Print PDF
Favorite
Email
I do a lot of glass work of all kinds. Since I recently acquired a kiln, I have started branching out in some of the work that I do, and some of it has even worked out ok! But I know from experience that drilling into glass isn't always the easiest thing to do, and I did learn a lot by trial and error. I personally don't like to have a lot of the "error" part, nor can I afford it..... So I thought I would share my way of drilling into glass that seems to give me good results almost every time. It really isn't too hard, but then if you don't do it right, it can seem impossible!
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1What you will need:
There are few things you will need to have to get a good clean hole drilled into your glass. Glass can not only be very durable, but it can also be very susceptible to the changes in temperature that occur when a friction (such as a drill bit) is applied to it.
So first off find the glass you want to drill. You can drill in almost any glass there is, but some glass is a little more difficult just because it is harder to keep a steady stream of water applied to the surface friction point.
So first off find the glass you want to drill. You can drill in almost any glass there is, but some glass is a little more difficult just because it is harder to keep a steady stream of water applied to the surface friction point.
- SO gather up some glass.... or even a mirror if you want. This is a great way to add elements into a mirror such as placing your faucets "through" the vanity mirror when they are back mounted, or even adding lighting sconces on top of a mirror and the wires going through it. Just a note on drilling through mirrored glass, make sure you start on the coated side. You are less likely to knock off the coating or have a "blow out" chipping away more of the mirror surface than you would like to lose if you do this. There are mixtures sold through stained glass supply companies that help to keep the mirrored surface in tact, but they are really more expensive than I want to pay, so I just try to be a little more careful.
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
Thanks for all the sharing of info!
Worked like a charm.
Check this instructable out:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-Glass-Beads-From-Broken-Bottles-video/
You can google "lampworking" which is the term used for melting glass & sculpting it, or winding it onto mandrels to create beads.
You can also check out:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Waffle-Iron-Adapted-into-MIni-Kiln...or...The-Bava/
which has annealing schedule information I believe.
(If not, feel free to ask me, I have them)
Good luck, don't burn your fingers!
But it seems to me unsufficient just to put bottom of glass in water. Does the glass need to be wet in place where you are drilling?
:))
Love your work and you are so lucky to have a kiln.
Take care and God Bless!!
Thanks for the compliment and yea, I do feel pretty lucky to finally get my kiln, but not so lucky when the electric bill comes in LOL!
I need to find a way to build me a propane kiln that won't use up a bazillion tanks of propane..... that is getting as expensive as the electric anymore!
God Bless you also! :)
Also, once the hole is drilled, the window is much more susceptible to fracture with changes in temperature and pressures. I think I would personally rather try to drill a hole through the wall to the outside than to risk a window (but then I have double paned argon filled windows) .
Good luck with whatever you decide to try! Let me know how it comes out :)
Thanks for sharing, thats great info to know :)
Another option available to you if you have a press is to put a large pan under the item to catch the run off water and use a small pump to squirt water on the drill bit.
Takes practice. I broke alot of bottles before I got it down.
1)The glass isn't the only thing you need to keep cool -- diamonds shatter if they get too hot. It is helpful to do your drilling in a dish deep enough to cover your piece, so that the grinding interface is always kept wet. This also helps with flooding out the ground glass for more efficient grinding. And it keeps the dust from becoming airborn -- YOU DO NOT WANT TO BREATHE THIS DUST! No one wants silicosis! Even small amounts can be a significant irritant, and once it's in your lungs, it's lodged there.
2) To keep the heat down, do let the drill bit do the work -- use enough pressure to watch clouds of particles drift away from the point of contact, but no where near enough to slow the motor or you'll burn up your diamonds. And if you can, use a drill press where you can lift the point (or just back off the pressure) every few seconds to let the drill cool and really flush out the hole.
3) Breakout on the back side is a problem, but it can be reduced by setting your piece on something relatively hard, like a slab of stone (slate is pretty easy to find) or scrap glass or a ceramic tile -- you can tell when you're through by a change in color of the particles drifting off. Even a wood shim will help more than the rags. If you want to flip over something opaque, you can make a jig with a piece of wood or tile and a small length of wire/tubing the same diameter as your drill bit -- drill a hole in your base, and set the peg in to it so it sticks up as far as your half-way hole, and set it directly under your drill bit; then slide on your piece, slipping the hole on the peg, and your drill bit should be centered over the first half of your hole (this requires adrill press).
4) If you want a hole much more than 1/8" (3mm), certainly by 1/4" (6mm), you are better off with a core drill (a hollow tube with grit on the rim) -- it reduces the amount of material you need to grind away, and therefore the stress (not to mention the time required). Harbor Freight has these cheap too, in some sizes. Or you can make your own with a metal tube (copper, brass, soft steel, NOT galvanized) and a slurry of silicon carbide grit and water, held close to the hole with a "dam" of clay (takes a while, but if you can't find a core drill, it'll work).
5) This is the same method used to drill ceramic tile and most stone, but how quickly it will work depends on the hardness of the stone. Marble is pretty soft, cuts pretty easily; granite is harder than glass, and agate harder yet, so take your time. Slate can pretty much be drilled with a regular carbide drillbit, but use diamond for anything harder. The carbide spade bits will work on may of these too, but but I don't know how well.
6) ALWAYS, ALWAYS work wet, don't breathe the dust!
I just get the little box packs of diamond tip bits they have at Harbor Freight and use those. I can get several different sized holes, and a couple for using to etch and inscribe. So far the only reason I have had to buy new ones is because I lent out or lost some of the ones I had.... But thanks for that info....:).