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 Replies: 338 / Views: 21,547 |
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Valued Member
United States
302 Posts |
Quote:
How do you get the holes in the concrete floor to affix the bolts? I'm guessing my cordless drill is probably not the way to go... Use a masonry drill bit. |
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Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
The masonry drill bit goes without saying, but I tried to drill a ¼" hole in a concrete floor, and after about 15 minutes of leaning on the drill (and anyone who's met me knows I can do some serious leaning), I was about ½" down.
A customer came in and asked what I was doing, I told him, and he said "just a minute". He came back in with a huge impact drill and a bit like dentists use
(over a foot long), and a couple seconds later I had my hole to the basement.
By all means, beg or rent an impact drill and the biggest bit that'll fit the holes in the bottom of the safe and go to town.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4008 Posts |
We rented a hammer drill from Home Depot for this. It came with a 1/2" bit and cost about $45 to rent for 4 hours. That was the minimum amount of rental time. Once we got the hole locations figured, it took about 15 or so minutes to drill all 4 of them. That was probably the best $45 I ever spent on a building project. I have drilled holes in concrete with a regular drill and a masonry bit and it was VERY slow going. Not only that but if you hit a rock, the bit point wants to slide over it and go out of alignment. The hammer drill never had a problem with any rocks. It just bored right through them. If I needed to do this from time to time, I would definitely buy one of these. For a concrete boring job once in a great while, though, rental is the way to go.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
667 Posts |
I drill into a lot of concrete. Things often need repaired or replaced in the barn and cows can beat the heck out of steel gates and stanchions. In the old days you needed a hammer drill and various types of fashioners, none which worked all that well. Today all of my drilling into concrete is done with a simple cordless drill. Try using these and you may never ever use a hammer drill again. Trust me it is that easy. The good point is they hold better than any screw/system I have ever used. http://www.concretescrews.com/ |
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Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
That site says you still need an impact drill to make a pilot hole to put the tapcons in.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
667 Posts |
Trust me you don't unless you have some very hard concrete. Just use the bit supplied which is new and it works great. You are not going to make that many holes to secure a safe.
I have yet to find any concrete that I needed an impact drill. Though I suppose there may be one of those times.
Now if I had to make several holes a impact drill would be my first choice just because the drill bit will wear each time you drill.
The holes you need are small in diameter and not that deep. The tap-con screw works great btw, best at holding power of any screw, weather you use an impact drill or not.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4008 Posts |
While that screw looks like it has potential, I still think that 1/2" x 4" concrete anchor bolts have a lot more holding power. If I were to bolt down another safe onto a concrete floor, I would use concrete anchor bolts for the job. To each their own, as they say.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5850 Posts |
Well, my bag of 100 BU Peace dollars (plus bonus coins) is scheduled to be delivered via FedEx today some time. And now that I have a safe on its way and silver prices seem to be plummeting again, I've got my eye on a $100 bag of Barber half dollars and another $100 bag of Walking Liberty half dollars (both in circulated condition). I never considered buying the bags before, simply because I had no place to put them... |
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Valued Member
United States
302 Posts |
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I never considered buying the bags before, simply because I had no place to put them... Under your mattress. Bags of silver are not as lumpy as those piles of Washingtons (dollar bills) you have there now. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5850 Posts |
All right, I waited until silver hit $27.40 and purchased a $100 bag of Walking Liberty half dollars and a $100 bag of Barber half dollars. They two together cost me exactly $4400. I felt pretty good about it as I watched silver slowly creep back up for awhile, but then it dropped all the way down to $27.19, which would have saved me an extra $30 or so. Ah well, I'm not gonna worry about it (unless it really drops further to, say, $25 or so). Of course, if silver really does drop all the way to $25 today, I guess I'll just have to buy a little more... |
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Pillar of the Community
Mexico
1304 Posts |
...and wonder what on earth is going on for it to hit $25. That's what gets me, I'd like to know what sparked the panic selling.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1502 Posts |
wouldn't say it's panic selling. The fall would be a lot steeper if it was so. More due to a strengthening dollar compared to the Euro and the year end selling off to square the books. In my untrained experience anyways
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5850 Posts |
Man, silver is now just below $27! Had I purchased now instead of when I did, I could have saved $60 or so. Too bad my crystal ball was on the fritz...
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4008 Posts |
Crystal Balls are often like that, Barry. We just have to do the best we can with the info we have and not worry about it. If, in 5-10 years, those bags are worth about $10k each, you are not gonna worry too much about that "lost" $60!  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5850 Posts |
Yeah, but try telling my wife that. She has now forbidden me from buying anything else this year even if it does hit $25 (or below)...
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Replies: 338 / Views: 21,547 |
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Posted 12/25/2011 04:56 am
