How to Drill Glass
You’re used to drilling wood and cement, but have you ever tried drilling glass? It might seem easy, but since this material breaks very easily, you might find this task a bit challenging. If not careful, you might accidentally shatter it, or hurt yourself. To help you out, here are some steps you can follow.
What You’ll Need:
Glass cutting bits
Drill motor with variable speed
Stable working surface
Eye goggles
Safety gloves
Procedure:
Prepare your working area. To drill glass properly, you must have a flat and sturdy surface. Ready your eye goggles and safety gloves too, to protect your hands and eyes when drilling.
Select the glass sheet your going to use. It must be the right thickness and size for the project you have. Don’t pick safety glass or tempered glass, because these types require special drilling treatment that ordinary craftsmen may not be familiar with.
Get some glass bits. These can be bought from hardware stores or home centers. Glass bits are made from tungsten carbide and have spade-shaped points. These allow them to withstand the friction when drilling glass.
Have the sheet of glass cut according to the size you need. The edges should be beveled and finished too, from the place where you had bought it.
Measure where you’re going to place the holes. A reminder: Never put any hole that’s within 3/4 inches from the edges or corners
Put the glass on the stable surface, and make sure it’s properly supported. You can put a rubber pad or a firm cushioning material under it, as long as it’s stable.
Get your variable speed drill motor, and put a bit in it tightly. Begin with a small one, preferably a 1/8 or 3/32 inch. Put it in the center point of your hole’s location, then start drilling. Make sure you use constant pressure while pushing on the drill, maintaining a slow and steady drilling speed.
When your drill is nearly at the other side of the glass, reverse the sheet. Oftentimes, when the drill punches through the glass, it will chip or spall the back side, so it’s better to drill back to meet the first hole. This first hole, or the “pilot hole” will guide the succeeding larger bits, as you manage to work your way up to the finished hole’s size.
Before proceeding to the next size, drill every hole with each size bit. As you change and use larger bits, use less pressure to keep the bit cutting, and make sure to lower drill speeds, too.
Some Tips
Throughout the drilling process, make sure your glass is supported.
Don’t overspeed your drill motor. Glass is very abrasive and hard, and will be quickly ruined.
Cutting oil helps the drilling process, but use it sparingly.
Drilling glass can be tougher than drilling other materials, but if you do it properly, it’ll be easy. Just follow these steps and you’ll get the holes you want for your glass.