A sprue dowel has a radially projecting embeddable portion (12) and an attachment portion (21) formed as a hollow cylindrical shaft (24) provided with a plurality of spaced from each other, furrowed retaining projections (26, 27) formed on an outer circumference of the shaft and extending parallel to a longitudinal axis (25) of the sprue dowel (11).

A connection, and a method of forming a connection, that adhesively fixes and bonds a fastening element or anchor in bore hole, particularly in a soft substrate or substrate with an interior cavity or void where the anchor is to be set in vertical wall or set upwardly into a ceiling. To make the connection, an accessory is used that has the form of a sleeve having a closed or partially blocked insertion end and an open anchor receiving end and apertures running along its length. The accessory helps to ensure that the anchor is surrounded with mortar or adhesive, and the mortar or adhesive contacts the wall of the bore. The cylindrical wall of the sleeve has apertures along its length. The sleeve can be formed with larger apertures formed near the anchor receiving end of the sleeve and smaller apertures formed near the insertion end of the sleeve. The sleeve is formed by inserting an open-ended cylindrical mesh tube into a frame that holds the tube along its length at a select location. This select location can be near the insertion end and away from the anchor receiving end. The sleeve has an external diameter that allows the sleeve to fit into the bore in the substrate and an internal diameter that is large enough to receive the anchor that is to be secured in the bore. The length of the sleeve corresponds or is similar in length to the embedded length of the anchor. The apertures in the peripheral surface of the sleeve create passages therethrough for the uncured adhesive.