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Drilling Holes in Glass by
Using a Drill Press
This
is part five of a multi-part tip on using a drill press to drill
holes in glass. Click here to go to part one.
The main steps, concluded. Finishing the drilling.
11. As you slowly drill through the piece, take pains to
make certain that the the piece of glass remains submerged beneath
the water. This will keep the glass cool so
that it doesn't crack. With larger holes or thicker pieces,
it's sometimes helpful to add fresh water, especially if the water
becomes excessively cloudy or murky.
12. Above all, drill with a very light touch.
Don't force things, let the bit do the work. Simply tap on the
surface of the glass for only a second at a time, then ease up and
let cool water flow over the glass.
13. Continue to drill until the the bit makes contact
with the wood or Ceramaguard underneath. Then it's safe to
ease up on the lever of the drill press and admire the hole in the
piece.
14. If you think you've done everything right, but the
piece cracks as you're drilling the hole, it's a sign of one of
three problems.
- You could be drilling too quickly. That allows heat
to build up, which will crack the piece.
- You might not have kept the piece covered with water.
That's another way that heat builds up and cracks the piece.
- It's also possible that the drill bit has become
too dull to do a good job of drilling through the piece.
Most drill bits do not last that long and need to be replaced
frequently.
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Copyright 2006 Brad Walker.
All rights reserved.
Note: The process
described in the tip works best for items that are small enough to
fit in a shallow plastic container. Future tips will discuss
the necessary adjustments for drilling larger items.
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