heres a challenge

Dont say this section is ever boring...
scenario... large camp building over 45 years old, on coast, suffering from severe case of salt damp.

Professionals from Adelaide wont come, but a local 'old time builder' ie jack of all trades, not a specialist in one area...his words, had a look today and suggested he could do the job but going to be very expensive, but he would spent half a day, show me what to do and not do.. WIN.

But drilling into besser blocks every 100mm and walls are 28 x 35 metres, so theres a few holes to be done.

Now I dont relish the part of being on my knees all day with a masonry drill and thought you bright intelligent guys could come up with a jig where the electric drill was mounted in place at an angle, with a foot switch for on/off and a lever for forcing it forward into the wall.

sound feasible or far out fantasy.

You realise that's almost 100,000 holes. At 1 minute per hole, that's 40 weeks for someone working a 40 hour week.
Is the idea to pump concrete in? If so, can you do it from the top?

When this building was erected building codes were either non existent or bypassed. Whatever there was NO damp course put down and after 45-50 years the building is showing the effects, so we drill holes then using a special pump like a chalking gun, pump a slurry like liquid in that is absorbed by the brick/concrete and over a few weeks/months depending on season forms a solid water membrane.

As this is happening the bricks above a slowly drying out and brushing off escaping salt slowly transforms the building.
Usually after its all dry a serious rendering program is undertaken filling in small and large holes in damaged areas.

So its a water proofing membrane that is pumped in not concrete.

If this sounds like an advert...tough, its not I have done enough research to know this is the only effective long term solution.

So you have about 1000 to 1200 holes to drill, I assume you have a rotary hammer drill and you will be drilling into the mortar so a fit person would easily do it in two days.
If your back or knees are not up to it how about grabbing a student to do it ?
Are you planning on using the capsules or injection type system?
Another way I have seen it done is cutting the joint out in hit and miss sections of 450 to 600 long and regrouting with mortar with a waterproof admixture

Have a 20 year old Makita hammer drill, but as I am doing this instead of paying professionals, I think I hear a new drill calling my name :)

doing the injection type, the local builder has all the equipment, we buy the material, and he teaches me, perish the thought of a young un doing that , they would be all over the place like bull hair.

OK, I misunderstood. Are you just drilling the bottom course? I've heard of that - think it's the same stuff. If it is, it's been around for long enough to be proven.

I have a light drill press mount that you put a drill into, and pulling a spring-loaded lever lowers the drill. I wonder if it's possible to mount a pair of wheels to the back of the base so the drill is horizontal, maybe with a spacer to keep it the right distance from the wall, and just roll it along the inside floor, pushing the lever every time you want to drill a hole.

dang AlexS I think your onto something...Attachment 473489 this is the type of thing you mean?

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Originally Posted by Tonyz

dang AlexS I think your onto something...Attachment 473489 this is the type of thing you mean?

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Yes, mine's a little lighter and more modern than that one, but it's the same sort of thing.

The type of drill that you should be using is an SDS rather than a hammer. The SDS will go thru the wall like butter. If it's a modern one you will need to get one of these and adapt it to work horizontally.