N00b question time then.
If I have 5mm x 80mm screws, what size wood bit would I need for the pilot hole?
This basically:
6mm bit
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Oh really. I would’ve thought it needed to be smaller or the same size. If I drill a 6mm wide hole and use a 5mm wide screw what does it grip into?
Jesus I’m clueless.
Dont use a 6mm bit. Itll be baggier than a Scrubber on her last night in Lanzarote.
3mm for softwood (which youve got). 4mm for hardwood.
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just pick one that is similar/slightly smaller size to the shaft of the screw you’re using. Keith is playing safe with the first bit of wood as your bit won’t go all the way to the end anyway so the screw tip will make it the rest of the way.
And the water will make the wood swell to make it fit better anyway when after 2 sessions you get bored of packing it away and leave it out in the rain.
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Yeah 4mm bit for 5mm screws and 3mm for 4mm screws.
Even handier if you have a countersink wood bit . Usually come in 3 or 4mm sizes from screwfix
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Your pilot hole will help the screw go in but still leave enough room for it to bite into the wood
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Fuck I love this forum.
Going to go with a 4mm x 80mm wood bit and not drive it all the way in and use a countersink bit so they don’t poke out onto the floor
I had to put up a hose reel on a brick wall yesterday.
Got a proper masonry drill bit and it took fucking ages to drill the brick. Was just using a Ryobi with a hammer setting. But is that expected? Should drilling brick take ages?
I’d use an SDS drill for brick.
Got a cheap one from screwfix when I was doing my house up, absolute god send.
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Are they standard red bricks? like housebricks? Regular hammer drill should deal with that no problem. Maybe your drill bits are blunt? I bet chopper will know
There was a wall in my brother in law’s newbuild, completely caned/broke 2 masonry drill bits I’ve had for years trying to drill through it, god knows what it was made out of. Maybe metal behind wall or something?
Looking good so far Les.
I’m no pro, but tinkering with bits like this and adding tools as I’ve gone along is a good way to pick up ‘skills’.
Moving a CCTV camera at work today… putting the Am ‘skills’ in to Pro mode. 
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Normal drill hammer settings will do it but be a slog (depending on the brick) but SDS drill will go through bricks like butter. Had our Makita one for 15 years and still going strong.
Got a low end Makita SDS for tougher jobs, it is laughable how it just monsters through anything.
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Mate just buy a pre made one at this point 
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If your masonry bit looks like this
It’s blunt and won’t work.
It should have the wings on the tip.
You should be able to drill most brick with a standard diy hammer drill.
Concrete or hard breeze block is what you need an SDS for .
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Looks good. Looks hard to move.
Got a handle and castors.
Subscribed.
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