# Core Drilling Party



## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

We have 17 holes to core today for a remodel to add a doctors office.

Put my level on the bit and it's square and plumb 


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

Have you ever tried it without anchoring the machine, just stand on it?


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

SlickRick said:


> Have you ever tried it without anchoring the machine, just stand on it?


I have heard of people doing that.

I personally haven't seen it. I have been on the receiving end of a vacuum pump machine letting go mid core...

So now if it's got a pump I'm anchoring it to the floor.


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

SlickRick said:


> Have you ever tried it without anchoring the machine, just stand on it?


 I have pretty much the same machine and standing on it is my preferred method.

The only time I ever bolt it down is when I'm coring a 10" hole for a round floor sink.


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

My company hires out all the concrete coring out, its cheaper and easier than me doing it


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

Cheaper?

Around here the coring guys will stick it to you. We do all our cores in the swamp.


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

yea way cheaper and faster, I am a Plumber who gets Plumber wages not a concrete core guy with low wages


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

I do all my own coring. It IS cheaper and faster. And I can control the quality of work and cleanliness of the site personally, rather than babysitting an outside contractor, while also babysitting men on other sites.

It might cost me $30 a hole.... Try hiring someone to bring all their crap to the site to core a few holes for $30 each.......

As a service orientated plumber (I think) how much coring are you doing anyway GP?


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

if coring payed well I would do it, its an industry full of hacks so the money isnt worth it for me.

the work I do requires a License


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

The work we do requires a license as well.

I'm getting payed my OT scale to core these holes, don't mind it a bit.


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

ILPlumber said:


> I do all my own coring. It IS cheaper and faster. And I can control the quality of work and cleanliness of the site personally, rather than babysitting an outside contractor, while also babysitting men on other sites.
> 
> It might cost me $30 a hole.... Try hiring someone to bring all their crap to the site to core a few holes for $30 each.......
> 
> As a service orientated plumber (I think) how much coring are you doing anyway GP?


 It would cost me easily $75.00 - $100.00 per hole to have someone else come out and do it.

In better times we would have paid somebody to do it -- In leaner times we do it to stay competitive.


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## greenscoutII (Aug 27, 2008)

Wow, that brings back memories. I've spent a lot of quality time with that exact machine. Yes, for smaller stuff a guy can just stand on it. Especially if he is a fat ******* like me.

My old boss (who owned the machine) would charge $60 bucks per hole typically and get it without too much complaint.


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

SlickRick said:


> Have you ever tried it without anchoring the machine, just stand on it?


It's easier to post on the zone, if you're not having to stand on a core drill....


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Did anyone verify what you're drilling? In other words are there any stress cables, conduits, water lines, etc. in the slab? 

One time while chipping concrete in a high-rise, I broke a 1/2" copper water line.


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## sikxsevn (Jun 23, 2009)

Tommy plumber said:


> Did anyone verify what you're drilling? In other words are there any stress cables, conduits, water lines, etc. in the slab?
> 
> One time while chipping concrete in a high-rise, I broke a 1/2" copper water line.


I've never hit anything while coring, but I saw a guy cut through a post tension cable with a concrete saw. It literally jumped out of the slab, end to end, narrowly missing the operator by inches. The whole slab was ruined. Luckily for the guy running the saw, the guy the located all the cables missed one. 

It was easily the scariest jobsite accident I've ever seen


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

Airgap said:


> It's easier to post on the zone, if you're not having to stand on a core drill....


Lol

Exactly!


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

Tommy plumber said:


> Did anyone verify what you're drilling? In other words are there any stress cables, conduits, water lines, etc. in the slab?
> 
> One time while chipping concrete in a high-rise, I broke a 1/2" copper water line.


Nothing is looped in the slabs here on multi story buildings.

We do have a few post tension but we get them x rayed if need be.


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## ranman (Jan 24, 2010)

the guys we use have a vacuum base, so no holes in the floor. i have never done it


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

The machines we have are vacuum base also, but the pumps are shot. 

I've seen them let go mid core too... Not a good day.


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## Greenguy (Jan 22, 2011)

Plumberman said:


> The machines we have are vacuum base also, but the pumps are shot.
> 
> I've seen them let go mid core too... Not a good day.


What's a vacuum base for a coring machine? Only thing I ever see out here is the guy mounting the drill using an drop in incert.


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

It's a vacuum pump mounted on the base of the machine with a rubber seal on the bottom plate.

When the pump is turned on it creates a suction that keeps it on the floor. There are leveling bolts on each corner to level up your bit.

When they are new the work fine, but if the machines aren't taken care of they go out...

So I just take the front and back corner leveling bolt out and put a drop in flush with floor and anchor it down with all thread.


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Our machine has a vacuum system and I've never seen it fail but don't trust it plus we core a lot of Walls...so I allways anchor it ... Our machine pivots back past a 45 degree angle to allow you to drill at an angle We used that a lot when drilling holes in round concrete pits for 4" Valves...


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