Getting Handy in 2013 - Man Skills

[sonour]

Hi all, me again,

I need to hang a flat screen tv on the wall. The wall has a picture rail at the top. The bracket that you hang on the wall has a built in spirit level. When I hold the bracket level it isn't parallel with the picture rail because the picture rail isn't level.

Should I secure the bracket level or parallel to the picture rail or about half way between the two extremes ?

Thanks

Lisa

[RED-DOG]

Hi all, me again,

I need to hang a flat screen tv on the wall. The wall has a picture rail at the top. The bracket that you hang on the wall has a built in spirit level. When I hold the bracket level it isn't parallel with the picture rail because the picture rail isn't level.

Should I secure the bracket level or parallel to the picture rail or about half way between the two extremes ?

Thanks

Lisa

[RED-DOG]

Hi Lisa. Get someone to hold it while you stand back and eye it up and then go with the position that looks right.

[sonour]

Thanks Tom. The top of the bracket is about 2 feet from the picture rail so it's hard to tell. I've just got 2 guys to hold the tv up and the top of the TV is only about 2 inches from the picture rail and it looks really odd unless the TV is parallel to the picture rail, so I guess that's my answer.

Thanks again,
xx

[RED-DOG]

Thanks Tom. The top of the bracket is about 2 feet from the picture rail so it's hard to tell. I've just got 2 guys to hold the tv up and the top of the TV is only about 2 inches from the picture rail and it looks really odd unless the TV is parallel to the picture rail, so I guess that's my answer.

Thanks again,
xx

That's it. Ignore the spirit level and do it so that it looks right, otherwise ir will bug you for ever.

[Supernova]

I suggest that you sit down on the sofa/chair wherever you intend to watch the tv the most and then look at the wall a few times and then visually make a note of where you'd like the tv to be without getting a stiff neck and go from there.

It's amazing how many people install them too high and then get stiff necks.

hope this helps!

[david3103]

Or put it on a TV unit where it's supposed to be.

Wall mounted TVs are for Bars, Hotel Rooms and bedrooms. (IMVHO)

[sonour]

Hi again,

I need to fit a plug socket on the wall. So I need to sink, I think it's called the back box into the wall.

I've chipped the plaster away and now I need to remove the brick.

I'm using a mains power drill that seems powerful and a new masonry bit, well actually I'm on my third one now. I've tried all different bit sizes. The drill and bit are getting very very hot.

So now I'm using two drills alternatively so I can give the drills time to cool down.

I'm making some progress and I can see that I will get there in the end but there must be a better way.

What am I doing wrong please ?

[tikay]

I suggest that you sit down on the sofa/chair wherever you intend to watch the tv the most and then look at the wall a few times and then visually make a note of where you'd like the tv to be without getting a stiff neck and go from there.

It's amazing how many people install them too high and then get stiff necks.

hope this helps!

Or prop up one end of the sofa.

[RED-DOG]

Hi again,

I need to fit a plug socket on the wall. So I need to sink, I think it's called the back box into the wall.

I've chipped the plaster away and now I need to remove the brick.

I'm using a mains power drill that seems powerful and a new masonry bit, well actually I'm on my third one now. I've tried all different bit sizes. The drill and bit are getting very very hot.

So now I'm using two drills alternatively so I can give the drills time to cool down.

I'm making some progress and I can see that I will get there in the end but there must be a better way.

What am I doing wrong please ?

You need to use the hammer setting on your drill. Look near the chuck for the little icon.

[RED-DOG]

Like this.

[sonour]

Like this.

I'm using that Setting Tom. I start off on the normal setting because it's a little more accurate and then when I hit the brick I switch to hammer setting.

Just plough on then ?

[RED-DOG]

Like this.

I'm using that Setting Tom. I start off on the normal setting because it's a little more accurate and then when I hit the brick I switch to hammer setting.

Just plough on then ?

Somethings not right Lisa, you should be drilling in to that brick like toffee and one bit should last for ages.

I don't want to sound condescending here, but can you feel the drill hammering?

Are you sure they are masonry bits?

The business end should look like this.

Click to see full-size image.

Not like this.

[sonour]

Like this.

I'm using that Setting Tom. I start off on the normal setting because it's a little more accurate and then when I hit the brick I switch to hammer setting.

Just plough on then ?

Somethings not right Lisa, you should be drilling in to that brick like toffee and one bit should last for ages.

I don't want to sound condescending here, but can you feel the drill hammering?

Are you sure they are masonry bits?

The business end should look like this.

Click to see full-size image.

Not like this.

Hi Tom,

Thanks for your help again. Yes the drill is hammering, there is a marked difference between the normal and hammer settings. Yes, they are masonry bits, I bought new ones which said masonry on the packet.

Really, it should feel like toffee ? Something is definitely wrong then, it feels like steel.

I've just found an old brick in the garden and I can drill into that easily. Is it possible that this house is made of special bricks ?

[RED-DOG]

Like toffee might be a bit of an exaggeration but it should be fairly easy.

I would love to see a pic of what you're drilling into. Does it look like ordinary brick? It isn't granite or blue engineering brick is it?

Here's a YouTube video of how it should be. It's speeded up but you can see that the drilling is easy.





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zMGbqJ7M64&app=desktop