How to Drill into Bricks & Concrete with a Hammer or Rotary SDS Drill
Drilling into bricks and concrete can be intimidating for the home DIY 'r used to only dealing with wood and plasterboard. In this video, I'll take you through the difference between a normal drill, hammer drill and Rotary SDS Drill, what drill bits to use, and what wall anchors to choose. We'll also look at some quick drilling tips and hacks to make lining up drill holes in brick walls easier.
From hanging a picture to heavy shelves or cupboards, the right tool will get save you a lot of time and effort.
Tools in this Video (Affiliate Links):
My Makita Combi-drill: USA - amzn.to/32kaFfA
AU - amzn.to/3EwtL3Y
UK - amzn.to/3zpuNLr
Makita SDS Rotary Drill: USA - amzn.to/3mWbzZ5
AU - amzn.to/2VWpRA3
UK - amzn.to/3kr94hG
Makita Drill Bit SDS Plus/Chisel-Set: USA - amzn.to/3YooWnv
AUS - www.totaltools.com.au/power-t...
UK - amzn.to/3qg1nAV
Dewalt Masonry Drill Bit Set : US - amzn.to/32htQGQ
AU - amzn.to/3zpvpkb
UK - amzn.to/3AqFrTB
The Full Fixit Fingers Tool Shop (US) - www.amazon.com/shop/fixitfingers
Here you'll find almost all the tools I use in my shop from the Bosch Mitre saw to Glue and Sandpaper :D
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The UK Makita Tool Shop - amzn.to/3EA9yKz
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#Drilling #Bricks #DIY
00:00 Intro
00:54 Types of Drills
03:49 Type of Drill Bits
05:21 Types of Wall Anchors
08:14 Comparing Hammer Drills
10:29 Drilling and Mounting Tips
11:33 Conclusion
I hope that gave you a few tips. I've now bought my own SDS Rotary and it is a beast. If the budget will stretch and you want to drill hard stuff, it's worth the coin! If this helped you out please consider subscribing or even a *"Thanks"* if it REALLY came in useful :D Cheers, James
The baking paper! What a gem just thrown in near the end of the video. Brilliant!
A lot of hardware comes with its own paper templates these days. But if you are making your own things or moving old fixtures raiding the kitchen helps a lot ;)
If you're doing building maintenance, the SDS hammer drill will be a life saver. It was the best investment I ever made when doing property maintenance.
Yeah, pretty much have talked myself into one next Makita sale 😂 This building I maintain is all brick, every single wall. Will save a heap of time.
@@FixitFingers not to mention they are easier on batteries then the standard drill on hammer mode
Hadn't thought of that!
I have just found your videos (yes I have subscribed 👍🏻) and must say your videos are not too long but made with simple language and a pleasure and very informative so thank you for taking the time to pass on your knowledge and experience.
Well a happy Customer is always great 😃 hahaha sorry, you've heard that a hundred times I'm sure 😅 Cheers, I try to keep things simple and have learnt over time to edit things short and sweet in comparison to my old videos. Thanks for the kind words 😀
Incredibly helpful, thank you! I’m brand-new to drills and hanging my own stuff. Your video was so clear and easy to follow.
Thanks Erica! May your fixtures stay hanging :D
Best video I've seen on drilling into masonry! Many thanks!
Cheers Miguel! Glad it was helpful 👍
This video is packed full of really good information James. I am in the UK and the house I bought when I married was constructed in the 1880's. It had every kind of brick from soft to harder right up to engineering brick behind the plaster on those walls and I never knew what I was drillng into. sometimes it was crumbling morter in a house built before damp courses. The walls were faced outside with stone and a foot thick. I had a second hand Black and Decker in the mid 70's with one speed and a trigger on and off. I used that drill for years and when I had a new drill with hammer action and a few options it changed my life. Now there are even drills with a light built in to show exactly where to drill! I have always drilled a pilot hole when I am drilling into masonery whether brick or concrete or whatever. I have found this keeps a good set of drills going forever. My woodworking drills I learned to sharpen myself and likewise, they last forever. These days we can go out and buy a good set of drills and not worry too much about the expense but 50 years ago it was a case of making a set last once it was acquired. This film is valuable and it would be good for every new householder to have sight of. If I was a 20 year old now I would certainly appreciate it. Thanks for uploading James, hope you are keeping well.🎬👍🔨👍🔨😎
Thank you for your kind words and additional insights Eryk. Firstly yes I am fine and fortunate to still be gainfully employed and living with little restriction currently here in Sydney. I hope the weather over your way is turning for the better towards those two or three glorious days of Summer you are likely to have above 30 degrees😁 Yes these handyman style videos are indeed targeted at the first time home DIYr and tend to reach a wider audience over time then my self-indulgent little wooden projects... but don't worry there is one of those on the cards next as I continue to improve my tiny workshop and slice of sanity. Stay well and thank you once again for continuing to tune in and provide glimpses of your experience.
I'm new to hammer drills, just starting to experiment with them. Loved your video, all the info needed in easy to understand format.
Cheers! I did buy my own Makita one not long after making this video and oh my goodness what a great addition it has been. It was a bit pricey but I like my cordless and brushless models ;) Apparently the corded Ozito hammer drill is a beast for the price at the budget end of the market
Thank you so much for this explanation!
No worries Carlos, hit me up here if you have any questions.
I know it's getting on a bit now, but I just had to drill a few holes into brick recently. I had a bunch of holes I'd drilled into brick to attach my work shelves, and so I'd been using the hammer drill setting. Then a week or so later, I put up a security camera and again, used the hammer drill setting. It was tedious but doable. Then I had to secure a hand grip at the front door, and for some reason I'd put the drill on normal drilling, not hammer drill. And the masonry bit I was using just went right into the brick like it was wood. I switched back to hammer drill and it took a lot of effort and leaning into the drilling. Back on normal drilling: straight in. I have no idea what that means. The hammer drill function works great on concrete, but on the bricks it just didn't work as easily.
That's very interesting! Some folks start their holes on normal mode so they are more accurate, but I guess those bricks just liked being abraded instead of pulverized! 👍
Hello my friend James, Nice and instructive video. How to drill Brick and Concrete with Hammer or Rotary SDS Drill. I know better now. Thank you for the detailed information. I wish you have a nice weekend. Big greetings. Ll see. Yours sincerely, Mehmet.
Cheers for watching Mehmet, more actual woodwork on the next one :)
@@FixitFingers my friend cheers....
Great video James ! Those big drills (SDS) are nuts. My brother in law has one, he drilled four holes in the concrete here for my air con and I couldnt believe how quickly he did it, almost like it was wood !
First time I borrowed this one I could barely believe the improvement. Until I used it I didn't see the point of a dedicated hammer drill. Now I wants one 😊
I’m new to this stuff this has really helped me that you you are such a good teacher x
Thanks Anne, glad it was a useful video. The woodworking videos are the most fun, but these tips videos help the most people so I enjoy making them :)
Thanks
Glad it helped! :)
Great video Thanks! Great to watch thing flopping around the desk on the hammer mode
Ha! Yes not the orthodox way to demonstrate how the hammer function works, but fun to watch 😅
Great video mate. Didn’t know about the 4 flute bits, but will definitely get myself one when I move house.
I'd never buy a 2 flute again. They are the next generation.
Well done, thank you sir!
No problems! Hope it helps 😊
Learning something new everyday mate, the 4 fluted bit I’d never heard of but will now consider. I had a similar issue when I put my tool wall up where I needed a hammer drill so I got a corded Ryobi for that & it worked good but I was drilling into concrete 🍻👍🇦🇺
Im converted to the dedicated drills for concrete and big jobs. Grab the four flutes, the Kangoo ones have been good to me, and your Ryobi will chew it up!
congratulations to the successful master, the job you do😊👍🏻
I'm just a garage hack, but cheers mate 👍
Turkish Maker hey? Are you friends with Mehmet from Şahane bilgiler? He is a great inspiration!
most of the time on brick when using a masonry bit you don't even need to use "Hammer action" especially when you see the mess it makes when drilling all the way through it blows the brick apart, If you want to avoid that then Start with Hammer and switch it to normal before going all the way through the brick.
Top tip! It certainly does make a huge mess. Lucky I'm rarely going all the way thorough but I'll remember to try that next time 👍
Amazing advice!!
Glad it was helpful Paulina 😀
Very detailed video man! Awesome 👏
Cheers mate, I like to mix in a few DIY videos in amongst the woodwork. 😉
i love how you showed that you need to mark and start your holes using that cleat, but then, even thou you leaned against it, it still wandered - on both holes 😂
It's tricky even when you know what you are doing 🤣
@@FixitFingers yeah, and it's soo disheartening... you measure all things up, but still things come up a bit out of whack 🤷 I started doing the oposite - i roughly mark the spots to drill, then after i have the holes done, i use the dowel-joint marker thingies to mark the wood, leveled to final position.
That's a great tip! 😀
Amazing content. Very informative just as I was giving up with my drill I saw this. Now I will be able to do all the jobs I need. Many thanks for giving me the inspiration for today.
That's the best feedback I can get Heather, thanks so much. Glad it helped, you've made my day 😁
Smashing video mate. 😉
Well, the intro smashed it at least 🤣
Thanks for the video. I've been trying to learn more about drilling concrete and stone. I've got a stone that is too big to move next to the house and I am thinking of breaking it up using feather and wedges to split it. I am using an SDS plus rotary drill to drill 3/4" holes. I burned up my first two carbide cutting tip bit fast. Next try is a 4 carbide cutting tip bit. It is not a solid carbide tip like a Diablo though so I don't know how it will hold up.
Go slow and allow it to cool, will last longer. My gut tells me 3/4" is likely overkill... 1/2" will likely work and be easier on the tools... but I haven't seen your rock! 🤣
@@FixitFingers Thanks for the reply and the advice about keeping the drill bit cool. I wonder if water would help with that? The size of the holes are determined by the feather & wedges tool. The feathers have to fit tight in the hole so that when the wedge is driven in, the pressure built along the multiple drill line can split the stone. I went with a 3/4" dia. size that needs holes at least 6" deep to hopefully get the stone to split all the way through. The stone is about 5 foot by 4 foot and I have no idea how deep it goes but I can see at least 24" above ground. It is tightly wedged between the house and a shed with hills both front and back so getting big machines in to safely move it is not an option.
Big job! Best of luck, let me know how it goes@@Mark_Nadams Oh, and I'm no metal worker, but shock cooling the drill bit is not a good idea. Quenching makes metal harder, but more brittle... I can't see that being a good combo on an impact dill bit! :P Too much heat softens the bit, and the impacts then deform it, so it stops cutting well. Go in short bursts, let it cool naturally, and that should extend the life.
HI there - amazing video and content - very much appreciated! I have a DeWalt DCD795 and I am really struggling to drill even 4mm with the correct Masonary bits (Bosch X-70Ti). I think my combi drill is good enough, but don't understand whether I should be pushing against the wall firmly when I am drilling, or change drilling bits. Really frustrated as I don't know what to do. Please could you kindly suggest or advise?
G'day mate. Your combo drill probably came with an extension handle you can screw on. These exist so you can really get some weight behind it to help with tough drilling so don't be afraid to give it good pressure. You should be able to get through bricks without much hassle. (I rarely use my extension handle). I start the holes in regular mode so when you switch to hammer you are less likely to wander. I also slowly ramp up the speed. Drilling masonry on high speed *will* cook your bits faster but often the only way to make any progress. If you.are still struggling, I chuck up the 4 cutter SDS 6.5mm and it destroys bricks. Just be aware they are not designed for regular drills, and can damage your chuck if you are not careful to centrethem right. Lastly, while awesome all-rounders, a battery combo drill simply can't match a corded on power, and there is night and day between them and rotary drills designed for this task. I've had concrete the combo drill took 5 to 10 minutes to drill. I borrowed an SDS drill and with the same bit I thought was blunt, did the next hole in under 30 seconds.... Then 20 more in similar time. Hope that helps, good luck!
The table vibration made by the hammer drills is an excellent proof of power! You don't have to have many concrete walls to justify buying one - you'll use it so rarely it will probably last a lifetime!
I know I dont NEED one... but but but... they are so much fun :P Maybe if it goes on special ;)
@@FixitFingers If my workshop looked like yours, I would definitely invest in one. 😁 I have a corded one, much more cost effective than battery powered ones.
Oh and more powerful too no doubt! I just like the ability to grab and go on site so I'll probably get the cordless.
@@FixitFingers If the mobility is important then sure, go for the cordless one!
Hi James. Following another vid (before I saw yours), I purchased a set of Ramset 14G x 70mm Ankascrews (Tapcon Screws) and a 3/16 Masonry Bit for drilling directly into standard bricks in order to hang my aluminium cabinets. The vid recommended drilling the hole, then fastening the cabinet to the brick wall by driving the Ankascrew with a washer directly into the brick without the use of the PLUGS you recommended. I’m a bit worried now... do you think I’ll be okay without the PLUGS using the Ankascrews or should I change my approach? Thanks so much... Nickolas (Melbourne)
G'day Mate, no plugs needed for the Ankascrews, they are designed to go right into mansony without them! They should be super stronger than plugs and standard screws, just cost a LOT more per unit. They are like removable dyna-bolts, good for heavy duty use.
@@FixitFingers Fantastic! I just did the first couple and they worked superbly. Thanks for the confirmation, I really appreciate it. And of course for your videos which are incredibly insightful and pleasurable to watch. Keep up the good work!
Nice lik vidéo
G'day Randa, first in this week! Cheers mate 👍
Need a video of this with a regular drill
08:40 I did exactly that mate, regular drill, no hammer setting. It will work with the right drill bit, just slow going 🐌😉
@@FixitFingers yeah it took me two bits, first one turned into Andy Durfresne's hammer after drilling the first two holes but got it done
@@Blahmanwhysoserious 😂 hope you didn't then have to crawl through what he did!
@@FixitFingers sort of, with the amount of diapers I change daily lol
Don't forget to check for wires, gas, mains or other risks behind the wall before doing any work! But that is an entire topic all on its own.
Solid advice! Luckily in my garage the pipes and electrical conduits are surface mounted so easy to avoid.
I've been told by a few folk never to use a sds bit with a standard chuck. That it can potentially damage the chuck. Thoughts?
It's not ideal as they are designed for the SDS chuck, but with care and for infrequent use I've not had any problems. If you find yourself needing to drill brick more than a few times a year I'd invest in the big boy drill...like I am this week 😊
It's pretty easy to tell if the bit is not centred... But also no longer an issue for me. Picked up the Makita SDS this weekend during the Easter sales 😊
Good job on drill comparison, mate 👍🏽 Those SDS bits look pretty tough 👌🏽
Cheers for watching my search friendly videos mate. Will bring shine actual woodwork next up ;)
Single woman here, have to put up shelves myself, what do the numbers mean in the drill, is it speed?
G'day Misty. No not speed, it's torque (driving power). They are the clutch settings for driving screws. They only mean something when you have the drill set to 'screw' mode. Basically the lower the number you set it to, the less power the tool will try to use driving the screw. Try driving a few big long screw into a piece of scrap with different settings. You should notice as you click up the numbers, the screw goes in further before the drill 'skips'. Use high numbers for rough big jobs, low numbers for delicate jobs where you don't want the screw ploughing through your thin material. Hope that helps! - James
Absolutely fantastic presentation and so informative. I'm DIY mad at the moment and just bought myself an SDS Rotary Hammer Drill today - boy it is HEAVY! I'm just hoping I can lift it and hold it in place when I need to drill and that the drill goes around rather than flinging me around and around hahahahah! Best wishes - Psyche aka Psyche Thompson UK 🌹
Hahaha battery or corded? I decided to take my own advice and ended up getting the Makita SDS not long after this so I didn't have to keep borrowing my mates one. I find I use it a LOT living in a building made entirely of bricks. I don't remember if I mentioned this but with the SDS start to drill with the hammer funtion off, just for a mm or two, then turn the hammer on and go for it. That will help stop it dancing around as you start the hole. Have fun!
I have a hammer drill, it’s the drill bits that get so flipping hot they the bits breaker.
Yes you do have to watch that! Heating metal can run the hardening treatment and lead to bit failure. More expensive bits will tolerate more heat, but there is no such thing as a heat-proof masonry bit. Most bits are recommended to use on your drills lower speed setting to prolong their life, and take a break to let bits cool is always a good idea :)
Roller,We Roller,Drill,Hammer,Oil,Vice Clamp.No tape,Grip Marker Textliner .Yes,a Tape , Ravtej Kaur
Ummm... What? 🤔
Did you know, Adolf Hitler's bunker in Berlin had a roof that was over 3meters thick of reinforced concrete. It took them an age to break through it, I think with that AEG drill (which I also own 🤗) and that very smart fluted SDS drill bit they would have broke through it in quarter of the time! 👍
Hahahaha modern power tools...ruining evil dictators plans since 1969.
You know one way to get some extra horsepower behind that drill..... Wear a white WTWTCH t-shirt 😜
Goes great with red brick dust!
Was this filmed on a potato?
4k Panasonic Lumix 300FZ, rendered down to 1080p Jason. Did KZhead throttle your resolution? Always worth a check if things suddenly look fuzzy.