Drill bits

[AnonYMouse]

I have now ground down 4 drill bits making holes in ceramic (I don't now what kind of clay/glazes but a lot harder than terracotta). They will still drill holes in softer materials but just polish the surfaces of the pieces I'm working on.

Two of the bits were Ryobi tile and glass bits and the other two were Artu multipurpose bits.

Can you recommend any bits for ceramics?

I have a couple more pieces I think are stoneware. I might need to drill into slate slabs (~1cm) as well. My drill is a inexpensive B&D 12 volt cordless (looking for other specs now).

Thanks in advance.

[Bud]

you are using the right tools.
it is best to use a wet sponge and let it touch the drill bit to lessen friction.
do not put too much pressure and don't hurry it up....take your time and let the drill do its job....go with the flow....

[AnonYMouse]

I'm sort of doing all you mention.

I drill under water with a nonskid surface underneath. I go slowly, applying just enough pressure (the dust swirls in the water) and the process eats up at least one full battery charge. The latest hole took one charge for just the pilot hole and over 30 minutes (I stopped looking up at the clock). Spare battery died on the second larger hole. Waiting for the first battery to charge up now.

I drill sequential sizes so I don't take out larger chunks.

ETA: Some of the time and battery usage is because the bits are no longer efficient. Hence the need for better bits. I'm also wondering if I'm expecting too much from regular household powertools.

---------- Post added at 04:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:11 PM ----------

Has anyone tried this? I'm gonna go get it tomorrow.

[Pilot]

Sounds like your drill isn't powerful enough or the battery isn't able to hold a useful charge. I use a dremel at 10k rpms. The diamond tip drill bits eat at glass pretty fast. I can have a hole the size I want for sh in 30 seconds to a minute depending on the thick and hardness of the glass.

[AnonYMouse]

Originally Posted by Pilot

Sounds like your drill isn't powerful enough or the battery isn't able to hold a useful charge.

Yeah, this drill is handy for the house, but expecting it to cut through ceramics maybe unrealistic. It does do better when the bits are new. There are no specs in the so-called manual (I've spent a chunk my career in various equipment performance testing and repairing, specs are always in the manual!)

Originally Posted by Pilot

The diamond tip drill bits eat at glass pretty fast. I can have a hole the size I want for sh in 30 seconds to a minute depending on the thick and hardness of the glass.

None of the bits so far have been diamond tipped, just labeled for ceramics and glass (Co and W carbide). The Hitachi is diamond encrusted.

After reading some reviews, I can't expect more than a few holes with the carbide tips. The pieces I'm working on are harder than ceramic tile (I can't manually scratch the surface with an chisel).

[AnonYMouse]

I got two sizes of the bit (hole saws). One is by Lenox and the other is a Hitachi. I haven't used the Hitachi yet.


Took about 5 minutes each, would have been faster but I couldn't keep the bit from walking. No pilot hole required.

[ALToronto]

You're correct to drill underwater, but good quality tools make a big difference. I use ceramic/glass burr bits made for the Roto-Zip tool, and they last a fair amount of time.

Ryobi is a very poor quality brand with cool-looking packaging. Bosch and Makita are contractor standards; Hitachi and Ridgid are quite good, and Milwaukee is good but the tools are made to fit big hands. Dewalt isn't what it used to be. Black & Decker is on par with Ryobi. Real tool junkies use Fein and Festool.

[AnonYMouse]

As much as I believe in having quality tools, a Bosch or a Makita would function more as a trophy.

[ALToronto]

You may want to use a corded drill. Much more powerful.