
> attacked them with a club hammer and chisel.

I had this problem so I armed two thirteen year olds with sledge hammers
and left them to it. They made short and gleeful work of it. Their mums
were pretty mad about the state of their clothes afterwards though.

Bill

[Tony Bryer]

On Mon, 17 Feb 2014 04:40:36 +0000 Bill Wright wrote :
> I had this problem so I armed two thirteen year olds with sledge hammers
> and left them to it. They made short and gleeful work of it. Their mums
> were pretty mad about the state of their clothes afterwards though.

OK if it's just demolition but if (say) you're cutting a through room
opening and leaving nibs either side, doing as you suggest is likely to
shake up the retained brickwork (especially if lime mortar) and plaster
whilst using an SDS chisel there's a lot less vibration.

[Andy Burns]

Very much so!

[harryagain]

"Fredxxx" <fre...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:ldrom3$7f3$1...@dont-email.me...

They are a bit light for the job.
Some of them are not continuously rated either. (They can overheat if used
for more than ten minutes or so.)

Unles you want to save the bricks, a sledge hammer is better than a hammer &
chisel. (Esp. if it is only a 4"/100mm wall.)

OR
Go out and hire a demolition drill. Will make short workof it.

[Piers]

I've demolished two large (6m wide x 2.5m high) block walls. Used a
sledgehammer to knock out each side from where it was keyed in to the
perpendicular walls and then pushed the entire thing over which broke up
the rest. Very satisfying.

As others note, if you want a precision job you might be better off with
a hefty SDS+.

[Brian Gaff]

Why do I hear Bernard Cribbens Right said Fred when I read this sort of
query?
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active

"Fredxxx" <fre...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:ldrom3$7f3$1...@dont-email.me...

[Adrian C]

On 17/02/2014 09:21, Brian Gaff wrote:
> Why do I hear Bernard Cribbens Right said Fred when I read this sort of

I'm thinking Frank Spencer...

--
Adrian C

[ss]

I got an SDS+ last year and wish I had got it years ago. demolished 2 x
10 foot walls in no time, also a concrete slab 6" thick that was harder
work but would have never managed otherwise.
Mine was cheapy and its heavy but great tool to have.

[Fredxxx]

On 17/02/2014 06:00, Tony Bryer wrote:
> On Mon, 17 Feb 2014 04:40:36 +0000 Bill Wright wrote :
>> I had this problem so I armed two thirteen year olds with sledge hammers
>> and left them to it. They made short and gleeful work of it. Their mums
>> were pretty mad about the state of their clothes afterwards though.
>
> OK if it's just demolition but if (say) you're cutting a through room
> opening and leaving nibs either side, doing as you suggest is likely to
> shake up the retained brickwork (especially if lime mortar) and plaster
> whilst using an SDS chisel there's a lot less vibration.

Where I've wanted an opening I've angle ground through the walls.

Hmm, its difficult to shake up the brickwork that does need shaking!

[Fredxxx]

Many thanks for all the feedback.

Most seem to be SDS+?

What width chisel would you suggest?

Since this a very occasional thing, I would be tempted towards the
cheaper end though understand the consequence of the added weight.

[John Rumm]

On 17/02/2014 11:42, Fredxxx wrote:
> On 17/02/2014 01:29, Fredxxx wrote:
>> I am in the process of removing a couple of walls. So far I have
>> attacked them with a club hammer and chisel.
>>
>> Lets just say the mortar is held apart by the blocks and it's hard work.
>>
>> I have never owned or used a SDS drill with a chisel bit, but is this a
>> good idea to make things easier?
>
> Many thanks for all the feedback.
>
> Most seem to be SDS+?
>
> What width chisel would you suggest?

For most work a 20mm wide one on a 2kg class drill with 2 - 3J of impact
energy will be about the right balance of width and penetration speed.
If the mortar or bricks are very soft then 40mm will work as well. For
really hard masonry, you might need a point chisel.

> Since this a very occasional thing, I would be tempted towards the
> cheaper end though understand the consequence of the added weight.

Cheapies can work well for knocking stuff down. Things to keep in mind:

As mentioned they are heavy. The speed control (if any) may be crude
(this can prevent you using them for delicate hammering - say just
enough to cut through plaster skim without bringing the wall down), the
range of positions in which you can lock the bits rotation may be
limited. Also they may not be rated for continuous use.

There is not necessarily a huge price premium for a decent one though,
and once you have used one you may decide that the SDS becomes the drill
of choice for any masonry drilling.

Something like:

http://www.lawson-his.co.uk/makita-hr2610-800w-26mm-3-function-sds-h-p148092

is very easy to use and does a nice job.



--
Cheers,

John.

/=================================================================\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\=================================================================/

[GMM]

I'd very much second that. The first SDS I bought was a great hefty
thing from a place that was closing down, for 20 quid. Its only problem
was that the motor got through brushes at a fair rate. As soon as I
used it, I realised how useful it was but, being tight-fisted, it took a
while before I could justify giving it away to my brother and getting a
Bosch blue from Screwfix.
That Makita looks like a good buy.

[Fredxxx]

On 17/02/2014 17:26, John Rumm wrote:

> On 17/02/2014 11:42, Fredxxx wrote:
>> On 17/02/2014 01:29, Fredxxx wrote:
>>> I am in the process of removing a couple of walls. So far I have
>>> attacked them with a club hammer and chisel.
>>>
>>> Lets just say the mortar is held apart by the blocks and it's hard work.
>>>
>>> I have never owned or used a SDS drill with a chisel bit, but is this a
>>> good idea to make things easier?
>>
>> Many thanks for all the feedback.
>>
>> Most seem to be SDS+?
>>
>> What width chisel would you suggest?
>
> For most work a 20mm wide one on a 2kg class drill with 2 - 3J of impact
> energy will be about the right balance of width and penetration speed.
> If the mortar or bricks are very soft then 40mm will work as well. For
> really hard masonry, you might need a point chisel.

In some places the mortar has been left cantilever style after knocking
out the block, so perhaps a narrow chisel might be an idea.

>> Since this a very occasional thing, I would be tempted towards the
>> cheaper end though understand the consequence of the added weight.
>
> Cheapies can work well for knocking stuff down. Things to keep in mind:
>
> As mentioned they are heavy. The speed control (if any) may be crude
> (this can prevent you using them for delicate hammering - say just
> enough to cut through plaster skim without bringing the wall down), the
> range of positions in which you can lock the bits rotation may be
> limited. Also they may not be rated for continuous use.

I confess to thinking of going for the cheap Mac Allister that weighs in
at 3.5kg.

> There is not necessarily a huge price premium for a decent one though,
> and once you have used one you may decide that the SDS becomes the drill
> of choice for any masonry drilling.
>
> Something like:
>
> http://www.lawson-his.co.uk/makita-hr2610-800w-26mm-3-function-sds-h-p148092
>
> is very easy to use and does a nice job.

One day perhaps, given I don't felt the need to knock down walls very often!

[John Rumm]

On 18/02/2014 01:27, Fredxxx wrote:

>> is very easy to use and does a nice job.
>
> One day perhaps, given I don't felt the need to knock down walls very
> often!

Its the drilling holes in hard stuff, removing tiles, chasing plaster,
cutting socket back box holes, excavating pipes out of the floor, and
hacking cat flaps through walls etc that will have it put a smile on
your face, rather more than the wanton destruction (fun though that is -
a 10kg class concrete breaker does it better!)

[PeterC]

On Mon, 17 Feb 2014 17:26:29 +0000, John Rumm wrote:

> There is not necessarily a huge price premium for a decent one though,
> and once you have used one you may decide that the SDS becomes the drill
> of choice for any masonry drilling.
>
> Something like:
>
> http://www.lawson-his.co.uk/makita-hr2610-800w-26mm-3-function-sds-h-p148092
>
> is very easy to use and does a nice job.

Bizarrely, a link on that page goes to
http://www.lawson-his.co.uk/scripts/details.php?cat=Deal%20392%20-%20January%20Deals&product=154455
same item, 66p less, with free knee-pads.
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway

[tony sayer]

In ar

>
>I confess to thinking of going for the cheap Mac Allister that weighs in
>at 3.5kg.

Do yourself a favour and get the Makita I bought one years ago best tool
I've ever bought, use it for most everything:)...

>> of choice for any masonry drilling.
>>
>> Something like:
>>
>> http://www.lawson-his.co.uk/makita-hr2610-800w-26mm-3-function-sds-h-p148092
>>
>> is very easy to use and does a nice job.
>
>One day perhaps, given I don't felt the need to knock down walls very often!

--
Tony Sayer

[Johny B Good]

On Tue, 18 Feb 2014 09:41:08 +0000, tony sayer <to...@bancom.co.uk>
wrote:

>In ar
>>
>>I confess to thinking of going for the cheap Mac Allister that weighs in
>>at 3.5kg.
>
>Do yourself a favour and get the Makita I bought one years ago best tool
>I've ever bought, use it for most everything:)...
>

Ah, yes! The "Birmingham Screwdriver Syndrome", when the only tool
you have is a hammer, every screw looks like a nail. :-)
--
Regards, J B Good

[Bill Wright]

Tony Bryer wrote:
> On Mon, 17 Feb 2014 04:40:36 +0000 Bill Wright wrote :
>> I had this problem so I armed two thirteen year olds with sledge hammers
>> and left them to it. They made short and gleeful work of it. Their mums
>> were pretty mad about the state of their clothes afterwards though.
>
> OK if it's just demolition but if (say) you're cutting a through room
> opening and leaving nibs either side, doing as you suggest is likely to
> shake up the retained brickwork (especially if lime mortar) and plaster
> whilst using an SDS chisel there's a lot less vibration.
>

You're very fussy. You'd not get on at all if you worked for our local
council.

Bill