How to drill a hole in glass with a regular drill. How to make a hole in glass? How to make a hole without drilling

There are times when you need to make a hole in the glass. In reality, this is not so easy to do. In this article you will learn a couple of ways to solve this problem.

How to drill glass

If you need to make a hole in glass, for example, to hang a mirror or insert a handle in a glass cabinet door, you can use these simple methods.

For the first method you will need:

• the glass itself
• metal drill
• drill
• acetone
• turpentine
• alcohol

To drill a hole in glass, you need to lay it on a flat surface; for this you can use a large sheet of plywood; the edges of the glass should not hang down.

We set the rotation speed of the drill bit on the drill to “one” or “minimum”, depending on the configuration of the drill. It is necessary to avoid strong beating of the drill so that the glass does not crack when drilling, in this case it would be better suited drilling machine.

Use acetone or alcohol to degrease the surface of the glass in the place where we will drill it. The drill is placed in the center of the intended hole, the drill is turned on, while drilling you need to gradually drip turpentine onto the glass at the drilling site. You can simply make a small funnel circle out of plasticine and pour turpentine into it.

To prevent the glass from cracking, you need to press the drill lightly, without unnecessary effort.

In the second method you will need:

• glass
• solder in the form of lead or tin,
• wet fine sand
• a stick sharpened to a cone, and the tip of the stick should have the diameter of the intended hole
• alcohol or acetone.

The work is done like this: the surface of the glass is degreased in the place where the intended hole will be located. Sand is poured onto the drilling site, in a heap about three centimeters in height. A hole is made in the sand with a stick so that a funnel is formed, the molten solder is poured into the funnel.

There are situations when you need to make a hole in the glass. You can turn to specialists for help - they know how to carefully drill glass without breaking it, but many home craftsmen prefer to do it themselves.

Drilling methods differ from each other by the type of tool used, consumables, drilling technology and other points.

Glass characteristics and production features

Before drilling a hole in glass, you should understand the characteristics of this material. Its production process is quite complicated, as it involves the use of special tools:

1. The main stage of production involves the creation of a melt, which includes certain components. This requires exposure to temperatures of about 2,500 degrees Celsius.
2. To create a strong structure, the molten composition is sharply cooled. Due to this, the hardened alloy crystallizes.

It is the chemical composition of the alloy used that determines the main performance, as well as the likelihood that the structure will not crack during machining.

Depending on chemical composition The following glasses are distinguished:

1. Sulfide.
2. Oxide.
3. Fluoride.

Various glass products must have different performance qualities.

Glasses are distinguished:

1. Optical. There are various optical instruments, main part which can be called a combination of prisms and lenses. Special glass is used for their manufacture.
2. Quartz. By melting quartzite, glass can be obtained, which is used in the manufacture of various dishes and decorative elements.
3. With high protection against chemical attack. Some types of glass can withstand exposure to petroleum products and other chemicals. They are used in the manufacture of containers and protective structures.
4. Industrial purpose. This group is widespread in industry and everyday life.
5. Hardened material with higher strength. Glass can be tempered in various ways.

By area of ​​application, the following materials are distinguished:

1. For the manufacture of containers.
2. For glazing window frames.
3. Reducing radiation levels.
4. In the production of fiberglass.
5. Screen protection for mobile and other devices.
6. For making dishes.
7. For the manufacture of medical products.
8. Protecting the surface of ovens and fireplace screens.
9. For making various sources Sveta.
10. For the manufacture of various optical devices.

It is worth considering that some glasses cannot be machined. This is due to the fact that their structure has high rate fragility. Cut round hole can be in a jar, on a glass plate and many other products.

What tools are needed

To drill a hole in glass, you can use various tools. Correct selection The tool eliminates the possibility of damage to the material during processing. The most common varieties are:

Diameter cutting tool must correspond to the diameter of the hole that needs to be made in the product.

Preparing a glass blank

It is possible to make a correct hole in the material provided that the workpiece is carefully prepared. The instructions look like as follows:

1. Surface treatment with alcohol or turpentine. Then you should clean the surface with a clean cloth.
2. The workpiece must be positioned on the base so that it does not change its position during processing.
3. The base on which the workpiece will be laid must be larger size. The edges of the glass should not be allowed to extend beyond the base, as carelessness can lead to damage.
4. Painting tape is glued to the surface where the hole is drilled. This will prevent the tool from slipping at the beginning of processing.
5. The center of the hole can be marked with a marker.
6. If the work is being carried out for the first time, you can make a test hole on unnecessary glass.
7. When performing drilling work, you should be as careful as possible. Haste can cause serious defects.
8. When working with glass or ceramics, you need to ensure that the drill is positioned strictly perpendicular to the surface - this will ensure a high-quality hole.
9. It is not recommended to carry out processing in one pass. This is due to the fact that glass is considered difficult to process; during prolonged drilling, the cutting edge can heat up. When the tool is heated, some of the heat is transferred to the material, deteriorating its performance.
10. When through hole almost obtained, you should stop the process, then turn the product over and continue drilling with reverse side. This way you can get a high-quality hole.
11. You can sand the edges using sandpaper. It is recommended to choose paper that has a fine fraction.

Using a conventional drill

If glass processing does not involve mass production, then there is no need to purchase special tools. Its cost is quite high, with long-term operation the surface of the cutting edge wears out. Here's how to drill a hole in glass using a regular drill press. You will need:

1. Drill for working with metal or ceramics. In their manufacture, a hard alloy is used that can withstand long-term use.
2. Drill with low speed and drilling machine with adjustable speed.
3. Ordinary plasticine.
4. Turpentine.
5. Alcohol solution.

Drilling instructions:

1. The glass is placed on a flat surface. The edges should not extend beyond its limits.
2. The area of ​​glass to be treated is degreased.
3. After fixing the tool in the chuck, set the minimum speed. Drill speed that is too high may cause deformation of the workpiece. In addition, the degree of tool runout should be low, since variable loads can lead to cracks.
4. Plasticine is placed on the surface to be treated, which will eliminate the possibility of the tool slipping. A small hole is created in the central part.
5. To reduce the likelihood of cracks, work should be carried out carefully. Too much force causes various defects to appear. The minimum rotation speed should be 250 rpm. If the material is highly resistant to mechanical stress, the value is set to 1000 rpm.

During machining, fine chips are formed - safety glasses should be used when working.

Benefits of using sand

When using a cutting tool, there is a high probability of surface damage. Using sand will help avoid this. You will need:

1. Fine sand.
2. Petrol.
3. Gas burner.
4. Not large number tin.
5. A vessel made of metal.

Work order:

1. The surface is degreased. To do this, you can use an alcohol solution.
2. In the area where you need to get the required hole, a pile of sand is poured. It is slightly moistened.
3. Using a sharp object, a small depression is created.
4. Molten tin is poured into the created recess, after which you need to wait a little.
5. A pile of sand is removed from the surface. After that gas burner the tin melts.

It is worth considering that it is quite difficult to obtain a high-quality hole in this way, so mechanical processing of the hole with a drill is additionally necessary.

Even minor errors can lead to serious defects in the processed material. Here are tips on how to make a hole in glass without damaging it:

The same methods are also suitable for those who are going to drill a mirror at home. To receive large holes you should use a special tool called a glass cutter. Design features allow you to obtain high-quality holes in the shortest possible time.

From time to time, situations arise that require the creation of holes of various diameters in glass. For example, this is required when installing mirrors or when installing on glass various devices. This is very rare species work, and therefore calling a specialist can be very expensive.

You can do it yourself necessary work and do without the services of a master. However, you need to understand that glass is a rather fragile and expensive material, so you should carefully prepare before you start drilling.

Composition and production stages

Included ordinary glass includes quartz sand, lime and soda. Various additives greatly influence the final properties of the material, but quartz sand remains the main component, and its amount reaches 75% in the mixture. The lime component adds shine, strength, and protects against the effects of many chemicals. Baking soda can significantly lower the melting point of the mixture. The most common additional components include:

• Lead gives additional shine and ringing.
• Manganese, nickel and chromium are used to obtain various shades.
• Boric acid adds strength, shine and reduces the coefficient of thermal expansion.

Industrial glass production includes the following steps:

Currently, there are many types of this material, depending on the components used in production. The most common are:

Drilling attachments and operating rules

Most often, the need for drilling arises when using industrial glass, quartz, crystal. These types are often fragile, so unskilled attempts to make holes most often end in damage to the workpiece, so the process must be approached very responsibly.

Drills for metal and concrete are not similar in shape to special glass drills. You need to work with them very carefully, and if possible, then not use them at all. But if only these types of drills are available, then it is best to use carbide concrete or spear-shaped drills for tiles. Metal drills must be hardened.

There are also special attachments, designed specifically for glass:

• Feather- or spear-shaped carbide drills of various diameters. It is highly advisable to use those that have diamond coating on the cutting part.
• A drill presented in the form of a tube. This type Glass drills can be used when you need to make a hole of large diameter. When working with this attachment, it is advisable to use a drilling machine.

When carrying out drilling work, you must adhere to the following rules:

Surface cooling can be done in several ways:

• Cover the drilling area with plasticine and fill with water.
• Place a moistened rag or a ball of cotton wool around the hole to be treated so that the water gradually flows into the recess.
• You can wet the drill itself, and a break in work will allow the drilling tool to cool down.

Ways to make a hole in glass without a drill

If you don’t have a drill and can purchase one, you can make holes using other methods or make a homemade drill, but such methods do not have high accuracy and quality, and as a result can lead to damage. glass surface. But still, some methods can theoretically be applied, so they should be listed.

Using sand and solder

Enough interesting way, which does not require drilling skills or tools. To use it you will need:

• Sand.
• Low-melting solder, for example, tin-lead.
• The container in which the solder will be melted.

The surface in which the hole is to be made should be degreased and dried, after which a mound of wet sand is poured onto the area in which the hole should be located. Next, you need to make a recess in it of the diameter required by the hole being created.

Solder, melted using a torch or soldering iron, is poured into the formed hole, after which you need to wait for it to completely harden. When sand and hardened solder are subsequently removed, a hole of the required diameter remains on the glass.

This method is different high quality and the accuracy of the resulting hole.

Making a homemade drill

If you don’t have special nozzles for working with glass, you can make them yourself.

To do this, you will need a metal rod and a simple glass cutter with a diamond roller. To turn it into a drill, you need to cut a hole in the rod into which the roller is inserted and fixed so as to remain motionless relative to the rod.

The resulting workpiece is fixed in the drill chuck, and then drilling is carried out according to the principle of a conventional drill.

You can also prepare a regular drill, for example, for metal, for working with glass. To do this, you need to clamp it in a vice or pliers and hold it in the flame of a gas burner until the metal is white-hot. After this, the drill is dipped in warm water or oil. The tool thus hardened is suitable for drilling glass.

Using a metal tube

Piece metal tube also suitable for making holes in the absence of a drill. To do this, cuts are made on the part of the pipe that will be used for cutting to create a cutting part in the form of teeth. When applying such work, you should use auxiliary abrasive powders or pastes, but this method quite labor-intensive and often leads to damage to the workpiece.

Using a glass cutter

An ordinary glass cutter can also replace a drill, the main thing is not to make sudden jerky movements, not to put pressure on the glass, and tap the cut surface being formed with the handle of the tool.

To cut large diameter holes with a glass cutter, you can use a compass, fixing one part of it in the center of the intended hole, and with the second part (on which the glass cutter is fixed) to cut the surface.

Often there is a need to drill glass at home. Videos of these works can be found on the Internet; they cover similar topics well. in simple language with illustrative examples.

If possible, it is better to carry out the work with a screwdriver rather than a drill. This will give more soft way drilling and will reduce the likelihood of damage to the glass surface. In addition, it is recommended to use safety glasses and clothing, and carry out drilling in a non-residential area.

It is important to maintain minimum clearances from the edge of the workpiece: for fragile materials - at least 25 mm, for common species glass - at least 15 mm.

It should be remembered that glass is a rather fragile and expensive material, so you need to work with it extremely carefully. If you have no experience in such work, it is important to practice on unnecessary pieces of glass in order to gain experience and understanding of the process.

One of the fragile materials is glass, which must be handled very carefully. To carefully drill a hole in glass without causing a crack in it, you should follow the recommendations and carefully select the tools for the job.

Special crowns and drills

First of all, you need to purchase special devices. For this you will need:

• A drill with a pointed end.
• Drill bits.

Pointed drill bit mainly used in cases where you need to make a small hole. Lance-shaped ones can be regular or diamond-coated, which provides smoother drilling. But it is difficult to work with such a product, so it is preferable to use the second option.

Used for making large diameter holes diamond-coated drill bits. The use of abrasive spraying is allowed, but with such a product the drilling is of insufficient quality. Therefore, it is recommended to use diamond-coated products, because with such crowns there is less chance that the glass will crack.

Depending on the hole you need to make, you can use drills of different diameters.

Necessary tools and equipment

In addition to the drill, you will need the following equipment for work:

• Drill.
• Scotch.
• Stencil (suitable thick cardboard or a sheet of plywood).
• Water.
• Gloves.
• Safety glasses.

Drill must have adjustable rotation speed. It can be replaced with a screwdriver, which is more gentle. You can use both manual and electric. The main thing is that there is minimal drill runout. It is recommended to use a drill with a speed between 250 and 1000 rpm.

Stencil necessary to accurately drill a hole. To do this, a hole of the required diameter is pre-drilled in it, and then it is applied to the glass.

Scotch additionally protects against small glass fragments. Water will be needed to cool the surface that will be drilled. For personal protection skin is a must have gloves, and also glasses, which will protect the skin and eyes from fragments.

Glass preparation

Before starting work, you need to decide on the surface on which the glass will be drilled. It is best to use a table that is stable on the floor. It is advisable to cover it with thick fabric or cardboard so as not to damage its surface during the work. This will also prevent the glass from cracking.

It is impossible to drill glass while it is suspended, so it is used flat surface, to which the material will fit tightly.

After this:

• Glass is degreased with alcohol.
• Wipe clean with a soft dry cloth.
• Placed on the prepared surface.
• Tape is glued to the intended mounting location.
• A stencil with a drilled hole is attached.

Using a stencil you can make the required hole more accurately. It is necessary to ensure that the distance from the edge of the glass is at least 25 mm, otherwise the product may crack.

There is a second method without using a stencil. For this we take the usual plasticine and glued to the glass around the drill hole. Plasticine will act as sides. Water is poured inside to cool the glass.

Step by step instructions

After the markings are made, the main part of the work is done. To do this, prepare a drill, which is tightly inserted into the drill. It is necessary to check that it is well secured. Then the drill is turned on and brought to the marked drilling location at low speeds. The drill must be held strictly perpendicular to the glass.

When the depression is approximately 3 mm, you need to stop and drop a little water into it. Turpentine or kerosene is also used to remove heat from glass that is released during drilling.

Water is needed to cool the glass surface.

Then continue drilling at minimum speed. You should not press on the tool while working, because the glass is very fragile, and the drill may break if you do not follow these recommendations.

Drilling rules

To prevent glass from cracking during drilling, you must adhere to several rules:

• Turn on the drill at minimum rotation speed.
• Hold the tool at right angles to the glass.
• Do not apply pressure to the drill.
• Drill slowly in several passes.
• After each use, moisten the recess with water.

It is necessary to drill in several passes not only to avoid overheating of the glass, but also overheating of the tool. The drill also gets hot, so it needs to be constantly moistened with water.

Once the hole is made, you can remove the small roughness that has formed around it using fine-grit sandpaper.

If you hold the drill easily, you can prevent cracks from forming. In addition, the drill should not be rocked from side to side. It must be held strictly at a right angle.

In the video you can see the method of drilling thick glass. To do this, a method is used in which a hole is made on both sides.

How to make a hole with a larger diameter than the drill size

If you need to make a hole with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the existing drill, than the size of the drill, you can use a glass cutter. To do this, a hole is drilled according to the diagram described above. After this:

• A nail is inserted into the hole.
• A small rope is attached to the nail.
• The end of the rope is tied to the glass cutter.
• A circle is made.

The nail must be selected precisely according to the diameter of the hole so that it does not dangle, but stands firmly. The length of the rope, which is attached at one end to the nail and the other to the glass cutter, must be calculated so that it is equal to the radius of the desired hole.

After drawing a circle with a glass cutter, you need to make gentle tapping movements. Due to this, the circle will come out of the hole. Then the rough edges at the cut site are processed sandpaper.

What to do if you don’t have the required drill

Quite often, you don’t have a suitable drill at hand. Therefore, you can use their replacement:

• Make a hardened drill.
• Use copper wire.

Do it yourself hardened drill You can use a simple technology: take a regular drill, clamp it with pliers and hold the end of the product over a gas burner. When the tip turns white, it should be immediately dipped in sealing wax. After a couple of minutes, the drill is taken out and cleaned of particles of sealing wax.

To correctly drill glass with a tempered drill, you can use the diagram described above. The only difference is the need to constantly wet the drill so that it does not overheat.

Copper wire used when there is no drill at hand. To do this, the wire is clamped into a drill. Then a special solution is prepared from sandpaper powder (it is better to use coarse-grained paper), camphor, and turpentine in a ratio of 0.5:1:2. When everything is ready, the mixture is poured onto the glass at the drilling site, and then a hole is made.

How to make a hole without drilling

If you don’t have the necessary drill or drill at hand, then there is another way to make a hole in the material. You can use the old method. You must have with you:

• Sand.
• Tin (or lead).
• Any thin and long object (you can take a wooden stick with a pointed end).

Work begins with degreasing the glass, onto which a small pile of wet sand is poured. A small funnel is made in it with a sharp object. The recess is made to the surface of the glass. The center of the funnel should coincide with the diameter of the future hole. A mixture of tin or lead (called solder) is then melted and poured into the funnel.

To prepare solder, a metal vessel and a gas burner are used.

After a few minutes the sand is removed. You get frozen metal, at the end of which there will be frozen glass. It should come off easily from the surface. The result is a perfectly smooth through hole in the glass.

When drilling glass, the main thing is to adhere to the technology of work and select the right material. To make a high-quality hole in the material without damaging it, it is advisable to:

• It is better to use a diamond-coated drill.
• Carefully select the diameter of the drill.
• Choose the right work surface: it must be stable.
• To prevent the glass from slipping, the table is covered with cloth, cardboard or plywood.
• Do not drill into tempered glass, which may break into small fragments.
• Do not put pressure on the drill while working.
• Carry out all actions slowly, constantly wetting the hole with water. This will help avoid overheating of the material and prevent the formation of cracks.
• Carry out the work wearing protective gloves and goggles to prevent splinters from getting into your skin and eyes.
• Before starting work, it is better to practice making holes on an unnecessary piece of glass.

When drilling a hole, you don’t need to try to do all the work at once. This is a rather labor-intensive process and takes a lot of time.

It often seems that such a fragile material as glass can only be processed to an experienced master. But if a beginner treats the work with understanding and does it slowly, calmly, unhurriedly, then you can drill a hole in the glass perfectly.

When working with installing mirrors in the bathroom or assembling furniture, the question often arises of how to drill a hole in the glass so as not to damage it. There are many ways to accomplish this task. Some require the presence of specialized tools, others require the use of available materials and knowledge of the basic properties of this fragile material.

Drill glass with extreme caution!

The main thing in the process of drilling glass at home is extreme caution and lack of haste, since the material is very expensive, and its damage can lead to large financial costs for the purchase of a new one.

Properties of glass

In order to make a smooth and neat hole in glass, you need to know how to properly use tools for processing it. For success, it is important to understand not only the process itself, but also the physical and mechanical properties of the material.

Glass has a disordered or, as it is also called, an amorphous structure. Its molecules are arranged randomly, like those of liquids. The main component of any glass is silicon oxide with various additives that facilitate the melting of the material during its manufacture.

With rapid physical impact, glass is easily destroyed.

After solidification, the molecules continue their slow, chaotic movement relative to each other, so, no matter how strange it may sound, glass is a very thick liquid. So special physical state a material determines its basic properties:

1. Fragility. Although the molecular structure of glass resembles a liquid, under rapid physical impact it collapses without exhibiting plastic deformation.
2. Hardness. Glass is the closest relative of quartz, a mineral relative indicator whose hardness is 7 out of 10. Natural substances with indices of 8, 9 and 10 - topaz, corundum and diamond - are used as strong abrasives and are well suited for cutting and drilling glass. There is a large number artificial materials with high hardness. First of all, the alloy should be called the winner. Its main component, tungsten carbide, has a hardness of 9. Pobedit is very often used in drills and core bits for glass processing.
3. Strength. Glass is fragile, but quite durable material, although this parameter is not the same and depends on the direction of deformation. Glass can withstand a fairly large load in compression, while when stretched it breaks much faster. This should be taken into account when transporting, handling and installing the material.

Glass Drilling Tools

Glass processing at home is carried out using tools work surface which are made of special alloys or inlaid with materials of high hardness. These include: will win, corundum and its analogues, diamond. The most common are pobedite and diamond drills.

Diamond coating is superior to glass in hardness.

Pobedite drills have a spear-shaped structure, and the working body can be represented by either a single (Fig. 1) or two mutually perpendicular carbide plates (Fig. 2). Such tools are used not only to create holes in glass and mirrors, but also in ceramics, such as tiles.

To make a hole in glass large size, for example, to install a socket, the diameter of a conventional drill is not enough. In such cases, they resort to using crowns with abrasive - mainly diamond - coating (Fig. 3). These tubular drills have different diameters - from 3-4 to 120 mm. Drilling a hole with such a tool is much faster and safer than with a carbide drill, but due to larger area contact with the glass of the crown requires the use of fairly powerful drills.

There are also traditional methods the use of improvised tools and materials for drilling glass and ceramics, but we will consider them a little later.

Rules and sequence for drilling holes in glass

Since glass is a very fragile material, it should be handled with extreme care. Regardless of the drilling method and the tools used, the sheet of material being processed must be located on a flat and non-slip surface. Check the workbench carefully for any dirt, sawdust, or grains of sand, as any foreign object caught under the glass can cause it to break while drilling.

Several common ways to create smooth holes in glass:

The screwdriver provides low speed when drilling glass.

1. When using a carbide drill, use a powerful screwdriver or electric drill with a rotation speed controller. The number of tool revolutions per minute should be minimal - no more than 350-500. Before starting treatment, the surface is degreased with alcohol or turpentine. A very important action, on which the outcome of the operation, cooling of the drill and the treated surface largely depends. It is carried out as follows: a ring stopper made of plasticine or putty is installed around the site of the future hole (Fig. 4). It will act as a “pool” filled with heat-removing liquid and prevent overheating of the drill and glass. In order to prevent cracks from appearing during drilling, the hole is first made approximately 1/3 full, after which the glass is turned over and work continues. After the hole has become through, its edges are treated with sandpaper rolled into a tube or a round needle file coated with diamond.
2. The use of a diamond-coated bit also requires cooling, but since the diameter of the stopper in this case will be quite large, it is possible to create simple system from a dropper connected to a water source or bottle. This method makes it possible to work even on a vertical surface, which is especially important when processing ceramic tiles. One of the features of working with a crown is the need to constantly maintain its parallelism with the glass. Even the slightest distortion should not be allowed, otherwise the difference in stress in this place will destroy the material.
3. A hole can be made in glass with a regular drill, having previously hardened it. To do this, heat up to white the tip of the drill and then sharply plunged into the oil. After final cooling, the drill can be used in the same way as a carbide drill.
4. If a situation arises in which it is not possible to obtain the above tools, folk methods are used. The first of them is based on creating a drill from scrap materials - a steel rod with a cut at the end, into which a roller from a glass cutter is inserted and fixed (Fig. 5). The method is quite artisanal, since there is a high probability that during operation the roller will simply fly out of the clamp, which can lead to damage to the material.

The second method is much more interesting; the history of its use goes back a long way. It is based on the property of glass to crack when exposed to contrasting temperatures. In order to make a hole using this method, a small cone of wet sand is placed on the surface of the glass. Through its top to the very bottom, a channel is made with a wooden stick or a metal rod, the diameter of which should correspond to the size of the future hole. Next, molten lead, tin or solder is poured into the channel (Fig. 6). After cooling, the pile of sand along with the metal is removed, and a smooth hole is formed at the point where the solder contacts the glass. The explanation is very simple: at the point where the temperature is elevated, the glass begins to crumble, and the wet sand around does not allow the heat to spread further.