# I thought I had it, but...



## 100wattskunk (Mar 13, 2013)

Yesterday, I was roughing in a new garage and having trouble drilling a corner. Before I knew it, I hear my mentor scream "DAMNIT"!....:blink: I knew it was too late...I had drilled straight through the outside of the garage, not vinyl but nice, painted wood....He cussed me out and said that the hole was gonna cost him hundreds.....It was very embarrassing because the HO just happened to be out there at the time:whistling2:...Today we found out that it's really not a big deal at all to fix!:thumbup: I really hope that I've gotten this mistake out of my system!!!


----------



## Pete m. (Nov 19, 2011)

Live and learn..... wont be the last time you will make a mistake.

Pete


----------



## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

I always use a paddle bit when drilling in a tight corner where a mistake can easily happen...

You have more control over a paddle bit than an auger that can "grab" the wood and pull you right through the wall..


----------



## Julius793 (Nov 29, 2011)

been there done that :no:


----------



## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

Back when I was a helper, the boss cut out the sheetrock where we were going to add a switch. After he cut the hole, I heard him say "Oh Chit!". I looked over at the hole and saw the living room through the hole. The sheetrock was the back wall of a bookcase the homeowner had made, :laughing:.


----------



## Jbird66 (Oct 26, 2010)

I drilled a hole through a top plate running a wire from a new switch to a light fixture. I thought "wow this is a thick top plate". I pushed a bunch of 14-2 up in the attic and a few minutes later a carpenter came in and said "why is there wire hanging off the roof on the outside of the house"? I had drilled all the way through the roof!

We have all been there.


----------



## NacBooster29 (Oct 25, 2010)

Jbird66 said:


> I drilled a hole through a top plate running a wire from a new switch to a light fixture. I thought "wow this is a thick top plate". I pushed a bunch of 14-2 up in the attic and a few minutes later a carpenter came in and said "why is there wire hanging off the roof on the outside of the house"? I had drilled all the way through the roof!
> 
> We have all been there.


I've done something similar.. drilled through the roof, saw daylight...said oo chit. 
Then tried to drill down with a flexibit. Sent 25' snake down to basement couldn't find it where I thought it went.
So I go back to 2nd flr and shake the crap out of snake... Look out window to see the snake hitting the neighbors car!! Holy chit that was a bad day!! I was licensed too not a rookie just a bad day!


----------



## Sparky J (May 17, 2011)

Chit happens just learn from it and be careful, over time you will get the feel of what wood or voids feel like if in doubt stop.
Luckily it wasn't me but I knew a guy who drilled through a customers new big screen TV d'oh!


----------



## big vic (Jan 23, 2012)

I had an employee while cutting in an outlet in a bedroom cut in the area where there was a pocket door going into the bathroom. The HO called and told me the door was stuck. He now works at Home Depot


----------



## DesignerMan (Jun 13, 2008)

Don't beat yourself up over it; it happens to everyone.
There isn't a person on this forum that doesn't have a story about something they screwed up over the years.
As long as you learn from it that's one mistake you won't make again. :thumbsup:


----------



## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

Your mentos sounds like a real pal, like my mentals I was under.


----------



## aDudeInPhx (Feb 20, 2012)

bobelectric said:


> Your mentos sounds like a real pal, like my mentals I was under.


Yep, sounds like my dad. He was like that - if he screwed up, not a big deal, mistakes happen. If I screwed up, I'd literally get screamed at. 

I'm glad most people in the real world aren't like that at all.


----------



## Toto (Jul 27, 2011)

Place the end of your drill bit along side the corner board and touch the wall you don't want to drill through. Then take a pencil and make a mark on the other wall. Now when you drill you will know how far you have to go until you hit the outside wall based on that line. Takes about 10 seconds to do.


----------



## wcord (Jan 23, 2011)

Toto said:


> Place the end of your drill bit along side the corner board and touch the wall you don't want to drill through. Then take a pencil and make a mark on the other wall. Now when you drill you will know how far you have to go until you hit the outside wall based on that line. Takes about 10 seconds to do.


Don't forget your sawzall blade can go thru a wall too. 
A carpenter apprentice on one job, cut a hole in the wall - and thru the other side, right into the side of the customer's brand new side by side SS fridge -ouch but funny


----------



## ce2two (Oct 4, 2008)

6 months in resi construction working on a ,drilled into a HUTCH  I was not let go, sweating bullets for sure ...31 years ago:thumbsup:


----------



## Sparky J (May 17, 2011)

big vic said:


> I had an employee while cutting in an outlet in a bedroom cut in the area where there was a pocket door going into the bathroom. The HO called and told me the door was stuck. He now works at Home Depot


Ha ha you reminded me about the time my brother and I worked for a family friend getting her basement ready to be a daycare. I was fixing the electric handy hack work and he was mounting a paper towel holder at a wet bar area backing to the bath room with a pocket door. The kicker is his multiple 3" screw mistake was only noticed later when I needed to use the bathroom :thumbup:

Took him a while to live it down I told a coworker at the time and he got a big kick out of it until he did similar except it was for an outlet box


----------



## chewy (May 9, 2010)

100wattskunk said:


> Yesterday, I was roughing in a new garage and having trouble drilling a corner. Before I knew it, I hear my mentor scream "DAMNIT"!....:blink: I knew it was too late...I had drilled straight through the outside of the garage, not vinyl but nice, painted wood....He cussed me out and said that the hole was gonna cost him hundreds.....It was very embarrassing because the HO just happened to be out there at the time:whistling2:...Today we found out that it's really not a big deal at all to fix!:thumbup: I really hope that I've gotten this mistake out of my system!!!



Painted timber? No big deal...







Just match the paint after you sand the bog.


----------



## JHFWIC (Mar 22, 2012)

The only people who don't make mistakes are the ones doing nothing!


----------



## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

One thing I promised myself when I was going through the ranks that I wouldn't treat new guys under me like the old thinkers treated us.


----------



## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

I mostly avoid corners and go up and over or down and under. Too many bad things can happen in 2 x4 walls by idiots driving 2 and 3" nails and screws in . The last corners I had to deal with ended being solid framing which made it annoying and mighty miserable . I just figure in extra now for slab homes to go up a over.


----------



## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

But I mistakenly drilled a 7/8" hole thru the clap board of a anal OCD contractors home in the wrong bay for a PVC conduit. He never noticed, I never said anything. I 'm sure he noticed it by now....


----------



## Service Call (Jul 9, 2011)

An apprentice was cutting in boxes in a doctors office and informed me it was tough. I go to look and he cut clean thru both sides of the walls. Never even noticed the light coming thru in 6 holes. No more keyhole saws for him.


----------



## Ubersparky (Apr 26, 2013)

bobelectric said:


> One thing I promised myself when I was going through the ranks that I wouldn't treat new guys under me like the old thinkers treated us.


 
I said the same thing. Hate to say it, but pretty sure I am worse than them. The guys that get used to it know I really dont mean anything by it. I have had a few guys quit over it though


----------

