knight.dylan•20d agoMost Upvoted

PSA: That one job in a 1920s house with plaster walls taught me a new trick

I had a call last week for a new drop in this old house in the historic district. The walls were solid plaster over lath, maybe an inch thick, and the owner wanted the line run clean with no surface mount. I was about to give up and tell them it wasn't possible without major damage. Then I remembered this old masonry bit I had in the truck, a 3/8 inch Bosch Bulldog, and figured why not. I went slow, let the bit do the work, and it chewed right through without cracking anything. The real win was using a shop vac hose taped right next to the bit to catch all the dust as I drilled. The customer was thrilled I didn't make a mess of their original walls. Has anyone else found a specific bit that saves the day on these plaster jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenixw1120d agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, the shop vac trick is a lifesaver. I keep a short piece of hose and some blue painter's tape in my kit just for that. For the bit, a good carbide grit hole saw works wonders too, it grinds through the plaster without grabbing and tearing out chunks.

elliot_gibson2720d ago

Hah, the tape is a smart move. I tried that trick once without it. Made a bigger mess than I started with. Dust went everywhere. My wife was not happy about that. Still finding drywall powder in weird places.

corablack20d ago

But why risk it at all? That old plaster is so brittle. You got lucky this time. Next time you crack a whole section and then you're doing a full repair anyway.

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