Vent: A homeowner in Cedar Rapids argued with me about using a 3/8 inch drill bit for wall plates

I was doing a rewire in a 1920s house last month, and the owner, a guy named Mark, stood over my shoulder the whole time. He kept saying, 'My last guy used a 1/2 inch bit, it's cleaner.' I explained that for the old plaster, a smaller bit gives you more control and less chance of a blowout. He wouldn't drop it, even after I showed him the clean finish on the first outlet. Has anyone else had to defend a basic tool choice like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

jenny_lane122d ago

Less chance of a blowout" is a good point... I used to think bigger was always better too.

ivan_harris2d ago

Jenny_lane12 gets it... I learned that lesson the hard way with a flat tire on the highway. Bigger isn't better if it leaves you stranded. Now I'm all about that reliable, middle ground.

shane_bell2d ago

My last homeowner insisted on a 1/2 inch bit too, Jenny_lane12, and then got mad about the dust cloud. Can't win sometimes.