drilling a hole through a glass bottle

[li]

Anyone have experience with drilling through bottom of a glass bottle?

[Dave Burnett]

Yes. What size hole and what is the reason for doing so ?

[Oso]

Brass tubing and abrasive slurry works very well, if a tad slowly.

[bdarin]

Carbide glass drills are available. Get some clay and make a dam around where the hole is going to be. Put a kerosene/oil mix (50-50) inside the dam to make a little "swimming pool". This keeps the drill lubricated and cool. Drill slowly. I've used the brass tube and course valve grinding compound methed before. It takes forever, but it works.

[Thrud]

Diamond points for your Foredom/Dremel work best. The Brass tube and Diamond grit also works great. There are carbide glass drills but masonary bits do just as crappy a job as the glass drills (use the diamond).

I have also drilled holes in glass with a dull drill bit at high speed - it is ugly, it melts through, and can break on you. I do not approve of abusing your tools but it was a McGuyver kludge in an emergency.

You can get the diamond goodies at lapidary shops. The technical name for the tube type drills with Diamond grit is "Coring Bits". The coring bits do a beautiful job and can drill anything including carbide, granite, and gemstones - including Diamonds!

The ladipary stores also have a special compound (such as "Crystalube" - Crystalite Corp.) to enhance the cutting action of the diamond compunds. Water can be used, but harder materials cut better with the "Crystalube".



[This message has been edited by Thrud (edited 01-05-2002).]

[halfnut]

I swear this is true, I observed from across the shop.

My old boss used to drill holes in glass domes for a local gift shop, they put a hook in the top of them and sold them to display things like grandpa's pocket watch.

He would walk over to drill press, wrap a wrag around glass dome and use, I think a plain solid carbide drill bit. He was a bit crafty, probably had done a little special sharpening on bit. He did several, I never saw him break one.

Some people are lucky.

[This message has been edited by halfnut (edited 01-05-2002).]

[Oso]

Bet it was a spade bit. He probably sharpened it to scrape more than cut, and ran pretty good speed.

I saw som of those core bits, diamond hole saws they were called where I saw them.

[Thrud]

Oso

Most "glass" drills are spade drills as you say.

The concrete industry as well and oil rigs have always called them coring bits. The roughnecks use the hollow bits for "core" samples of the strata they are drilling through. Concrete finishers use them for conduit passages for piping or electrical services.

Electricians & plumbers "saw" wood or metal not concrete, they have hole saws. A coring bit abrades its way through the material. You could call them a hole saw, but unless they have teeth to cut with, they are not "SAWS".

A screwdriver is not a crowbar or chisel, but it does not stop people from abusing it that way.

[Oso]

I was thinking of the spade type carbide bits as opposed to the fluted ones. The "spear point" glass drills I have never had good results from.

Agree on the terminology. Where I saw the core bits was at "Horrible Fright", where I went to look at their hoists (and didn't like them).
Not surprising to see the wrong term used there, perhaps.

[George Hodge]

Don't remember where I read about this,but you're supposed to be able to cut glass with hand shears,if the glass is submerged under water. Might work in drilling too? Sounds kinda farfetched,but I haven't tried it. I did drill a bunch of holes in a ceramic pot with a 1/4in. concrete drill. Diamonds make the prettiest holes!