How to make holes in glass correctly. How to drill glass correctly at home. Drilling with copper wire

If you need to drill glass, the easiest way is to entrust this task to a specialist. But firstly, such services are not cheap, and secondly, there are people who like to make things on their own. Let's try to figure out how to make a hole in glass without damaging it. Let's look at what tools you can use and how quickly and accurately you can complete the work ahead.

Preparatory work

Before drilling glass at home, you need to carefully prepare it:

• Using ethyl alcohol or turpentine, wipe the surface. This is necessary in order to degrease it.
• During work, it is unacceptable for the sheet to slip, so this point must also be taken into account.
• Choose a base so that the entire sheet rests on it.
• Before starting work, mark the place where you will drill. Use construction tape or a marker for this.
• If drilling glass with your own hands - new job for you, then practice on small pieces first to avoid damaging the main sheet.
• The drilling process is quite slow. There is no need to press on the glass to get the job done faster.
• Position the drill at right angles to the plane. Don't try to make the hole right away. Let the glass cool periodically.
• Once the perforation is almost done, turn the sheet over and finish the work on the other side. This will allow for perforation correct form, and at the same time avoid chipping and cracking.
• If small roughness or unevenness has formed on the surface, treating the glass with fine sand will help get rid of them. sandpaper.

How to drill glass at home with a regular drill?

To successfully complete this task, you will need:

1. A set of drills used for metal or ceramics.
2. Screwdriver or low-speed drill.
3. Plasticine.
4. Turpentine.
5. Alcohol.

Operating procedure:

• Place the glass sheet on a flat surface.

Important! Be careful not to overhang the edges.

• Set the screwdriver or drill to the lowest rotation speed.

Important! The drilling speed ranges between 250 and 1000 rpm.

• Clamp the desired drill bit into the chuck.
• Using an alcohol solution, degrease the surface, and then make a plasticine depression in place of the future hole.
• Pour some turpentine into it and start working with a drill.
• Do not press too hard on the tool as this may cause cracks.

Using sand

This is enough old way. It was used when screwdrivers and drills were not available. To drill glass with your own hands using this unusual method, you will need:

1. Petrol.
2. Sand.
3. Tin (can be replaced with lead).
4. Gas-burner.
5. Metal mug.
6. Sealing wax.

The algorithm of actions is as follows:

• Degrease the surface with gasoline.
• In the place where the hole is to be made, pour a little moistened sand.
• Using a sharp object, make a hole in the sand, the diameter of which is equal to the size of the future perforation in the glass sheet.
• Melt tin or lead in a metal mug using a gas torch.

Important! If you don’t have a burner, you can heat the metal in a mug and on a gas stove.

• Pour molten lead into the prepared hole.
• When the metal has hardened, remove the sand and remove frozen glass. The resulting hole will be perfect shape and it will not need to be processed.

How to drill a hole in glass at home using a homemade drill?

To make a homemade drill, you will need a diamond roller from a glass cutter and a metal rod:

1. Saw a groove in the rod to insert the roller into. It must be secured so that it is motionless in relation to the metal rod.
2. Fix the drill made in this way in a screwdriver or drill and start drilling. This is the same as using a diamond-coated drill bit to perforate.

Important! If for some reason you cannot buy a factory-made drill, then you can make it yourself.

There is another way self-study drills for work to drill glass at home:

1. Clamp a regular drill bit in pliers and hold it over the flame of a gas burner for a few minutes.
2. After the instrument is white-hot, cool it with sealing wax.
3. After the drill has cooled, remove any remaining sealing wax.
4. With this simple manipulation, you get a durable tool that can be used to make holes in a tempered glass sheet.

• To avoid cracking of the material, apply a little turpentine or honey to the surface at the drilling site.
• Do not press the screwdriver or drill while working, do not swing the tool from side to side.
• Take breaks of 5-10 seconds. During breaks, lower the drill into a container with cold water for cooling.
• If you choose between a drill and a screwdriver, give preference to the latter, since the drilling mode in this case will be more gentle.
• To treat the surface, you can use either a solution of ethyl alcohol or acetone.
• Do not forget about safety precautions - you need to wear safety glasses and gloves when working.
• Minimum distance from the drilling point to the edge of the sheet: 15 mm - for fragile types, 25 mm - for ordinary glass.
• It is advisable to place the glass sheet on a wooden surface.

Application of glass cutter

Using this tool you can create holes large diameter or complex shape. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

1. Using a marker or felt-tip pen, draw contours for subsequent processing.
2. Press the tool smoothly and evenly; do not make sudden movements.
3. To make the cut part fall off, gently tap the surface with the handle of the tool.
4. To remove any remaining glass, use special tweezers.

Important! Before you start working with glass, check the condition of the tool. It is necessary that the roller is in the center of the glass cutter and rotates freely and evenly.

Creating holes in glass may seem like a simple operation, but in practice it is a rather complex and responsible procedure. The structure of glass is malleable but at the same time very fragile. Therefore, the peculiarity of the operation lies not so much in the choice of the force of influence, but in the approach to its organization. the main task masters - not to lead to the formation of cracks, chips and breaks of the main surface. How to make a hole in glass without violating this condition? You can accomplish this task using special technologies and tricks that are available to almost any master. Next, the most popular and effective methods will be discussed.

Preparing glass for processing

Before any hole making or simple cutting operation, proper preparation should be made. Working surface The glass must be clean and, if possible, free from defective areas - during drilling, they can cause third-party chipping, which will ruin the workpiece. It is recommended to mark the lines of the future hole so that the physical flaws in the surface are located inside the circle, but do not go beyond. As additional measure glass can be processed and chemicals, which, in particular, will relieve it of oil traces. If the question is how to make a small hole in glass, then you will have to prepare fixing equipment. The method of fixing the workpiece will depend on the technology for creating the hole, but in most cases such elements are mounted on a vice of a suitable configuration - damping soft material is placed directly into the contact areas.

The nuances of making holes by drilling

Glass cannot be processed using the usual drilling method. If we are talking about the preparation of the same large sizes, then you can use standard set drills and drills, but before this, the working equipment should be prepared in a special way. First of all, a drill of a suitable size is heated to white shade. Next, it must be immersed in sealing wax and held until the latter melts. After this, the tip is moistened in turpentine and you can begin the work process. There is another option that allows you to make a round hole in the glass by drilling - it step-by-step instruction is presented below:

• Camphor and particles of coarse sandpaper are crushed.
• The prepared elements are poured into a small container and diluted with turpentine.
• A small piece of copper wire is prepared for the drill, which must be clamped in the chuck.
• The previously prepared paste is placed on a clean glass surface.
• To position the copper equipment, a guide jig made of plywood is prepared.
• You can start drilling.

Creating Large Holes

Drilling methods are not always theoretically acceptable for making holes in glass, and not only for reasons of the high risk of chipping. In the case of holes with a diameter of more than 10 cm, no household equipment can cope with this task. But even in this case there is a way out, which also involves a drill. It is necessary to make a small through point in the prepared surface in the very center of the planned hole. For this, you can use any small-format glass with a diameter of less than 1 cm. You should not be afraid of third-party chips, because they will fall on the area that will already be removed. Now another question: how to make a hole in glass, having a small through opening in the center? A piece of wire is inserted into the created small hole and secured. The other end is fastened with a glass cutter. Next, after checking the reliability of the fixation of the elements and the smooth movement of the tool in a circle, you can begin cutting in a circle.

Smelting hole

IN in this case You will need to initially prepare equipment for preparing liquid tin or lead. The glass surface is also prepared accordingly. It should be treated with gasoline, acetone or alcohol. Next, moistened sand is poured onto the marked area for forming the hole. There should be enough of it so that you can create a funnel, the bottom of which will fit the edges of the hole in size. After this, metal is poured into the created funnel. It will cool down in 1-2 minutes, after which it will be possible to remove the sand equipment along with the poured mold. This best option, if there is a question regarding how to make a hole in glass without a drill and with smooth edges. But the problem may arise in another aspect. No matter how precise a sand funnel is, it will be impossible to control the diameter that will form when the glass is melted with metal.

Cutting with a soldering iron

From the point of view of the quality of the result, this option can be called the opposite of the previous one. In this case, the master will be able to relatively accurately maintain the boundaries of the marked hole diameter, but the edges may be uneven. The process begins with creating a risk using a needle file. The task of this operation is to carefully mark the future melt with a soldering iron in depth. Now you can move on to the next stage - how to make a hole in glass without drilling using a soldering iron? After warming up the tip of the device, you can start cutting. Moreover, there is no need to rush this process. It is advisable to perform melting in small sections, cooling the glass if necessary - otherwise there is a risk of deformation of areas not intended for processing.

How to make a hole in heat-resistant glass?

A very labor-intensive operation, and in such situations, limitations in methods due to fragility no longer matter ordinary glass. In some ways, such cutting is similar to the processing of metal surfaces. If we are talking about thin glass, then you can try drilling using diamond and solid-state nozzles. In any case, they cope with metal. But how to make a hole in glass of large diameter? To do this, you can use a powerful hammer drill with a crown equipped with the same diamond elements. How Alternative option You can also try cutting with an abrasive wheel, but it will provide a very rough result, which is not always suitable.

High-tech processing methods

This category of methods for creating holes is more likely to be industrial, although private craftsmen also acquire appropriate equipment for their needs. It's about about lathes and units that provide sandblasting abrasive cutting. It is water jets that give the highest quality results - how can you make a hole in glass using such equipment? First, the installation is fixed in machine clamps - there are practically no restrictions on size, including thickness. Next they refuel Consumables. They are made up of sand and water. The hole is created as a result of circular cutting with a water-sand jet along a pre-designated line. The automation itself will position the cutting direction, ensuring an almost perfectly even cutting.

Conclusion

The fragility of the material significantly limits home craftsmen who need to make a hole in it. However, almost everyone traditional way The formation of round cutouts, subject to improvement, turns out to be effective in solving this problem. It is quite possible to make a hole in glass at home using a drill, glass cutter or soldering iron. Another thing is that the quality will not always meet expectations. Yet manual processing always involves risks of deviation from the direction of the cut. If diameter special significance does not have, then you can turn to the smelting method - at least it allows you to count on the smoothness of the edge. If you need a high-quality hole, and one made exactly, then you won’t be able to do it without special equipment.

If you need to create an even and neat hole in a glass surface, it is not necessary to contact experienced and qualified specialists, whose services are quite expensive. This procedure can be performed with your own hands in a home workshop, but, of course, to do this you need to know how to drill glass, what tools, consumables and equipment to use.

To drill glass, use one of the methods discussed in this article

We understand the features of the material

Before asking yourself the question of how to drill glass at home, you should at least general outline get acquainted with the characteristics and features of this material.

The glass production process is quite complex. Perform it on industrial enterprises, equipped special equipment. The main stage of this process is the preparation of a melt, which includes several components. Such a melt for glass is subjected to sudden supercooling, and the crystallization process is not completely completed.

To prepare the melt, the mixture of components that make up the future glass is subjected to significant heating - up to 2500°. Depending on what chemical basis has a melt, glasses are distinguished:

• oxide category;
• sulfide;
• fluoride type.

Glass, which may be opaque, is divided into Various types depending on the main characteristics of the material. So, glass is distinguished:

1. quartz, which is obtained by melting quartzite, also known as rock crystal ( this material may be of natural origin and is found mainly in places where quartz deposits have been exposed to lightning);
2. optical type, used for the manufacture of basic elements optical instruments(lenses, prisms, etc.);
3. characterized by high resistance to aggressive influences chemical substances And elevated temperatures;
4. industrial use(the most extensive category of glass, also used in everyday life).

The question of how to drill a hole in glass most often arises when using the latter type of product. Industrial products, in turn, are also divided into several categories:

1. potassium-sodium type (such glasses, characterized by a clean and light internal structure, have a relatively low melting point, so they are often used for making glass products complex shape);
2. potassium-calcium type (glass of this type have a surface without a pronounced shine, are highly hard and difficult to melt);
3. lead type(such glasses have a pronounced shine, which makes them very similar to crystal, high fragility with a fairly high plasticity of the internal structure, significant specific gravity and more at a high price, when compared with the cost of other types of products);
4. borosilicate (they are highly resistant to temperature changes and mechanical stress and are quite expensive).

There is also a classification of glass according to purpose. So, different kinds glasses are used for:

• glazing of windows and other translucent structures;
• manufacturing of containers;
• reducing radiation levels;
• fiberglass production;
• protecting smartphone screens;
• making dishes;
• production of thermometers capable of measuring temperature in the range from –200° to +650°;
• manufacturing laboratory glassware (such glasses are characterized by high thermal stability);
• production medical products(ampoules, tubes, containers for medicines);
• fireplace screens and ovens (in such cases, heat-resistant glass is used);
• manufacturing of electric lamps (in this case, so-called electric bulb glasses are used);
• production of incandescent lamps, X-ray tubes, ignitrons (this requires vacuum glass);
• creation of elements of optical instruments - cameras, microscopes, telescopes, etc.;
• manufacturing thin-walled chemical containers and other products that require high resistance to chemical and thermal effects (for this, quartzoid glasses, also known as Vicor, are used).

What tools are used to drill glass?

To prevent glass drilling from ending in cracking and complete destruction, it is very important to know not only how, but also how to drill glass correctly. On modern market There are many tools available individual species which can be used to create holes in glass.

1. A drill, the working part of which is made of hard alloy and has the shape of a feather or spear, allows you to make a hole in glass with a diameter of 3–12 mm. Using such a drill requires certain skills. However, even their presence and maximum care when performing work will not help to drill glass with this tool without small chips.
2. Allows for better quality hole drilling diamond drill on glass, the working part of which also has the shape of a spear. Such a tool, the cutting part of which is coated with diamond, provides softer drilling.
3. Glass drills, made in the form of a tube, are used in cases where it is necessary to make a large diameter hole in the glass. It is more convenient to use a tubular drill complete with a drilling machine.
4. When using brass drills, the cutting part of which is coated with diamond, it is necessary to take care of their high-quality cooling, for which water or turpentine is supplied to the processing area.
5. Tubular glass crowns, made with diamond coating on the cutting part, also require high-quality cooling. If you don't know how to cut a large hole in glass, this tubular drill bit will help you solve the problem.

Product preparation

When wondering how to cut a hole in glass so that the hole formed in it is as neat as possible, and the glass itself does not crack, it is important to know how to properly prepare it for processing. To drill glass with your own hands, you need to perform the following preparatory steps:

1. The surface of the glass that needs to be drilled is degreased with alcohol or turpentine. After this, it must be wiped with a dry cloth.
2. The glass sheet or mirror must be placed on a surface that will prevent the product from sliding during processing.
3. The surface on which the glass sheet or mirror will be placed must be larger than the product itself. The edges of the sheet should not be allowed to protrude beyond its limits.
4. It is advisable to stick masking tape or a piece of plaster on the place that needs to be drilled to prevent the tool from slipping.
5. The center of the future hole is indicated using a regular marker.
6. If you are familiar with drilling glass at home only from videos, then to gain practical skills it is better to first practice on unnecessary glass shards. This training will allow you to subsequently drill glass efficiently.
7. Drilling holes in glass should be done as carefully as possible, without unnecessary haste. In this case, minimal pressure should be applied to the tool used.
8. The glass and ceramic drill that will be used to perform processing should be positioned strictly perpendicular to the surface of the product.
9. You should not drill holes in glass in one pass; you must periodically stop the process to allow the tool to cool completely.
10. When the glass sheet or mirror is drilled almost completely, you should stop the process, turn the workpiece over and continue with reverse side products. This approach will allow you to drill a hole in a mirror or glass sheet with the highest quality possible and minimize the risk of chips and cracks.
11. To make the edges of the hole you drilled even neater, you can further sand them with fine sandpaper.

Drilling glass using a regular drill

Many home craftsmen are interested in the question of how to drill glass or a mirror, using not a tubular or other special drill, but a regular tool. In order to perform this procedure, you will need the following tools and supplies:

• drill, which is usually used to drill metal, ceramic and tile material;
• low-speed drill, instead of which you can use a screwdriver;
• a piece of ordinary plasticine;
• turpentine;
• alcohol solution.

The drilling itself is performed in the following sequence:

1. The glass sheet or mirror must be placed absolutely flat surface, while the edges of the workpiece should not protrude beyond its limits.
2. The area of ​​glass that needs to be drilled must be degreased using cotton wool soaked in an alcohol solution.
3. After fixing the drill in the chuck for tiles and glass, the drill is set minimal amount rpm Before starting work, you need to check the degree of runout of the drill: if it is too large, then the tool should be replaced with another one.
4. On the surface of the glass that needs to be drilled (in the place of direct processing), it is necessary to fix a piece of plasticine, in the middle of which a small depression is made in the form of a funnel. Turpentine is poured into such a recess, through which holes are drilled in the glass.
5. To avoid throwing away the cracked object after drilling, this process should be carried out as carefully as possible, without exerting much effort. The minimum rotation speed of the drill chuck should be 250 rpm, and the maximum cannot exceed 1000 rpm.

How to make a hole in glass using sand

Few people know how to make a hole in glass using ordinary sand. You will need:

• the sand itself;
• petrol;
• a small amount of tin, which can be replaced with lead;
• gas-burner;
• a metal vessel, which can be used as an ordinary mug.

The surface of the glass that needs to be drilled is degreased, as in all previous cases. A mound of wet sand is poured onto the area where the center of the future hole should be located, in which, using a sharp object, a recess is made with a diameter corresponding to cross section created hole.

Molten tin (or lead) is poured into a depression formed in a pile of wet sand, after which it is necessary to wait a few minutes. Then the sand is removed from the surface of the product, and a piece of metal alloy with glass, the dimensions of which fully corresponds, is easily removed from the material being processed. geometric parameters the hole being formed. A gas torch and a metal mug are used to bring the tin or lead to a molten state.

The cut made using the method described above is of high quality and does not require additional modification.

Using a homemade drill

You can drill glass by making your own tool, the design of which includes a diamond roller from a glass cutter and a metal rod. The diamond roller, which will act as the cutting part, is tightly fixed in a slot made on the end part of the metal rod. By fixing such a tool in the drill chuck, you can drill any glass product, and the result will be of sufficient quality.

By hardening a regular drill, you can give it the ability to drill through glass. To do this, the working part of the drill must be heated white-hot using a gas burner, and then cooled by dipping it into sealing wax.

How to drill glass correctly to get a high-quality result? To solve this problem, it is enough to adhere to the following recommendations:

1. To minimize the risk of cracks and splits at the drilling site, the glass can be treated with honey and turpentine.
2. The pressure exerted on the drill from above should be minimal.
3. The drilling process itself must be performed for 5–10 seconds, after which it is necessary to cool the tool in a vessel with water.
4. The drill should not be moved from side to side.
5. The distance between the center of the hole and the edge of the workpiece must be at least 1.5 cm.

Naturally, before drilling the glass, you must degrease it and lay it on a flat surface, which is best used as a wooden base.

When the need arises to drill glass, most will most likely turn to specialists who will do this work for you, but not for free. In fact, the whole process of drilling at home is not as complicated as it might seem. In this article we will understand how to drill glass, as well as how and with what it can be done.

Preparing for work

• Before you drill glass at home, you need to prepare it for work: use turpentine or alcohol to degrease the entire surface, and then wipe it with a dry soft cloth;
• Do not allow the glass sheet to slide during operation.
• The sheet must be completely positioned on the base.
• The place where you decide to drill a hole should be marked with a marker or construction tape.
• If you do not have the skills to drill holes, we advise you to practice on small pieces so as not to spoil the main sheet.
• Drilling glass at home is not fast. The process will take quite a long time. While working, do not press too hard to speed up the work.
• The drill should be positioned at right angles to the plane. One hole should not be made at a time. From time to time you need to stop and let it cool a little.
• When you are in the final stage, i.e. When the hole is almost ready, you need to turn the glass sheet over and drill a hole on the other side. This operation allows you to avoid cracks or chips, and you will also get a hole of the correct shape.
• In order to get rid of small irregularities or roughness on the glass surface, take fine sandpaper and sand the sheet.

Drill glass with a regular drill

To drill holes in glass you will need the following:

• Drills designed for drilling ceramic or metal materials;
• Low-speed drill or screwdriver;
• Turpentine;
• Plasticine;
• Alcohol.

The sheet must be placed on a completely flat surface. There are some nuances here: the edges should not hang down, and it should not wobble.

The drill or screwdriver must be set to the lowest rotation speed. Clamp the required drill bit into the chuck. After this you need to check the drilling. If there is increased runout, then it is advisable to change it. The lowest speed for drilling is 250 rpm, and the highest is 1000 rpm.

The surface should be degreased with an alcohol solution, and then make a recess made of plasticine in place of the upcoming hole. Pour a little turpentine into this recess and start working. To avoid cracks, do not press too hard on the tool. Without any effort, lightly hold the screwdriver or drill over the glass and drill holes in the glass.

How to drill glass using sand

At a time when there were no drills and screwdrivers, glass drilling was done using this method. In order to make a hole using sand you will need the following things:

• Naturally sand.
• Petrol.
• Lead or tin.
• Gas-burner.
• A metal mug or other similar vessel.

The surface must be degreased with gasoline, and after that you need to pour a pile of wet sand onto the future drilling site. Then, using some sharp object, you need to make a funnel of exactly the same diameter as the future hole should be.

A pre-molten mixture of lead or tin must be poured into this resulting form. After a few minutes, you need to remove the sand and remove the frozen part of the glass. It should come off the surface easily. The resulting hole will be perfectly smooth and will not require any additional processing.

To heat tin or lead, use a metal mug or other container and a gas burner. If you don’t have a burner, then a regular household gas stove will do.

How to drill with a homemade drill

Drilling glass at home will require preparing a special drill, which consists of a diamond roller located in a regular glass cutter and a metal rod. It is necessary to make a cut in this rod into which this diamond roller will be placed so that it is stationary in relation to the rod.

Having prepared such a drill, fix it in a screwdriver or drill and start drilling a hole. It can be called a modification of conventional diamond-coated drills. Therefore, if you do not have the opportunity to purchase such a factory drill, then you can easily make it yourself.

There is another way to prepare a homemade drill. You need to take any ordinary drill, clamp it in pliers and hold it in the flame of a gas burner for several minutes. After the end of the drill turns white, you need to quickly cool it by dipping it into sealing wax. Once it has cooled, remove any remaining sealing wax if present. Through this simple operation you get a hardened tool that can be used to drill through hardened material.

• In order to prevent the appearance of splits and cracks on the surface, it is necessary to apply a little turpentine or honey to the place that needs to be drilled.
• The drill or screwdriver should not be pressed too hard from above.
• It is necessary to take breaks during the drilling process. Intervals should be between 5 and 10 seconds. Also, during a break, it is advisable to lower the drill into a container of water to cool it down. This is necessary in order to avoid melting.
• Do not rock the screwdriver or drill from side to side.
• If possible, it is better to use a screwdriver, because... it will work in a more gentle mode with its low speed.
• In order to treat the surface, you can use not only alcohol, but also acetone.
• When working with a drill, you should take care of safety precautions: use gloves and goggles.
• The drilling point for fragile glass should be no less than 1.5 mm from the edge of the sheet, and for ordinary glass no less than 2.5 cm.
• It is best to work with the material on a wooden surface.

Working with a glass cutter

To fully cover the topic, it is worth learning how to drill glass at home using a glass cutter. It is perfect for creating unusual shapes or large sizes. In this case, the sequence of actions will be as follows.

1. Using a marker or felt-tip pen, create the necessary contours along which the processing will take place.

2. When working with a glass cutter, you should not make sudden movements. Pressure on the instrument should be uniform and smooth.

3. To make the cut part fall off, use the handle of a glass cutter to lightly tap the surface.

4. Use special tongs to remove excess.

5. Before starting work, you need to check the condition of the tool. The roller should be in the middle and rotate evenly and smoothly.

Unusual ways to drill a hole in glass

1. In order to drill through tempered glass, it is necessary to prepare a cooling liquid. It will be prepared as follows: acetic acid you need to dissolve alum from aluminum. If you don’t have them, you can mix turpentine with camphor in a 1:1 ratio. Treat the glass with the resulting solution and then begin work.

2. If you do not have a drill, you can use copper wire, which must be clamped into the drill. In such a case, the process will take place using a special solution: 2 parts turpentine and 1 part camphor, to which coarse sandpaper powder should be added. The mixture must be placed in the place where you need to drill a hole and get to work.

3. There is another method of using a similar solution. It is possible to work with a metal piece of pipe, which can also be inserted into the drill chuck. Make a plasticine ring 10 mm high and 50 mm in diameter on the glass surface. Pour a solution of camphor, turpentine and emery powder into the recess of the ring and drill.

The need to drill glass does not arise very often. Therefore, not all home craftsmen know drilling techniques. Drilling glass is a complex process, it has many nuances, it requires accuracy and patience special tools and little tricks.

Preparing for work

How to drill glass correctly so that the hole is neat, without chips, and the sheet does not crack? First of all, preparation for drilling is required. The sequence of actions is as follows:

• remove grease stains with an organic solvent (alcohol, white spirit, turpentine) and wipe dry with a clean rag;
• lay the sheet on a flat base so that it rests on the base with its entire area and does not slip;
• Mark the drilling location with a marker or using masking tape;
• drill a test hole on a piece of glass, checking the quality of the tool and your skills;

Drilling glass is a thorough and slow operation; you will need to allow for a reserve of time.

Drill glass with a regular drill

Special drill for glass - best tool. It happens that it is not at hand. The method of how to drill a neat hole in glass with a regular drill is known to many specialists and requires some additional preparation.

This will require:

• metal drill;
• low speed drill;
• a piece of plasticine;
• a tablespoon of turpentine;
• a small amount of alcohol.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Place the sheet on level base so that it rests on it with its entire area and does not slip. The edges should not droop.
2. Degrease the drilling area and the surrounding area with a radius of 10 cm with alcohol.
3. Lay out a plasticine board with a height of 5-10 mm and a diameter of 20-30 mm around the drilling site. Pour turpentine in there.
4. Secure the drill in the chuck. Make sure there is no runout. Set the gearbox to minimum speed.
5. Drill without exceeding 1000 rpm.

When the revolutions begin to drop, this means that the hole in the glass has almost been drilled. You should reduce the pressure on the drill handle and hold it tightly so that it does not deviate from the vertical and a chip does not form on the other side.

How to drill glass using sand

Some unusual way How to drill sheet glass without a drill. To do this you will need:

• a handful of clean river sand;
• a piece of tin or lead, you can use solder;
• degreasing solvent;
• a pointed rod, equal in diameter to the future hole;
• large spoon or small metal vessel, playing the role of a crucible;
• portable gas burner.

The glass surface should be degreased within a radius of 10 cm from the place to be drilled.

The sand is moistened and a pyramid 30-50 mm high is formed from it. The sand needs to be compacted well; the accuracy of the operation depends on this. Using a stick, a hole is formed at the top of the pyramid, its bottom resting on the place that needs to be drilled. The recess must be made strictly vertical, with tight edges.

The preparation is complete, now you need to melt the metal with a burner and carefully pour it into the recess in a thin stream. The melt will make a hole in the glass, sealing the edges. You will need to sweep away the sand and carefully pull out the piece of metal sticking out of the melted hole.

How to drill with a homemade drill

How to make a hole in glass if you only have a glass cutter on hand, originally intended for cuts in a straight line? You need to carefully remove the cutting roller coated with artificial diamonds from it, without losing the small axis on which it was attached. Next you need to take a metal tube or rod with a diameter slightly smaller than the roller. At the end of the tube, a cut is made with a width equal to the thickness of the roller and a length slightly greater than its diameter. In the slot of the tube, the roller is secured to the axis, pressing it tightly. Now you can insert the rod into the drill chuck and drill a hole with a diameter equal to the size of the roller. Quality inner surface will be almost perfect.

Some home craftsmen use their own hands to make a hardened drill bit for metal that can handle glass sheets. To do this, the end of the drill is subjected to heat treatment - hardening. Gas burner or blowtorch you should heat the end of the instrument (1-2 cm) until red, and then sharply place it in a stick of sealing wax. With sudden cooling, the structure of the material will change, and such a tool will be able to drill through glass.

To avoid splitting the sheet homemade instrument, you need to adhere to several rules:

• To prevent the sheet from cracking or chipping, the drilling site is lubricated with honey and turpentine;
• you need to press the drill with minimal force;
• speed should be minimal;
• You need to drill in steps of 10-15 seconds, during breaks, cool the drill by dipping it in a jar of water;
• the drill must be held strictly perpendicular to the plane of the sheet;
• You should not mark a hole in the glass closer than 15 mm from any edge of the sheet.

Before drilling a hole in the glass homemade drill at home, you should lay the sheet on a flat surface so that it is evenly

Working with a glass cutter

If you need to make a hole in glass of a large diameter, a glass cutter can again come to the rescue.

To do this, use a special glass-cutting compass. He is central support, attached to the surface in the center of the future hole using a suction cup. A bar rotates around this support, on which the glass cutter handle is attached in a sliding clamp. The glass cutter makes a circle around the suction cup to cut through the glass. The tool must be moved smoothly, with constant pressure. After the cut line is closed, it must be tapped with a handle. the cut circle is then lifted on a suction cup.

It is better to treat the cut surface with an abrasive stone or a file to blunt the sharp edges and eliminate the possibility of cutting during further work.

Unconventional methods of drilling glass

How else can you drill glass at home? To exotic, but nevertheless very effective ways drill glass, include:

• Drilling holes in glass with copper wire of the appropriate diameter. To speed up the process, a mixture of one third camphor and two thirds turpentine is used. Abrasive powder is added to the solution.
• You can also drill with a metal tube with a smoothly sawn end, clamped in a drill chuck. A turpentine-camphor solution with the addition of abrasive powder is also used.
• A metal tube with teeth cut at the end. The height of the teeth must be strictly the same, otherwise the glass will break.

What if you need to drill through tempered glass? Unfortunately, this will not work at home. It is better to contact a company that has equipment for waterjet cutting. Other methods offered by certain craftsmen do not provide any guarantee of a successful outcome.

Special crowns and drills

Professional tools for drilling holes in glass are divided into two large groups:

• drills with a sharp tip, used for small diameters;
• drill bits for medium and large hole sizes.

A glass drill with a sharp tip is a pointed plate of carbide heat-resistant tool steel, soldered into a shank made of ordinary metal. Best drills By glass-diamond. Their diameter usually does not exceed 8-12 mm. This tool can also be used to drill glazed ceramics. When working, it is very important to keep the drill strictly perpendicular to the surface. Runout of the shank in the chuck is also unacceptable.

Drilling bits for glass are a tube or bowl made of tool alloys coated with diamond dust. Tubular diamond drills are used for small hole diameters; they provide greater productivity and less risk of chipping than pointed plate drills.

Coat the end of the bowl with a coating of small artificial diamonds. This is one of the few materials that is harder than glass. Crowns coated with other abrasive materials are also offered on the market. They can also drill into a glass sheet, but there is a higher risk of chips and cracks.

A bowl-shaped bit can be used to drill holes up to 150 mm in diameter. For larger sizes, use a compass with a glass cutter.

When working with a crown, you need to monitor the temperature of the tool. It is better to use special coolant

Drilling rules

Experienced glassmakers have formulated several rules for working with glass sheets:

• maintain the minimum possible speed of the screwdriver or drill;
• the pressure on the handle should be minimal; increased pressure will not speed up the process, but most likely lead to a crack;
• do not allow the drill to deviate from the direction perpendicular to the surface;
• take a break every 10-15 seconds to cool the tool and working area;
• moisten the drilling site and drill with water or a special cooling emulsion.

Working intermittently avoids overheating of the tool and material. It is overheating that most often causes sheet cracking.

When drilling is almost finished, the most critical moment comes, since the risk of chipping around the exit hole becomes maximum. This moment is also felt by the increase in resistance felt on the drill handle. Experienced glaziers advise in this case to turn the sheet over and carefully start drilling from the opposite side. Then both the inlet and outlet holes will be neat, without chips or irregularities.

If irregularities do occur, they should be polished with sandpaper or an abrasive stone.

Don't forget about proper preparation to work. The sheet must be laid on a flat base. It should rest evenly on the lining over the entire area and not slip over it. The edges of the sheet should not extend beyond the base. Best to use plywood sheet, upholstered in thick wool fabric.

Before installation, you should thoroughly sweep or vacuum the base to remove any debris or small glass fragments.

For drilling tempered glass It is better to use waterjet cutting equipment. Home-grown methods will most likely lead to cracks.

Round holes of large diameter are cut using a glass cutter and a compass.

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