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Had a close call with a wall fish in a 1920s house yesterday
I was running a line in an old brick home in Philly, using my usual drill bit and pressure. The tip caught on something solid and the whole bit snapped, almost hitting my hand. The homeowner, who was watching, said 'That's horsehair plaster, you gotta go slow and feel for the lath.' I'd been treating every wall the same for years. Anyone else have a specific method for these old plaster walls?
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gavin2284d ago
Nguyen's pilot bit method is spot on. I go one step further and use a thin nail to poke a test hole first, just to find the lath and any hidden pipes. That way I know exactly where to place my pilot before the drill even spins.
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nguyen.blake4d ago
Honestly, I learned that the hard way too. I switched to a smaller pilot bit first, going real slow until I hit the lath. Then I swap to the final size, and the key is to let the drill do the work, no pushing. Tbh, that extra step saves my bits and my knuckles every time now.
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jamie_adams4d ago
My old foreman in Toledo drilled without pilots for forty years. He said it builds better wrist control and saves time on small jobs. I've found that forcing yourself to learn the tool's bite prevents more mistakes in the long run.
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