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Drilling Holes in Glass by
Using a Drill Press
Click
here for general information on drilling holes in glass.
Although it's possible to drill holes in
glass by hand or with a stained glass grinder, the best way is to
use a drill press. This basic shop tool, which consists of a
stand, a holder for a drill bit, and a motor that turns the bit,
excels at drilling holes in precise locations.
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A tabletop drill press is fairly inexpensive
(generally well under $100 US), and should be more than
adequate for drilling holes in small pieces, ranging from
jewelry to several inches in width. Drill presses are
sized by "throat capacity", which is a measurement of the
distance between the column that holds up the head of the
drill press and the center of the chuck that contains the
drill bit. Most small drill presses have around a 3 to
4 inch (7.5 to 10cm) throat capacity, which means they can
drill items up to 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20cm)in width.
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Larger items, such as sinks, require a drill
press with a greater throat capacity (at least 20").
Otherwise, it's not possible to position the sink so that the center
is below the drill bit. Drill presses with a throat capacity
of 20" or greater can be quite expensive.
Most drill presses are made for drilling in
wood or metal, but they can be easily adapted for drilling in glass.
The two key adaptations are the kind of bit used and the need to
keep the glass wet when drilling.
Click
here for the next section of this tip, which is on choosing the
right drill bit.
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Copyright 2006 Brad Walker.
All rights reserved.
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