Placing Waves Horizontally

I know there is a special tool for placing the waves but everyone tells me it is trash. When people place waves horizontally are you just pounding the hell out of them with a rubber hammer or do most people just upsize to a 14mm hole? 

I ream the hole out pretty good and use the wave tool, works well for me.  Using a quad bit is nice to get a straight hole, makes a smoother install.  Too tight of fit you will have problems with pounding too hard and can bend/deform/ding the bolt, even with a rubber mallet.  Also could lead to rock stress fractures from too tight of fit.

I size up to 14mm. 

Princess Puppy Lovrwrote:

I know there is a special tool for placing the waves but everyone tells me it is trash. When people place waves horizontally are you just pounding the hell out of them with a rubber hammer or do most people just upsize to a 14mm hole? 

Nah, just use a rubber or plastic mallet. Or a stainless steel hammer.

Princess Puppy Lovrwrote:

I know there is a special tool for placing the waves but everyone tells me it is trash. When people place waves horizontally are you just pounding the hell out of them with a rubber hammer or do most people just upsize to a 14mm hole? 

Also, I use a 1/2" hole and don't have to hammer hard at all.

A rubber mallet does not work well,  since any force you put into mostly bounces back.  Use a stainless steel hammer or mechanics dead blow hammer. In sandstone I just ream the hole a bit while drilling until the wave slides in without hammering.  

You might also consider just using twist bolts as they're cheaper and don't require any shenanigans for 'horizontal' placements.  

Most of the ones i have placed were provided by group. I use the tool. If the rock is hardish I start hole with 9/16 bit about 1 1/2 deep then finish with 1/2 bit. Still gives a good bit of pullout resistance on steep terrain. Most glue ins I purchase myself are 10mm slb or twist. I have 8mm slb and 16mm twist "in stock" though for special jobs. 

This works perfectly... 

The wave install tool is not trash, it's just quirky. Works really well for both twist and wave bolts. The issue * most * have is removing the install tool from a bolt after the bolt is installed. This is quirky part.

+1 for wallowing/ream out the hole a bit. 

Luke

If you hammer on the the bottom of the "nose" it compresses the gap with each blow and they'll drive pretty easily. I've found hammering them in with straight hits can be quite challenging with a 1/2" hole, but a slight angle (upward in normal orientation) always makes them easy to drive with relatively light blows. I do think the wave tool is garbage, but it does the same thing slightly compressing the gap when you hit so there's less interference. 

If you don't want the high interference fit, I think twist bolts are superior. 

Jim's 100mm Twist bolt is now being made with a greater than 1/2" section just behind the eye. Similar to Wave bolts. My understanding, after communicating with him, is this is specifically for the US market in response to people's complaints that were used to Wave bolts and wanted the interference fit.

Kris,

Can confirm that this seems to be the case. Just got a new shipment of twist bolts, and all of a sudden they had a  interference fit. I thought I was losing it, or used too old of a bit.

Good to know.

I also have recently placed ~50 twist bolts purchased in December. They have noticeably less interference than a wave bolt. I find them not quite as confidence inspiring if you're looking to hang on them right away on a roof like wave bolts were marketed for, although I try to never bolt with that in mind anyway. There's enough interference that I'm not worried about them falling out before they cure on roofs. Overall, I greatly prefer the twist bolts. I had a few waves that were very hard to hammer in all the way (maybe a user issue haha?) but not with twist. Also, customer service is great, fast shipping and beautiful end product!

Yeah, I was disappointed to hear they are now interference fit. I switched to them from Waves specifically because they weren't interference fit. I can understand why you'd want that for overhung bolting but that's what Waves are for. FWIW, 150mm Twists are still not interference fit.

Twist bolts are where it's at. I usually ream the hole for all of 5 seconds and they slide right in.

I don't like the interference fit of waves and don't purchase them but have helped out on projects where waves were the order of the day. Some folks eventually got 14mm or 9/16 bits in frustration and were happy. I just took a SS hammer and beat the waves a little flatter and they went in 1/2" holes pretty easily. Really wish CT would ease off on the interference! 

9/16" bit if horizontal.  Otherwise I drill 1/2" and then suck it up and use the adapter tool if I need the interference fit.  It's not too bad.  Just annoying sometimes.  Especially when glue gets on it.

Send me a PM if you're interested in non interference fit twist bolts in the US. 

We would prefer to only make the Euro bolts anyway so just tell Dave at Team Tough that's what you want.

DrRockso RRGwrote:

Send me a PM if you're interested in non interference fit twist bolts in the US. 

Will the be available in a few months? I need to free all the things I bolted this winter so my 100 bolts I have right now should get me through till august. 

There may be some confusion, I am the manufacturer of Twist Bolts and the only authorised importer for the USA is Team Tough. We can ship some next week with some other bolts, only need to know the sizes of interest.