So install was a pain. Drilling concrete is never easy.
Besides a pencil/Sharpie, earplugs, a level (if wall mounted), pliers, gloves, glasses, etc, you will probably need to acquire:
- A decent 1/2" hammer drill. A rotary hammer is better, but expensive. Consider renting one, it may make life easier.
-
Masonry bits in various sizes from 1/8" through 3/4".
Why so many bits? Several reasons:
- You
need the smaller sizes because nobody in their right mind will try to
drill a 3/4" hole in concrete straight off. Start with a very small pilot hole and work up slowly.
- Masonry bits can wear out
quickly. You may need two or three of the smaller sizes to get four holes.
- The bracket fasteners are 16mm. They will not
quite fit into a 5/8" hole, and DO NOT try and tap them in or they will
deform and/or come apart. They will fit and tighten in a 3/4" hole if
you cannot find the requisite 16mm bit.
- Many of the
"all-in-one" drilling/driving sets have a few masonry bits. But they probably go up only to 3/8". Chances are
you'll need to buy one or two of the 1/2", 5/8" and 3/4" sizes,
respectively. (I ended up going through a few small bits but only needed
one 1/2", one 5/8" and one 3/4". for ten holes.)
- A good masonry bit will bite and drill relatively easily. If it is not biting, it is probably worn out. Or maybe you've hit rock or rebar.
- The bit bits are a little expensive at $10-$15 each. I found them cheapest at Home Depot.
More details:
- The commenters are right. Drill ONE hole first. Mount the bracket up, then mark & drill hole #2. Repeat until you get all four. Trying to mark and drill four at once is a recipe for at least one to be off-center.
- If you're having trouble getting your initial hole on center,
you can use a "regular" titanium or high-speed bit to get a dimple to
center the masonry bit.
- If you end up with bits that melt, flatten, pancake or mushroom - i.e. an
un-drillable hole - chances are you hit
some rebar. In which case you can spend $100 on a carbide rebar cutting
bit, or move to a new location. After melting nine bits (!) I eventually chose the latter, which is why I had ten holes and not eight.
- If you miss or have to shift, you will have some leftover holes. Fill these in with weatherproof grey silicone or similar.
- ALWAYS completely thread the provided fasteners to ensure they thread cleanly. I had two that were difficult to thread, and they could have caused problems if I'd inserted the anchors without clearing them.
- I tightened mine with a torque wrench, but only because I had an inch-pound wrench lying about that I had inherited but never used. You will need the right adapters, bits etc. to let you put a 6mm hex key on it. I used the 3/8" torque wrench, a 3/8"-to-1/4" adapter and a deep 6mm 1/4" drive socket. To make the 6mm hex bit I cut the long leg off of the L-shaped hex key that came with the bracket.
- I have no idea how you're meant to hammer the ball bearings in to the bolt heads. You'll need a punch, I guess? I didn't try. Will be easy if floor-mounted, but IMHO rather unnecessary.
- Hammering the cover plugs into the bracket is hard. Expect to miss and mark up your nice new bracket. (Note mine were wall-mounted - floor-mounted might be easier to keep on target. Maybe use a rod or something between the cap and hammer to avoid hitting the bracket itself.)
- If you have difficulty removing a fastener and end up leaving parts inside the hole, you can fish them out with a magnet. They are steel and not aluminum.
I had to make a cardboard & cloth pad to let me lean against the drill with my body, without crushing my hands or squashing myself too badly. It takes a LOT of force to get the bit moving sometimes and I simply cannot deliver that with my arms alone. Knee pads or a mat are also highly recommended.
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