Axe cut wall plugs?

[ColeyS1]

I've only known the 'magic twist' to be relevant when trying to fix to cob.


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[Phil Pascoe]

Phil, sort of nearly answering your question - in the context of fixing skirtings, I know it was ordinary practice to fit several plugs, then trim them to a common line, ready to nail skirting to. I've seen this described in old textbooks and observed it in my Victorian house.

And for many fittings, you'd probably do something similar - flush the plugs, nail a batten across them, then screw your shelf brackets or whatever to the batten.

I know well what was done (Victorian buildings are an eye opener ) ... but is there any need with modern materials and methods? What's wrong with resin anchors, sleeve anchors, Rawlbolts or Thunderbolts? A straightforward plastic plug and screw, even? All it needs is to fill the holes a week or two beforehand to allow hardening. I cannot seee the point of deliberately allowing the ingress of water when you don't have to.
Another discussion along the lines of - it's always been done like that, so it's best. QED.

 

[Jacob]

What is the point of cutting them off flush with the wall? All that endgrain for the rain to track through? But then, I don't understand why anyone would choose to use them at all.

Cheap, simple, easy to do, effective, possible with just offcuts - no purchase necessary.
I took some handrails from inside our building which had been in situ for 100 years ish quite satisfactorily with the ironmongery just hammered into plugs. Not sure what you call the brackets - they have a a screw plate for the rail on an arm bent to a sort of arrow head form which you hammer into the plug by hitting the barb bit if you see what I mean. (Might be quicker to take a photo!).
Have fitted them outside but into drilled holes (not all mortar courses) with wooden plugs again. All painted with linseed oil paint including plug ends.
No prob - why would anybody not use them?

 

[AndyT]

I've never met BB, but having read thousands of his carefully worded posts, he asked how to cut wedged wooden plugs, not what is the best way to fix hardware to brickwork. I know that often on forums it's more helpful to answer a different question than the one asked, but it's BB doing the asking.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Of course. If he wants damp walls he is more than welcome to them. Nothing to do with us. :lol:

 

[Trafalgar]

I can't imagine that having those huge holes in the mortar is good, filled with wood or not (looking at the Paul Sellers link somebody posted).

 

[skipdiver]

Ask yourself this: Would Victorian or Edwardian chippies have bothered with wooden plugs if they had all the modern fixings to hand and electric/cordless drills? I doubt it; things move on.

 

[No skills]

Having tried to fix various things to the insides of some old houses I can certainly see why they were used - replacing skirting on our own 1890's house would of been easier if I had known this method. Fixing into uneven weak mortared crumbly brick is no fun.

However for the outside of the house (and also up a ladder) I would just go chemical fixing and have done with it - there might even be time left to remove the weeds from between the patio slabs.

 

[JimB]

I've used all sorts of methods indoors. The conventional plugs (axe cut) when the brickwork allows but when it's crumbling I've often started with wetting with Bondcrete, letting it dry, then whatever works.
I assume the outside fixing doesn't have to cope with the weight of cast-iron downpipes anymore.

 

[DTR]

Having tried to fix various things to the insides of some old houses I can certainly see why they were used - replacing skirting on our own 1890's house would of been easier if I had known this method. Fixing into uneven weak mortared crumbly brick is no fun.

I've often thought the exact same thing when fitting skirting in our house. Not that our house is Victorian, it's just sh*t.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Not axe cut, but here's another from C. Hayward -