Hunting masonry drills

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

WoodchipWilbur

If you never fail you're not trying hard enough
UKW Supporter
Joined
11 Jun 2021
Messages
170
Reaction score
103
Location
Yorkshire
I've got an aged masonry drill (Spit 330). It was bought in the '80s for installing electric damp proof courses. The drill bits are a form of SDS - but they are NOT the same as a standard SDS bit as can be bought anywhere - there is a long slot one side and a short lock slot on the other.
I have two adaptors that take a tapered shaft; one large (c. 19mm diameter) and a small one (c. 9mm dia). I thought that one of these was a "K Taper" bit.

As you may imagine, after 40-odd years, the useful-sized bits are getting a tad worn. Being a geriatric in the evening of my days, I no longer have a daily requirement for such a beast - but it is really useful to have a proper bit of kit like this (if only to appear smug whan a proud house owner claims that theirs must be the hardest walls in the country because they can't make a hole with their little B&D drill on a masonry setting!) I can't justify great expence - but it would be good to have a working machine!

However, I'm struggling to identify what drill bits I can source. The "Morse Taper" bits all seem to have a slot fitting at the bottom. The SDS drills all appear to have a slot at right angles to mine. (Is that "SDS Plus"?)
 

Attachments

  • SDS Bit.jpg
    SDS Bit.jpg
    14.1 KB · Views: 0
  • Taper Bit.jpg
    Taper Bit.jpg
    15 KB · Views: 0
Last edited:
As many of your old style bits are past their prime, could you replace the chuck on your drill for a new one that takes the standard SDS bits that are readily available .
 
I think, possibly,....the drill bits you're after are known as SDS Max bits.....Do a Google search for SDS Max drill bits and see if they look similar to your old bits..👍
 
If it helps, I think that Spit drills are rebadged Bosch. Might take a bit of Googling to find out the equivalent model.
 
been a long time since I heard of Spit drill's.....was it an overnight wonder....?

I always bought Hilti for the tougher jobs....have 4 diff sizes.....
to old to go the battery route now.....

ever thought of brazing a new drill top to ur old dill shaft.....????
if it's a junker not much to loose.....this is what I have done for an old Hilti masonary chisel.......a new chisel of that style is over a £100........
 
My first post ever on here was to try to source a speed regulator for a Spit 385 which turned out to be a Bosch GBH 8 DCE. There are parts available for such old models (so you might be able to source a useful SDS+ chuck).
Unfortunately, I was never able to find the speed regulator, despite literally a world wide search.
 
As many of your old style bits are past their prime, could you replace the chuck on your drill for a new one that takes the standard SDS bits that are readily available .
Probably not... I made enquiries a while ago. They promised, "easy!" - but never came up with the goods. In addition, the cost of the new chuck, combined with the fact that I would then be discarding (and needing to replace) a number of drill bits and core drills will almost certainly put this out of a price range that a budget for a nearly-75-year-old should justify.
I think, possibly,....the drill bits you're after are known as SDS Max bits.....Do a Google search for SDS Max drill bits and see if they look similar to your old bits..👍
Doesn't look much like it. The best descriptions that I've found (assuming that they are correct!) are on Wikipedia: Drill bit shank - Wikipedia. Mine are most like the SDS-Top - but with only two slots on opposite sides. It's hard to be sure - but I suspect that the Max bit is a greater diameter (?13 or 14mm) than my 9mm shanks.

I suspect that my best bet will be to try a Morse taper bit and grind the tang off the end if necessary. I'll get a micrometer onto the ones I have got and compare them with the tables at Machine taper - Wikipedia

I am sure that the "best" solution would be to replace the chuck with something that fits standard drills - but I also suspect that this may involve an investment for which I'll get insufficient return!
 
SDS were the original bits with 2 stopped slots on opposite sides of the bit shaft
SDS plus had 2 extra flutes added and obviously the chucks were changed .SDS will not fit an SDS plus chuck but it may work the other way round though i ve never tried .
SDS max is simply a bigger vervion of SDS plus for heavier machines .
i ve never come across a morse taper bit so can't comment on that end of things
 
is your smaller tapered adapter maybe for old rawl plug jumpers?

I can measure one tonight if you like

There is also A-taper bits aswell now I think about it?
 
Last edited:
Back
Top