Chase Cutting

[PerpetualLeakingRoof]

Hi, I've just started the rewire of our house and I'm into cutting chases in brick walls. I've cut a few in the past using the drill lots of holes technique and this time I've tried using a disk cutter.

There is no doubt both techniques work but they both have serious draw backs. The hole drilling is slow and fairly hard work and the disk cutter makes an unbelievable mess (although the house is basically a building site we still need to live here).

I've been doing a little research because I knew dedicated wall chasers existed but a half way decent one is not cheap and I can't help feeling they will create the same amount of mess. While reading up on them though I came across people saying they used an SDS drill and chisel bit which I had not heard of before and like the sound of.

Basically I need some advice as to what the best way to chase a wall is (it's fairly soft brick). recommendations as to the best SDS drill + chisel or wall chaser and vacuum would be appreciated. Cheers.

 

[Chri5]

I've used sds chisels, both the flat type and the U shaped ones for 30mm chases.

In the right material both work fine. The U shaped chisel is excellent in some walls, but if the plaster skim is super hard it will blow the chase on the plaster line.

HSS will hire a proper chaser with either vacuum connector or even a water spray based unit.

Either one is good, but there is always a dust cloud of doom, even if both types are considerably better than running two cuts with a bare grinder and bolstering out the middle for your chase.

In an ideal world you would have someone squirting water on the chase as you cut it out with any power tool, this lubes the stones and wets the dust which will reduce the dust a bit.

 

[kkynaston]

Just had the Aldi special's email

Is this any good, I know they have had them there before
http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/2867_6630.htm?WT.mc_id=2008-07-18-12-12

 

[PerpetualLeakingRoof]

I don't have to worry about the plastering being too hard for chiselling it pretty much just falls off if you look at it too hard. I've resigned myself to having to learn to plaster.

I had a look at hiring a wall chaser from HSS as the missus gets 10% off. Even with the discount it would prove far to expensive though as I was going to do a room or two at a time rather than the whole house all in one go.

 

[trialscot]

Google for the Armeg sds+ channelling chisel, available in 2 widths.
Use with a good sds+ drill with the rotation stop on.
It's really simple and usually causes very little dust. An angle grinder is a hellish thing for channelling, dust everywhere and very difficult to get a uniform depth or width. And you still have to chisel out.
My mate did his with a Stihl saw!!!!!!!!!, even the ones for wall mounted lamps, what an effing mess. Did you ever hear the song "Right said Fred"?. Well like Fred, my mates too 'asty 'e is!!!!.