Tiny masonry bits? / OOKS and plaster walls

cerfsud

My wife and I recently moved into our first house. It was built in 1953 and has 1/2in plaster over 3/8in drywall. I've never had issues hanging pictures in the plastered places we've lived in before, but these walls are ROCK hard.

I did some research and found that a lot of people recommend OOKS brand hangers. They worked well for the first few I installed (required some patience but the thin nails did eventually go in), but for some reason now I can't get any to go in - anywhere in the house and multiple packs of OOKS. Every single nail ends up bending, with soft or hard blows.

I measured the diameter of the OOKS nails and came up with ~3/64. Does anyone know if they make masonry bits this small so that I could predrill? 3/64? 1/32 would be even better. I can't seem to find any online or at the big box home stores. I ask for masonry because that's what I used to install my toggle bolts for my curtain rods - the plaster chewed up my wood bits after one hole.

Thanks in advance!

Bud Cline

Can you start your holes with a #3-#4 finish nail.

cerfsud

Just a tiny ding into the wall; they won't go in any farther than that. The OOKS are nice because the nail goes through the "hanger" part, which acts as a guide and holds the nail.

But, even if the nail is already 1/4in into the wall, they're still very prone to bending. If the nails are perfectly straight, you hit them with a perfect strike, and the plaster is cooperative, they'll sink in. Otherwise, all the energy is dissipated into bending the nail, it seems.

Bud Cline

Okay...chuck up a #4 finish nail and try drilling with that.

Plaster can be very difficult to deal with. I'm kinda surprised you don't have divots the size of golf balls everywhere you have tried to drive a nail.

cerfsud

Yeah, I haven't marred the walls too much, I think because the plaster is so hard and intact. In the previous places I've lived in that had plaster walls, the plaster was more crumbly, and maybe this is why it was easier to drive nails through them?

coupe

I've found bits for drilling through glass and glazed ceramic bathroom tile. but never anything that small that I remember? you might find something you're looking for in boxes of smaller sized tapcon screws? but you'll have to buy the screws to get the bit! I'd do a search online and order several if can find?

just my thoughts

good luck
coupe