Hello,
I moved into a new house and have finally got around to tackling the curtain poles.
Unfortunately the external walls are dot 'n' dab, so fixing things like curtain poles isn't as easy as it should be. Also, there is a hollow metal lintel above each window!
I have tried in vain to drill into the metal lintel and secure a fixing, but I am really having trouble with the drill. When the drill hits the lintel I can't stop the drill tip wandering off to one side and enlarging the hole in the plasterboard.
I am using a 7mm Bosh multipurpose drill bit - one that's supposed to drill through masonry and metal. I have hammer action off and am using a low rotation speed.
Do you have any tips on how to drill straight?
I did consider putting up a wooden batten above the window instead, but the curtain pole brackets require a batten of at least 50mm width to prevent the brackets overlapping the edges. Unfortunately my local sheds only seem to stock 44mm or 68mm PSE timber. Obviously 44 is too small and 69mm is too wide! They do stock 50mm rough sawn (kiln dried) but the finish isn't as good and I don't have the equipment to plane it to a smooth surface anyway.
Many thanks,
Bob
I moved into a new house and have finally got around to tackling the curtain poles.
Unfortunately the external walls are dot 'n' dab, so fixing things like curtain poles isn't as easy as it should be. Also, there is a hollow metal lintel above each window!
I have tried in vain to drill into the metal lintel and secure a fixing, but I am really having trouble with the drill. When the drill hits the lintel I can't stop the drill tip wandering off to one side and enlarging the hole in the plasterboard.
I am using a 7mm Bosh multipurpose drill bit - one that's supposed to drill through masonry and metal. I have hammer action off and am using a low rotation speed.
Do you have any tips on how to drill straight?
I did consider putting up a wooden batten above the window instead, but the curtain pole brackets require a batten of at least 50mm width to prevent the brackets overlapping the edges. Unfortunately my local sheds only seem to stock 44mm or 68mm PSE timber. Obviously 44 is too small and 69mm is too wide! They do stock 50mm rough sawn (kiln dried) but the finish isn't as good and I don't have the equipment to plane it to a smooth surface anyway.
Many thanks,
Bob
