Such drills are tubular in shape, and outwardly more resemble a small milling cutter without teeth. The very process of making round holes in glass or ceramic tiles involves the use of additional consumables for degreasing - alcohol, acetone, turpentine, gasoline, special liquids, etc. It is also necessary to take care of the rapid cooling of the treated surface.
How to drill glass with a drill?
For high-quality drilling in glass or ceramics, the following conditions must be met:
- immovably fix the product on which work will be carried out;
- ensure that the drill fits at a perfectly right angle;
- the future hole is indicated by a small plasticine rim;
- the drill is set at the lowest possible speed;
- an abrasive and cooling material must be used - at best, turpentine and crushed whetstone, at worst, fine sand and water will be enough.
Since drilling the glass with a drill may not work well the first time, and possible chips or cracks, you must first practice on small pieces. It is very important to drill slowly and with minimal pressure, otherwise the product may crack.
Which is the best to use a tubular glass drill?
To make large enough holes in glass or ceramics, special tubular drills must be used. Similar tools are used in industrial processing. A tubular drill for glass differs not only in its special shape - its working cutting layer is made of technical diamonds and is firmly attached to the steel base using the thermal sintering process.
Before the first use, such equipment must be cleaned with an abrasive stone from the cutting edge in order to open the diamond layer - a similar procedure is done for special machine drills, countersinks. Diamond tubular drills are best suited for this type of work - unlike carbide drills, they do not chip off the back of the material being cut.
How to drill glass with a conventional drill?
The situation is quite common in which you only need to make a few holes in the glass, and for this it is unprofitable to purchase special equipment. For small diameters, it is quite possible to do with a conventional drill for metal. The general principles here remain exactly the same - rigid glass fastening, minimum speed, very light pressure. To drill glass with an ordinary drill, you need to feel the tool well and flexibly adjust the pressing force - at the slightest manifestation of "beating" you need to stop work, and it is better to change the drill to a screwdriver, which gives an even lower speed.
A plasticine boundary circle with a small amount of turpentine inside will ensure surface cooling and no cracks, and you will also need a good abrasive. It is recommended to follow these guidelines when working with conventional drills:
- harden the drill before performing work - just hold it in a hot flame, for example from a burner, and then cool it in wax;
- work as long as possible, taking breaks from time to time and additionally cooling the drill in water;
- be sure to degrease the glass with acetone or alcohol, check that it does not slip before starting work;
- fix the glass on a wooden surface;
- do not make holes very close to the edge of the surface (no closer than 1.5-2 cm).
With any drilling in glass and ceramics, the appearance of chips on the back side is not excluded. To avoid this, there are several different ways - use two pieces of glass at once, process the back side with plasticine, etc. One of the simplest ways is that at the very end of the work the glass is turned over and the hole is finished from the other end.
How to choose a drill bit for tiles and glass?
Quality tools for drilling tiles and glass are made by Italian companies (Zauber and others). According to the manufacturing technology, the drill for tiles and glass can be different - steel, electroplated, brass, and so on. Tubular drills made from high-strength diamond-coated steel provide the best results. For use in machines, conical countersink drills are taken, also with diamond dusting. To work with such a tool, no abrasive is required, and the drill provides a perfect appearance of the holes and the absence of possible chips or cracks.
From time to time, situations arise that require the creation of holes of various diameters in the glass. For example, this is required when installing mirrors or when installing various devices on glass. This is a very rare type of work, and therefore calling a specialist can be very expensive.
You can independently perform the necessary work and do without the services of a master. However, you need to understand that glass is a rather fragile and expensive material, so you should carefully prepare before you start drilling.
Composition and stages of production
Common glass contains silica sand, lime and soda. Various additives strongly affect the final properties of the material, but quartz sand remains the main component, and its amount reaches 75% in the mixture. The limestone component adds shine, strength, and protects against many chemicals. Soda can significantly lower the melting point of the mixture. The most common additional components include:
- Lead gives extra shine and ringing.
- Manganese, nickel and chromium are used for various shades.
- Boric acid gives strength, shine and lowers the coefficient of thermal expansion.
Industrial glass production includes the following stages:
Currently, there are many types of this material, depending on the components used in production. The most common are:
Drilling attachments and working rules
Most often, the need for drilling arises when using industrial glass, quartz, crystal. These types are often fragile, therefore unskilled attempts to make holes most often end in damage to the workpiece, so the process must be approached very responsibly.
Drills for metal and concrete are not similar in shape to special glass drills. You need to work with them very carefully, and if there is an opportunity, then do not use them at all. But if only these types of drills are available, then it is best to use hard-alloy concrete or spear-shaped drills for tiles. Drills for metal must be hardened.
There are also special attachments designed specifically for glass:
- Solid carbide drills with feather or spear shape in various diameters. It is highly desirable to use those that have diamond dusting on the cutting part.
- Drill, presented in the form of a tube. This type of glass drill can be used when a large diameter hole is required. When working with this attachment, it is advisable to use a drilling machine.
When carrying out drilling work, you must adhere to the following rules:
Surface cooling can be done in several ways:
- Cover the drilling site with plasticine and add water.
- Place a damp cloth or cotton ball around the hole to be machined so that the water gradually flows into the depression.
- The drill itself can be wetted and an interruption will allow the drilling tool to cool down.
Ways to make a hole in glass without a drill
In the absence of a drill and the possibility of purchasing it, you can make holes by other methods or make a homemade drill, but such methods do not have high accuracy and quality, as a result of which they can lead to damage to the glass surface. But still, some methods can theoretically be applied, so they should be listed.
With sand and solder
Quite an interesting way that does not require drilling skills and tools. To use it you will need:
- Sand.
- Low-melting solder, such as tin-lead.
- The container in which this solder will be melted.
The surface in which you want to make a hole should be degreased and dried, after which a pile of wet sand is poured over the area in which the hole should be located. Further, it is necessary to make a recess in it of such a diameter, which is required by the hole being created.
Solder melted with a torch or soldering iron is poured into the formed hole, after which you need to wait for it to completely solidify. With the subsequent removal of sand and hardened solder, a hole of the required diameter remains on the glass.
This method is characterized by high quality and accuracy of the resulting hole.
Making a homemade drill
In the absence of special attachments for working with glass, you can make them yourself.
To do this, you need a metal rod and a simple glass cutter with a diamond roller. To turn it into a drill, you need to cut a hole in the rod into which the roller is inserted and fixed so as to remain stationary relative to the rod.
The resulting workpiece is fixed in a drill chuck, and then drilling is performed according to the principle of a conventional drill.
You can also prepare a conventional drill, for example, for metal for working with glass. To do this, you need to clamp it in a vice or pliers and keep it in the flame of a gas burner until the metal is white-hot. After that, the drill is dipped in warm water or oil. A tool hardened in this way is suitable for drilling glass.
With a metal tube
A piece of metal tube is also suitable for making a hole without a drill. To do this, cuts are made on the part of the pipe that will be cut to create a cutting part in the form of teeth. When applying such work, you should use auxiliary abrasive powders or pastes, but this method is quite laborious and often leads to damage to the workpiece.
Using a glass cutter
A conventional glass cutter can also replace a drill, the main thing is not to make sharp ragged movements, not to press on the glass, and to tap the formed cut surface with the handle of the tool.
To cut holes of large diameters with a glass cutter, you can use a compass, fixing one part of it in the center of the intended hole, and with the second part (on which the glass cutter is fixed) cut the surface.
It is often necessary to drill glass at home. Videos of these works can be found on the Internet, they cover such topics well in simple language with illustrative examples.
If possible, work is best done with a screwdriver, and not with a drill. This will give a softer drilling method and reduce the chance of damage to the glass surface. In addition, it is recommended to use protective goggles and clothing, and to carry out drilling in a non-residential area.
It is important to observe the minimum indents from the edge of the workpiece: for brittle materials - at least 25 mm, for ordinary types of glass - at least 15 mm.
It should be remembered that glass is a rather fragile and expensive material, so you need to work with it very carefully. In the absence of experience in such work, it is important to practice on unnecessary pieces of glass in order to gain experience and understanding of the process.
Sometimes you need to make round and neat holes in the glass, that is, drill the glass. How to drill glass at home with your own hands, we will tell you in this material.
Glass drilling tools and materials
Before starting work on drilling glass, it is required to make all the necessary preparation, assemble the following tools: an electric drill, or a hand drill, gasoline or acetone, turpentine, plasticine for window putty, a diamond-coated drill, eye goggles.
How to properly drill glass
To avoid glass cracking, drilling should be done further than 15 mm from the edge for thin glass and no closer than 25 mm for thick glass.
The necessary practice can be obtained by first practicing drilling glass pieces of a similar thickness, so that, having acquired the appropriate skill, you do not harm the glass while working with it.
Significantly simplifies the process of the work performed by using a drilling construction stand when operating a drill.
Stages of glass drilling at home
The drilling procedure is as follows:
1) Thoroughly wipe the glass surface, in order to remove dust from it, the area prepared for drilling is processed with acetone;
2) Glass is laid horizontally to avoid cracking;
3) A cross marks the proposed hole using a felt-tip pen or glass cutter;
4) Using plasticine or putty material, a ring with a thickness of a finger and a diameter of an internal space of about 20 mm is molded, which is located around the mark, creating a tight pressing of it to the surface. Turpentine is poured into the inner surface of the ring;
6) When using a hand drill, drilling can be very difficult. It is required to attach a drilled sheet of plywood to the upper part of the glass surface, which will subsequently need to be removed;
7) The hole is made four-fifths deep;
8) The ring is removed, the glass turns over and the work continues further, for this you need to stick the ring on the back side and pour turpentine into it, while trying to get into the indicated hole. This procedure is performed in order to prevent the occurrence of chips.
In order to ensure an acceptable appearance of the hole drilled, its boundaries must be cleaned using an abrasive paper with a fine grain.
For high-quality use, the skin needs to be tied around a pipe that has a diameter less than the diameter of the hole made.
When it is required to drill a hole in a small glass object, it is perfectly acceptable to drill it in a state of almost complete immersion in water.
Safety first
In order to ensure the safety of the work carried out, protective goggles for the eyes are mandatory.
They will help to reliably protect your eyesight from the effects of glass chips, the contact of which in the eyes causes serious damage and is completely unacceptable.
How to drill glass with your own hands VIDEO
Glass is a very fragile material that breaks very easily, therefore, when performing work with its participation, you need to be extremely careful and attentive. That is why many, faced with the need to drill this material, are lost, not knowing how best to do it. Today I will share with you three ways, which will be the answer to the question of how to drill glass.
The first way (the easiest one).
To drill a hole in the glass we need: a flat surface (board, table or other), a screwdriver or a low-speed drill, plasticine and turpentine.
So, to begin with, put the glass on a prepared flat surface so that it lies firmly (does not "play" on the surface), and its (glass) edges do not hang down. Now we insert the drill into the drill (screwdriver) and set the minimum possible drilling speed. Scroll in the air, determining the "beat", if it is large, then you should choose another drill. Having picked up a drill, we degrease the glass surface with alcohol and mold a limiting circle on it from plasticine, into which we pour turpentine (a small amount). Now you can drill, the main thing is not to make great efforts so that your glass does not crack under pressure.
Second way.
Allows you to make a hole in the glass without using a power tool. For it we need: a metal mug, alcohol, lead or tin, sand, a gas burner or stove.
So, we take the glass and degrease it with alcohol, after which we sprinkle it with wet sand, in which we make a funnel of the required diameter with a sharp object. Then we pour pre-melted tin or lead into this funnel. We wait two minutes, remove the sand from the surface and remove the frozen solder, getting the desired smooth through hole.
Third way.
This method of drilling glass is not something special, but rather a modification of the first method.
Take a glass cutter and extract a diamond roller from it, we will need it to make a homemade drill. We fasten this roller on a metal rod with a rivet (in which it is necessary to cut a slot first) so that it cannot turn and sit firmly in the seat.
We insert the homemade drill we made into the drill chuck and drill the glass surface in the usual way.
That's all. Now you can easily drill any glass surface without fear of its safety. And I say goodbye to you, I hope I was able to answer the question of how to drill a hole in the glass. Until next time!
Video instruction.
The need to make a hole in the glass comes up when you need to hang a new mirror on the wall or fix a glass tabletop. Glass lends itself to mechanical processing, but the fragility of the material requires increased care and light pressure on the tool, protection from chips and cracks during operation. This problem can be solved in several simple ways.
Having chosen any of the methods, it is better to test it first and practice on a small shard.
Use a small piece of glass to learn how to properly drill this fragile material.
Safety regulations cannot be ignored, it is imperative to wear protective gloves and goggles.
Do not neglect safety precautions, eyes, face and hands must be protected To prevent the glass from breaking during operation, you need to prepare the table surface. It must be clean and even, small dents inside the hole area are acceptable, the entire workpiece must fit on the base. You can put a sheet of plywood and a piece of soft flannel under the workpiece. Then you need to prepare the following tools and materials:
- drill and spear-shaped carbide drill for working on glass or metal, drilling machine;
- turpentine, plasticine;
- marker;
- acetone, alcohol.
How to make a hole in regular glass
- Lay the workpiece, mark the center and draw a circle of the required diameter, taking into account the thickness of the glass. For thin material, it is necessary to retreat from the edge by at least 15 mm, and for thick material - 25 mm.
Before you start drilling, you need to make markings on the glass - Install a spear or drill bit and set the drill speed to the minimum speed, permissible from 250–1000 rpm.
Special drills are required to make holes in the stele. - Wipe the hole area with acetone or alcohol to degrease.
- Place the drill according to the markings in the center of the circle and start working, while dripping turpentine onto the glass. In order not to be distracted by the gravy, you can make a small side out of plasticine and stick it around the hole, pouring turpentine there.
- - The easiest way is to pour a little water.
The drill must be positioned strictly vertically, otherwise cracks and chips cannot be avoided - Drill the hole halfway, pressing the drill lightly so as not to split the workpiece, then turn the glass over to the other side and do the same. Turpentine is needed to constantly cool the drill, which will ensure high-quality drilling without overheating.
- If the hole is planned with a large diameter, then you need to use a crown: a diamond-coated tubular drill.
Water or turpentine will prevent the drill from overheating.
Tempered glass drilling
For tempering, the glass is heated to 680 ° C, and then the outer layers are cooled quickly, and the inner layers are cooled slowly. Thanks to this treatment, the mechanical strength increases 6 times, but the areas of internal stress during drilling contribute to the destruction of the workpiece.
It will not work to drill tempered glass with an ordinary drill and drill - it will split into small crumbs, therefore, if necessary, holes are first drilled in the glass and the desired shape is cut, the edges are processed, and then tempered. In industrial conditions, water-jet cutting is possible, when a special powder with water is shot through a narrow nozzle at a speed of 1000 m / s.
Thanks to special processing, the strength of the toughened glass is significantly increased Is it possible to do without a drill
Glass was successfully cut long before the invention of drills, here is a time-tested method that guarantees a smooth hole with smooth edges, you do not need a drill for it. When working with a burner and hot solder, you should follow safety precautions, take personal protective equipment and fire extinguishing equipment.
For work you will need:
- tin or lead;
- fine clean sand, glue or water;
- alcohol;
- unnecessary iron mug;
- gas burner, stove.
Stages of work:
People have been using mirrors and glass for a long time and cut, drill and give them various shapes, apply drawings to the surface. Therefore, even for a novice master, this work is quite capable if he carefully studied the instructions and takes all the steps carefully and slowly. The result is neat and perfectly straight holes, and the glass remains intact.