3RDIGLBL 0 Posted September 16, 2010 Finished a school a month ago that had cinder inside wall and an outer wall of, I think was 2.5" red brick. I used a 12" cornet drill bit and made about 10 holes around the building to pass cable. I now have another school that is a modern built school with a mix of rafters and drop ceilings and is pretty much a nightmare for installers. Today I stopped by to do some pre-installation planning and learned more about the building. There is a whole section of the building that has 19.5" thick walls and the rest of it is 16" thick with a few areas 12". The inside wall is 8" cinder block and some areas are 12" with a 4" decrative block wall on top of that all the way around the building. I always walked away and said forget it today when I saw what a nightmare this was going to be. Anyone with experience here on drilling through such a thick wall. Trying not to have to drill a large hole, because I really just need to pass a cat 6 and an 18/2 cable to the camera. I got 8 cameras to install outside. I do have the customers approval to run conduit around the entire school on the outside of the building but this is a lot of conduit not to mention cables for 8 cameras. I will have to run conduit inside anyhow because a lot of areas I need to pass through have nothing but a raftered ceiling while other have drop ceiling. Got myself into one heck of an install with this one. I'm open to suggestions and ideas for sure and seeking some professional input. Thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thewireguys 3 Posted September 16, 2010 A rotary hammer drill should make quick work of this. http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Tools/Pages/BoschProductCategory.aspx?catid=68 Long drill bits http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Accessories/Pages/BoschProductCategory.aspx?catid=137 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rory 0 Posted September 16, 2010 spent several years here hammer drilling through old 2 foot thick concrete walls as so many of them on this island .. get a good hammer drill and long bit .. or pay someone else to do it I used a milwaukee cordless hammer drill for most of the time until the chuck finally got corroded (i live by the ocean) but it lasted years and took a real beating also was quick charge and so I had a couple batteries. But most really thick walls like that I just used a wired hammer drill, dewalt I think it was. You should be able to pick the drills and a long bit up from a decent hardware store. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thewireguys 3 Posted September 16, 2010 I have drilled many holes with a regular hammer drill once I got a rotary hammer drill the regular drill is only used for wood and metal. Trust me spend the money for a rotary. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Soundy 1 Posted September 16, 2010 A rotary hammer drill should make quick work of this. http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Tools/Pages/BoschProductCategory.aspx?catid=68 Long drill bits http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Accessories/Pages/BoschProductCategory.aspx?catid=137 Second this - we use a Hilti TE-15 Rotary drills like this are pricy, but they'll make these holes in no time, and while a cordless will be fine for cinder block, if you run into solid concrete, you'll spend more time waiting for batteries to recharge. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
3RDIGLBL 0 Posted September 16, 2010 Been looking for a reason to buy a rotary hammer drill. I'm still not convinced that a couple jobs will justify the expense. I have a Makita hammer drill and was just going to purchase a couple long bits and take stab at it that way. Found some long bits by B&A that should work out ok. The most difficult will be the 4" solid block on the exterior. I should be making the holes large enough to pass a ridgid conduit through but 100% of all the places I serviced so far that has brick or cinder has holes just large enough to pass the cable through. Seems to work just fine this way. When passing the cable into the back of a camera bracket do you folks use a ridgid conduit through the wall or just pass the cable through the hole and seal it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomcctv 190 Posted September 16, 2010 Been looking for a reason to buy a rotary hammer drill. I'm still not convinced that a couple jobs will justify the expense. I have a Makita hammer drill and was just going to purchase a couple long bits and take stab at it that way. Found some long bits by B&A that should work out ok. The most difficult will be the 4" solid block on the exterior. I should be making the holes large enough to pass a ridgid conduit through but 100% of all the places I serviced so far that has brick or cinder has holes just large enough to pass the cable through. Seems to work just fine this way. When passing the cable into the back of a camera bracket do you folks use a ridgid conduit through the wall or just pass the cable through the hole and seal it? Hi 3RDIGLBL. invest in a core drill set. cut though anything and remember to not drill into any decrative block work if you can help it. its hard to replace. core set. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thewireguys 3 Posted September 16, 2010 Been looking for a reason to buy a rotary hammer drill. I'm still not convinced that a couple jobs will justify the expense. I have a Makita hammer drill and was just going to purchase a couple long bits and take stab at it that way. Found some long bits by B&A that should work out ok. The most difficult will be the 4" solid block on the exterior. I should be making the holes large enough to pass a ridgid conduit through but 100% of all the places I serviced so far that has brick or cinder has holes just large enough to pass the cable through. Seems to work just fine this way. When passing the cable into the back of a camera bracket do you folks use a ridgid conduit through the wall or just pass the cable through the hole and seal it? You will make it for it in labor savings with the rotary hammer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rory 0 Posted September 16, 2010 Been looking for a reason to buy a rotary hammer drill. I'm still not convinced that a couple jobs will justify the expense. from looking online they dont look that expensive, am i missing something? A good cordless hammer drill for example costs over $600 here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hardwired 0 Posted September 16, 2010 On the hammer drill, make sure to get one with the SDS style shank, there are a lot more large bits available for those than standard shank type, and the drills themselves tend to be better performing. We've got a Bosch 11222EVSG (I think that's the model), that has worked well for years. Look at the Bosch line under "rotary hammers" rather than "hammer drills" for some examples. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites