Bob Hobden wrote:
"andy" wrote
Has anyone had the same problem as me with toggle fixings for
plasterboard ..... the toggle springs out at the back of board to lie
alongside the screw thread i.e. the two wings don't open out equally
so that when you tighten the screw the fixing is pulled back through
the hole !
The fixings were bought from Wickes so I don't know if it's a quality
issue?
I want suitable fixings for a pretty heavy bathroom mirror and
unfortunately there are no studs in the right place ....

I had the same problem with a lath and plaster wall years ago and
believe it was because I couldn't push them far enough into the wall
to get them to expand fully. Eventually found a different fixing with
a rubber type tube over the thread which expanded when the screw was
tightened to grip the wall inside. I've since seen metal type
expanding grips but that may have been in France.

If they /are/ the right length, loosening up the toggles before use
could help: a dash of WD40 and some wiggling may ensure both wings
spring out.

I wonder if the metal ones you saw, Bob, were Expanding Rawlbolts. I've
used those in solid walls, but I'm not sure they'd do for
plasterboard -- a rather brittle material that always makes me nervous,
anyway.

--
Mike.