Concrete core drilling | Safety tips when operating concrete core drills
Concrete is now seen in almost all construction projects. This is perhaps due to its high durability and robustness. However, you may want to measure the strength of the concrete after it has cured. This is one of the major reasons why concrete core drilling is done. The cores of concrete extracted are then taken to the lab and tested. Hiring a testing lab to do the drilling for you may be very expensive, so you may want to do the drilling yourself. It's not a difficult task, but you need to ensure that your safety is well taken care of.
Lubricate your drill bits
When doing your drilling, you need to ensure that the tip of the core drill is lubricated. It prevents dust and concrete pieces from flying all around and getting into your eyes. Lubrication also prevents excessive build-up of heat, thereby extending the lifespan of your drill.
A common misconception is that oil is the best lubricant for all metals. This is hardly true, because oil reduces the friction between the surface and drill bit. This will require you to push the bit harder, eventually causing faster wear and tear of the machine. Water is actually the best solution particularly when it comes to hard materials like concrete. You could have some water constantly passing over the drill bit as you drill.
Control your speed and pressure setting
When starting out, use the lowest speed on your drill. You can then gradually increase this speed as the drill penetrates the concrete. This will prevent you any from experiencing any burning odours due to overheating. Also keep the pressure at a low when starting out. It'll prevent the diamonds from chipping away.
Controlling your speed and pressure will prevent you from overloading the motor, and there's less likelihood that you'll lose control. A general rule of thumb is the harder the concrete material, the slower the speeds to use.
Wear appropriate clothes
Avoid having loose clothing when operating concrete core drills. Even the gloves should tightly fit in your hands. This is mainly because loose clothing may accidentally be caught in the rotating machine. This leads to entanglement and may cause severe injury. Go for leather gloves, because they'll give you more control over the drill, and keep your jackets or sleeves well buttoned. Also avoid reaching out for objects across the machine to avoid any entanglement.