I have a glass/tile bit and the damn bit won’t start! I am reluctant to bang on a punch, afraid to fracture the tile. Any hints on starting these bits? They look like an ace of spades.
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Always been able to get a little chip out with a center punch or small nailset...but it was never my tile<G>
Whoever it is I wish they'd cut it out but when they will I can only guess.
They say I shot a man named Gray and took his wife to Italy,
She inherited a million bucks and when she died it came to me.
I can't help it if I'm lucky.
Try using a small masonry bit to drill a pilot hole.
What kind of tile? Might make a difference.
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
villeroy and boch ceramic and damned hard! I can ask at the tile forum as well.http://www.etherhuffer.typepad.com
I've always used a spring loaded center punch and never had a problem. One way or thother you need to break the glaze before you drill. Just give it a couple cautious taps with a hardened nail or something like that... PaulB
ask over at johnbridge.com thats a tile only site
I've drilled lots of holes in ceramic with the same type of bit you describe and never had any problem drilling a hole. It starts to eat into the tile right away without problem. Maybe you have a faulty bit that is ground wrong.
roger
Etch a little hole with a dremel and a diamond bit first, then proceed with the drill. Spritz it w/ water while your drilling..Don't use the hammer function--drill only. A piece of blue painters tape usually helps also.
But in my experience, the 'ace of spades' glass/tile bits suck anyway.
I have a dremel and I have a second bit to try. Great idea. I had no idea that ceramic was so damned hard. But that is good since I will be walking on it for 20 years or so.http://www.etherhuffer.typepad.com
Use water to cool and lube the bit when cutting. Heat kills them quick!
If it's a floor tile, chances are it's not a glazed tile like you use on a bathroom wall. Those are easy to ding with a nail and then drill through. I suspect you might have something harder, like porcelain. A diamond bit would be a good choice."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Second using a hand-held drill/grinder, just use a "stone" bit to make a dimple (hang on to it for dear life as you start the cut or it will be across the tile before you can blink)
<!----><!----> <!---->
Phill Giles<!----><!---->
The Unionville Woodwright<!----><!---->
Very good point about holding onto the the stone tightly and controlling it...buic
Dremel makes a non-diamond drill bit specifically for cutting tile. I used it for cutting some holes and enlarging others in a shower. Worked very quickly, although I assume that these were the probably the softer type of tile.
Edited 7/29/2007 5:49 pm ET by CaseyR
Just hit the Sears and their dremel section had a diamond bit. I will give that a go today. The package has a pointed and a round tip bit. I think my drill is a little slow too. The dremel is faster and should get in quicker.http://www.etherhuffer.typepad.com
The diamond bit will work well at slow speed. Dribble a little water on it."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
I am going to (ran out of steam today) make a little circle of plumbers putty and put water in before I start. That should help keep it cool. A little coffer dam!http://www.etherhuffer.typepad.com
I wrote up how I did this on my blog. With embellishments. Hehehehehehe.http://www.etherhuffer.typepad.com
slower is better for this. Keep misting water on it
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
When the tile is that hard, diamond drill bits is the way to go. Masonry and glass bits are made of tungsten carbide, not even close to diamond in hardness.
I mark my holes on blue tape then use a center punch to "nick" the glaze. Never had a problem...................so far - lol
I hang alot of bathroom fixtures thru tile.
Some tile ( commercial, porcelain ) is many times harder then "regular" ceramic.
Your spade bit will go thru standard tile like a twist drill thru pine, but won't touch some of these others.
If you can find a diamond bit, like Hitachis', you'll have no problem drilling.
I've had some luck using a 1/4" grinding ball type bit in a drill or dremel. Use that to get thru the surface, then try a regular ceramic drill. Works about half the time.
hope this helps...buic
Place the point of the bit on your mark and bang the back end of your drill with the heel of your hand. This will break the glaze and you're good to go. Might take two hits if you're a wimp.<G>
Huff,
I used one of the same bits just last week to mount some new towel holders. I think the trick is to use a variable speed drill and turn the drill absolutely as slowly as possible while using VERY heavy pressure. When I say slow, I mean slow speed range on my DeWalt drill and barely pulling the trigger. Maybe 20 rpm's ? Veeeeery slow. Did not use any coolant and had no problems drilling eight holes.
Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md
I've had great results using Dremel with diamond ball tips.
The best thing for me is that I stick the dremel in a router attachment that I modified by adding a non-slip pad to the base. Just some Rubbermaid foam type shelf liner (also sold as non-skid tool drawer liner for more $). For me it's a must when I am drilling wall tile.
T
For me it's a must when I am drilling wall tile.
Why? You get tired of writing your name on the tile?"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
The John Bridge forum has a link to a place to buy bits for porcelain tile. I bought one of them recently (expensive, but it worked great) and the directions say to start the hole by simply firmly pressing the tip of the bit into the tile (before you turn on the drill) until you hear a cracking noise of the bit biting into the surface. Then, start to drill slowly, keeping the pressure (and water) on. This method works great.
If you try it and don't hear the cracking sound, the tip of your bit may be dull -- time for a new bit. The site where I purchased the bit has a video of this. Lemme know if you can't find it and I'll look it up.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
Here's the John Bridge Store page with the bit and video link:
http://www.constructioncomplete.com/PorcelainTileDrillBits/ProLinePTC316.html
Edited 7/30/2007 10:24 am ET by MikeHennessy
Hi
I have a carbide tipped center punch to lightly tap into the center of the hole. The trick someone gave me was to run the ceramic drill in reverse before starting to drill for the main hole. It works for me the bit doesn't wander all over the place.
Cheers
Wow, looks like other folks have had the same fun I have. Thanks for that tip(its easy!)http://www.etherhuffer.typepad.com
Well, a neighbor wandered by and offered advice unsolicited on the toilet. He says he uses plumber's putty at the outer edge of the toilet flange when seating a stool. I have never done that, just used wax and shims if need be. I suppose it would reduce the chance of a leak into the subfloor, but I am not too sold on this. Advice?http://www.etherhuffer.typepad.com
He offered advice on the toilet or regarding the toilet? :-)
I've never heard of using plumber's putty for a toilet. It seems to me that if the wax ring is done right, there's not point in it.
That was my take. Its on an upper floor so no change of water standing in the pipe.http://www.etherhuffer.typepad.com
When I had this headache I tried the spear/ace-of-spades drills & carbide twist drills with no success.
What finally worked for me was a diamond grit hole saw + slow speed + puty dam & water as mentioned by another poster. These resemble a hole saw but there is no central pilot bit. I had already tried the carbide grit version with carbide pilot bit and got nowhere.
A drill press (esp with a really slow speed) is a bonus. Need to exert enough pressure to keep it cutting.
Have a look at Lee Valley - http://www.leevalley.com - at catalog numbers
29J01.01 thru 29J01.08. They are 1/4" o.d. thru 1" o.d. and cost $8-28 (Cdn)
Good luck! And lots of perseverance.