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Drilling A Hole

Drilling a hole in that new piece you made is really not that complicated. You can drill holes in any of your pieces, even larger pieces can be drilled.

Take your time and you will be drilling holes in your glass in no time at all. It only takes a little practice and patience to accomplish this simple technique.

Please use caution when drilling glass. Anytime you are using fusing glass tools, wear safety glasses. Be careful using any electric power tool near water.

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Here are the supplies you will need:

Safety glasses

Electric drill, Dremel, or glass drill

Diamond core drill bit

Water

Shallow pan/tray or clay/wax

Block of wood or piece of styrofoam

You will need to use a diamond core drill bit to drill through glass. Be sure to pick the shank size that will fit your drill and then choose a bit that matches the hole you want to make. You can use any electric drill, such as a Dremel type drill.

Drill bits don’t rip through the glass, but slowly scrap away little pieces of material at a time. Use minimum pressure and allow the bit to work. Don’t lean on the piece.

Drilling a hole takes time and again patience. Learning to balance drill speed, drill pressure and lubrication is a learned skill. This can only be done by trial and error. Start out with a very slow drill speed and very light pressure. Begin by drilling at a small angle. This will help to start the hole. Turn the drill bit so that it is now standing straight up. Then gradually you can increase these until you reach the point that works best for you.

Always keep your piece lubricated with water. Drill for a couple of seconds, then lift the drill bit so that water is allowed to fill the partial hole. This will keep the bit cool and wet during the drilling process.

Diamond bits need to be cooled with some water. There are a couple of ways you can do this.

Submerge the glass in water. You can do this by placing the object in a shallow pan or tray and then filling with enough water to just cover the glass. Place a small piece of wood or Styrofoam under the glass. This added cushion will prevent you from drilling through your container. I used a Styrofoam plate that was cut up and made small enough to fit inside the container. drilling a hole, glass drill, glass drilling, dichroic pendants drilled, fusing glass tools

Make a dam around the area to be drilled with clay or wax to make a reservoir. Fill this area with water. Place a piece of wood or Styrofoam under the glass to cushion the glass and prevent you from drilling into the object below.

Again, wear eye protection. Drill in an up and down motion. As you do this, water will fill the hole to cool the drill bit. As you are nearing completing the hole, lighten up the pressure even more. This will reduce chipping or cracking on the backside of the glass when the bit emerges. The drill will eventually cut through the bottom of the glass and most likely will damage the container. Be sure to put some material like wood underneath the glass before drilling.

Remember that drilling fast increases friction. This will burn up your bit. If your bit develops yellow, brown, blue or black around the tip, you are going too fast. Slow down and use light to moderate pressure. Allow the drill to go at its own speed. Increasing your speed also heats up the glass and it could crack or break.

If you are having problems with skipping or walking with your bit as you are drilling a hole, you can use a vise or some other way to hold your piece firmly under the drill.

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