Mounting a gun safe
- Thread starter Kraziken
- Start date
TheBluesMan
Moderator Emeritus
In my experience, it's not the drill, it's the bit.
Whenever I have to drill multiple holes into concrete, I buy two or three carbide tipped bits. Yep, they're really expensive, but when they're sharp, they go through concrete like a hot knife through butter, y'all.
Where are you putting your safe that requires you to drill into concrete?
Garage?
Basement?
Whenever I have to drill multiple holes into concrete, I buy two or three carbide tipped bits. Yep, they're really expensive, but when they're sharp, they go through concrete like a hot knife through butter, y'all.
Where are you putting your safe that requires you to drill into concrete?
Garage?
Basement?
f8lranger4x4
New member
Had the same problem when I installed my safe. It ended up taking an hour per bolt. Man i was so worn out afterwards. 
Safe is 450lb unit. So heavy, but a couple of big guys could slide it out. And yes it is going in my garage.
Fortunately my neighbor had a roto hammer. It definately has a lot more power. The rotohammer made quick work of it. I think maybe 10 minutes of work versus over an hour or more probably if I kept on hammering with the dewalt.
The tip I had was a new bosch bit I bought.
The funny thing is, I haven't had a safe for so long, I loaded up the thing last night and thought, dammit, I think I might need another safe in the near future.
Another security thing I might do is have the alarm company add a motion sensor in my garage.
Fortunately my neighbor had a roto hammer. It definately has a lot more power. The rotohammer made quick work of it. I think maybe 10 minutes of work versus over an hour or more probably if I kept on hammering with the dewalt.
The tip I had was a new bosch bit I bought.
The funny thing is, I haven't had a safe for so long, I loaded up the thing last night and thought, dammit, I think I might need another safe in the near future.
Another security thing I might do is have the alarm company add a motion sensor in my garage.
You'd be better off putting a safe sensor inside the safe. They make multi purpose units that will trip if the door opens, the safe vibrates, or the safe gets warm (from a torch).
If you park in the garage, the motion sensor will be nothing but trouble. Even if the motion sensor is on a delayed circuit, if you can't get out of your car and into your house fast enough to disarm it, it's going to trip the alarm. If the sensor is not on a delayed circuit, it's going to trip your alarm as soon as you pull into the garage.
If you don't park in the garage, this isn't as much of an issue.
To be honest, I'd ALOT rather mount my GF than a gunsafe...
that said, again, it is the BIT that is failing, like the others have said... and to use the "hammer-drill" feature and have it do any good, you really need the right TYPE of concrete bit...
the hammer-drill thing is designed to work with those funky looking "spade-tip" concrete bits... and the like... If you are using some form of standard tip bit, then the hammer-drill feature is dulling that sucker WAY FAST!
that said, again, it is the BIT that is failing, like the others have said... and to use the "hammer-drill" feature and have it do any good, you really need the right TYPE of concrete bit...
the hammer-drill thing is designed to work with those funky looking "spade-tip" concrete bits... and the like... If you are using some form of standard tip bit, then the hammer-drill feature is dulling that sucker WAY FAST!
Here’s the deal when drilling into concrete. If you’re using something on the order of a ¼ in. carbide bit ( it does need to be a carbide bit ) what you will find more often than not is that you will meet a rock somewhere before you reach the end of your hole. A regular hammerdrill with a carbide bit won’t drill through a rock. What will happen instead is that the bit will drift off of the rock in a different direction giving you a wallowed out hole. This is not really desirable. So what you need to do is to find a punch / chisel long enough and thin enough to go down the hole and basically destroy the rock and then you will be able to continue drilling. The other possibility is that you will hit steel rebar or other metal in the concrete. This really isn’t a good situation. A carbide / masonry bit won’t drill through steel and you’re in a hole that is made of concrete which is going to waste a regular bit as far as cutting goes. So again you are back to using a punch / chisel to clean out the bottom of the hole enough that your metal bit can start cutting on the rebar or what ever it is that you have hit.
Tip; if the hole is being this much of a problem, it doesn’t hurt to have some compressed air and a flashlight handy. The compressed air can either be something like canned air or if you have one, a compressor. Just something to clean out the bottom of the hole so you can see what’s going on.
Tip; if the hole is being this much of a problem, it doesn’t hurt to have some compressed air and a flashlight handy. The compressed air can either be something like canned air or if you have one, a compressor. Just something to clean out the bottom of the hole so you can see what’s going on.
LOL, I purchased my walk in safe from a Savings and Loan Auction. I'm having a house built now, and the garage is actually having a reinforced steel and concrete floor put in so that it will hold the weight. I'm not so worried about someone carrying it off as it weights several thousand pounds, and that's just the door alone, LOL. Going to have it's own power, and alarm with cellular backup and electronic humidity and temperature control, and loading/unloading cylinder.
Smoke & Recoil
New member
You must have a tool rental place near you, rent a rotary hammer drill, and a bit of the size you need. Don't be to concerned about how sharp or not the bit is for a carbide bit aways seem to be dull. If you goof up the hole, no big deal, just drill a larger hole and use a larger anchor. By the way... you can't drill through steel with a masonry drill bit.
WSM MAGNUM
New member
I use hammer drills almost every day in my trade. I also have a DeWalt cordless hammer drill. It will drill 1/4" holes in concrete pretty good, but it takes a while. And you must use low speed. A cordless hammer drill works better on cinder and mortar. If you try anything bigger, a cordless hammer drill is not worth a hoot. It`s not worth my time to use a cordless drill. I use my power hammer drill.
Yes, you do need to make sure you are using a masonry bit (carbide helps but not necessary) for hammer drills. If you use any other types you will be killing yourself. With the right bit and drill, do not put too much down force while drilling. Let the drill do the work, and it will drill the hole faster.
If you are drilling holes 5/16" and bigger in concrete, you will be better off using a powered hammer drill.
Yes you can. But it will wear the bit down after a while. We drill through steel decking to insert anchors in the concrete.
Yes, you do need to make sure you are using a masonry bit (carbide helps but not necessary) for hammer drills. If you use any other types you will be killing yourself. With the right bit and drill, do not put too much down force while drilling. Let the drill do the work, and it will drill the hole faster.
If you are drilling holes 5/16" and bigger in concrete, you will be better off using a powered hammer drill.
Yes you can. But it will wear the bit down after a while. We drill through steel decking to insert anchors in the concrete.
When I was a kid, my dad worked for the Cleveland Twist Drill company (long gone) and he could get carbide-tipped drill-bits for cheap. We drilled a few holes in brick, stone, concrete, and mortar, with a bit-and-brace. They were only good for a few holes before they were shot, but dad would get more.
I managed to get my gunsafe (a cheapy Stack-On, ~100lbs) into my upstairs gun room. It's right across the hall from my bedroom, where I keep a loaded .38. If someone breaks in and tries to steal it, they'll be leaving in a body-bag.
If you have a Lowes near you the ones here have rental centers at them and you can rent tools fairly cheap....
The harbor freight drill might make it thru your other 3 holes... I have nothing against them I buy things there all the time but the hammer drills and some other things arent worth wasting your money on.
The harbor freight drill might make it thru your other 3 holes... I have nothing against them I buy things there all the time but the hammer drills and some other things arent worth wasting your money on.
If anyone didn't understand my earlier post, my neighbor had a roto hammer that I borrowed and the safe is now secured.
I had the right bit for my Dewalt. The holes I was driving was 3/8's, but the drill didn't have the same power. The roto-hammer went thru concrete like "butta".
In comparison, it took about 20 minutes to do one hole with my 18v Dewalt, versus about 10 minutes to complete three holes with the roto-hammer.
I only considered the Harbor Freight as an option versus renting, because the cost was pretty close, and I thought it might be nice to have the tool in the future, but in all honesty, it's not something I would use very often. I like excuses to buy new tools tough.
I had the right bit for my Dewalt. The holes I was driving was 3/8's, but the drill didn't have the same power. The roto-hammer went thru concrete like "butta".
In comparison, it took about 20 minutes to do one hole with my 18v Dewalt, versus about 10 minutes to complete three holes with the roto-hammer.
I only considered the Harbor Freight as an option versus renting, because the cost was pretty close, and I thought it might be nice to have the tool in the future, but in all honesty, it's not something I would use very often. I like excuses to buy new tools tough.