filler dries to dust

[jamesj711]

Hi All,

I've tried to fit a floating shelf on my wall - 1800mm long and has 3 long bolts that go in the wall and then the shelf slides on.

However it's tinykitty impossible to get them to line up perfectly, so I've given up.

First I drilled the holes free hand with as SDS, but they only have to be out a tiny bit and the shelf won't slide on. So I removed the plugs, then over drilled the holes, then brushed some PVA solution, then filled the holes with cement. Thinking being it's smoother to drill into cement.

So I made a guide from a bit of 2x2 and matched up perfectly with the holes in the shelf, then used this guide and a steel bit to create my holes.

But the cement has dried really weak and just the action of screwing the bolts in damages the cement. The cement came from some brickwork I was doing in the garden and that has dried perfectly as you would expect.

I'm not sure if I want to give up or try again.

Any ideas on why the cement dried like that and how to fill the holes with something that will dry strong enough to support this shelf, which I'm going to put lots of books on.

Thanks for reading

 

[endecotp]

Epoxy?

http://www.screwfix.com/c/screws-nails-fixings/resin-fixings/cat840022

Fit bars (e.g. threaded rod) to shelf first, then fix to wall, and temporarily support it somehow till resin has cured.

Unless the books are paperbacks I'd go for more than 3 fixings.

 

[Ian H]

Now there's a hole in the brick the drill but is always going to find it.

You would be better off starting again an inch higher.

 

[jamesj711]

endecotp - that was my next idea, epoxy resin and temporary supports, but I thought that's a helluva length to go to just to put up a shelf!

yes, I do have more bolts - they sent 3 but 2 were slightly bent, so they sent some more, of which only 1 was bent. Awful really. Epoxy method won't worry about bent bolts.

Should I use the rawlplugs on the bolts, to make them a bit bigger when putting into the resin?

 

[endecotp]

No, no plugs with resin.

It's important to remove all dust from the holes. Read the instructions.