Drilling glass?

[ryanne]

Sorry - I completely spaced posting this link - here it is:

http://www.wholesalersusainc.com/

That's the link to the main page, here's a link to the glass pieces that they offer with holes in them:

http://www.wholesalersusainc.com/glass-gems-marbles-hand-glass-shapes-c-58_152.html

[rocktopus]

Sweet! Thanks!

[happyowl]

thanks for the link!

also, if anyone is still looking for glass-drilling tips be sure to have a small amount of water fed to avoid overheating the glass. i used to use a dremel with a diamond bit before i got a drill press. both methods work, just be sure to use on-and-off pressure with that water feed (again, to avoid cracking & overheating).

[susankg53]

my son drills through the bottom of glass bottles to make lamps. He uses that clay that never dries out to make a ring from, then place it where you want to drill and press it down to adhere it to the glass, now fill that with oil and you have a nice little well of oil. He uses a spade bit for glass and drills down through the oil slowly. The oil helps keep the glass from getting hot. He rarely breaks a bottle. Cleaning the oil and glass is kind of messy but not too bad.

[Kreestahl]

Besides keeping the glass and bit cooler, the water will also keep the glass dust from flying.  The dust embeds in your lungs.  Over time it can build up causing a condition similar to miner's Black lung.  It is the same reason there is water in glass grinders and tile cutters.

[ham4art]

I put a shallow plastic tub that I got from hospital cast offs on the drill press plate. Fill it with water and use an old mouse pad to rest the glass on. The pad keeps the glass from skating and the water cools the bit.

[jaberella]

I use diamond bits to drill into glass. In Philly there is Jewelers Row and there is a Jewelry supply store. They have diamond bits for drilling and also for boring larger openings (like a ¼" hole). Anyway, I use a dremmel and the diamond bits

[crafty_rach]

Just a question about putting the glass into the water ... do I need to have the water over the hole or just touching the sides of the piece? Cause drilling something submerged in water just disagrees with my 'water+electricity=bad' sense.

I want to drill a hole into the side of a jar btw, is that going to be harder cause the surface will be curved?

Thanks

[ladybglass]

I know it's been a while since you asked your ?, but I am new to this site.  I have drilled holes in glass recently, and you have to use a diamond bit, and make sure the glass is under water.  Similar to tile, if it is not under water, it will get too hot and crack.  It is a very precarious, and requires patience. Hope this helps!