Drilling in glass.

Rhunsulrana · 11-02-2009, 12:54 AM

i've been thinking about making another peice. my first was made out of a nalgeine bottle. it's a bubbler i designed/engineered. every seal is air tight, and it's machine washable (

!) i've been talking to people about selling them in the area. i'm going to try to get pics up soon.

but my question is this, what do i need to know about safely drilling holes into glass? i'd love to make a glass somethin but i'm not sure about this part of it.

thanks for your help!

peace, love, and engineers eraser shavings DX
~RSR

rasta farmer · 11-02-2009, 12:57 AM

Well you need a glass drilling bit for your well, drill and some special lubrication

Rhunsulrana · 11-02-2009, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rasta farmer

Well you need a glass drilling bit for your well, drill and some special lubrication

can i use the bit on any drill though? getting a bit is no big, and the lube is fine. but i don't want to have to buy a whole new drill DX

rasta farmer · 11-02-2009, 01:06 AM

Im pretty sure all the bit sizes are the same but go to home depot or whatever hardware store is near you bring your drill with you and ask some guy for some assistance for your problem

2tree9 · 11-02-2009, 01:12 AM

Drill doesn't really matter, Ive drilled through really thin glass with a Wooden drill bit and some water as lube. just need to be really delicate.

Pheromone · 11-03-2009, 03:10 AM

if you go down to "home depot" or "lowes" they sell glass and tile drill bits there for like 8 dollars, they work amazing on glass! AND they fit in any drill haha.

words of advice, it takes a while to drill though and alot of power so id use a corded drill

vern · 11-03-2009, 03:16 AM

I was lucky enough to find this in an old thread, which someone quoted this text because the link I posted was broken! Here you go...

Quote:

#1- NEVER use regular bits. You can find cheap "tile and glass" bits at any hardware store. Yes, diamond bits are ideal, and more reliable, but these work great for those who are patient, gentile, and on a budget

#2- The molecular make up of glass is such that if you constantly sprinkle water on the hole you are drilling, it will aid in the drilling (dont ask why, but if you google it, you can find out for yourself why this is true).

#3- Better yet, I completely submerge what im drilling in water. That could mean I have to drill in a bucket, the kitchen sink, or the bath tub.

BUT!! the biggest perk of drilling while your glass container is submerged is that IF the glass shatters, the clean up is EASY!!!! No glass will go flying, and it all just falls to the bottom of the sink, bath tub, or bucket to be thrown away, or put down the drain. (throw away the big chunks, but the small shards that everyone worries about will go down the drain. Not sure how environmentaly friendly this is.... But I go ahead and do it anyways)

(I still recomend wearing eye protection however. Goggles are your best bet. It seems as though i should recomend leather gloves, and I do, but honestly, ive never used them, and i dont feel the need to. Ive shatered a couple of bottles over the years and ive never gotten cut. Your call.)

#4- Glass drilling is different thatn any other type of drilling. You arent cutting anything. You are grinding. Patience is your best friend when glass drilling. It WILL take ALOT longer than you expect, so just relax, and take your time. So use very light pressure, and take it easy. That is the key to glass drilling. Light pressure. And use a relativly slow speed on your drill. Dont use your dads super high power high speed drill. The higher the speed, the less control you have. I know on most other matierals a higher speed is nicer, but on glass, its a no-no.

#5- the thinner the glass, the more carefull you should be. Especialy once you reach the other side of the glass. Once you breach through the glass, and the hole actualy becomes, well, a hole, you need to be especialy careful (keep a steady hand and a light, constant pressure).

#6- If you have access to a drill press. Use it. Just use a turkey baster for the water trick or something else of the same effect. But a drill press allows constant pressure, and very little to no un-needed movement. Of course, with a drill press, you risk puting a bit too much pressure on the glass, so you have to be careful with that.

All in all, glass drilling is tricky, and it is a risk in the sence that you can break what you are drilling, but if the right measures are taken, you wont hurt yourself at all.

This is what your typical "tile and glass" bit looks like.

they dont look like much, but they do the job. If you plan on drilling a few holes, these bits get dull relativly quick, so replace often. Good thing they are only like $7

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rasta farmer Jr. Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 104 Grams: 690.80 Thanks: 13 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts Stock Portfolio Total Value: 0.000 Gain/Loss: 0.000%	Well you need a glass drilling bit for your well, drill and some special lubrication __________________ I erase the things I hate -me

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