How to drill in glass without breaking it?

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Pierced glass, and it’s broken!?! No, drilling glass is only synonymous with breakage if you forget certain precautions. Use the right tools, follow the steps and you will succeed in drilling the glass without any problem. With the exception of tempered glass and safety glass (impossible to drill), none of your glass will resist. The secret of glass drilling is to adapt your tools and method to the size of the hole…

A few tips for preparing for drilling:

  • Regardless of the size of the hole, always plan to work on a surface plane et stable, covered with a sheet of rubber or a non-slip and shock-absorbing coating (such as cork). The idea is that nothing moves.

  • Protect yourself splinters. Provide protective gloves and goggles, as well as cut-resistant clothing.

  • Work at calm. You need your full concentration. Make sure you are not disturbed.

  • When you drill, take your temps. Better to drill gently, respecting the steps. You will thus avoid starry glass, cracks or downright breakage.

  • The cooling glass and drill makes the job easier. Cold water is perfect for this. If it gets too hot, you can also use oil.

To make a small hole (less than 20 mm): the drill

here is the material which you need :

  • a variable speed drill;

  • a tungsten or diamond drill bit;

  • masking tape, tape measure and felt-tip pen;

  • a spray bottle filled with cold water

You are ready ? Drilling can begin. Follow these 10 steps :

  1. Get comfortable on your work plan. Lay the glass on the work surface. Slide the rubber sheet underneath.

  2. Mark the location of the hole in two stages: stick two pieces of masking tape crosswise on the location, then mark with a marker on the tape the place of the future hole.

  3. Spray cold water on the glass.

  4. Set the drill to speed spring and point the drill bit at the hole location.

  5. start to drill gently, steadily, with constant pressure. Spray the glass and the bit with water to avoid overheating.

  6. Stoppez drilling at milieu of the thickness of the glass.

  7. Go back the glass and spray it again with cold water, as well as the drill bit.

  8. Set your drill to a speed a bit faster (no more than 400 rpm).

  9. Take it back drillingalways gently, until reaching the first hole.

  10. Your hole is perfect, well done! You can sand edges with sandpaper

Trick : For a hole larger than 15mm, use two drill bits of different sizes. Drill a first hole of smaller diameter. Then start again with the correct size drill bit to drill your hole to the desired diameter.

For a medium hole (20 to 70 mm), go to the bell!

The material for a small hole is worth for a medium. In addition to the tools already mentioned, you must have a diamond hole saw.

  • To get started, follow the same steps only for the small hole.

  • Have you finished drilling the glass with a drill? Mount the hole saw on the drill and moisten it with cold water, as well as the glass.

  • With the hole saw, no need to turn the glass. Drill until the end to complete your hole.

Trick : If you do not want to damage the worktop or its coating, you can stop the drilling just before going through the glass. Just tap the glass with a screwdriver handle on the round part. And hop, it comes off on its own!

For a big hole, the suction cup is essential

The drill is no longer enough. If you plan to drill a large hole in a sheet of glass, you will need a circular suction cup glass cutter.

Once installed on your worktop (always equipped with protections), here are the steps to follow:

  • Marquez mark the location of the hole.

  • Place the glass cutter on the glass. The suction cup attaches to the center of the future hole.

  • Adjust the spacing of the diamond from the center. You get the cut line.

  • Block the diamond. do it turn on its axis. You draw furrows in an arc, from the edge to the center.

  • Two passages are enough, provided you press well. Go back glass.

  • Tap gently with a screwdriver handle or a small hammer the areas marked by the glass cutter. The cutout area comes off on its own.

  • Sand the edges of the hole with sandpaper. This is delicate work: proceed with caution.

Yes but… I want to pierce a bottle!

A bottle does not have a flat surface. And you can’t turn it around to drill twice… But nothing is impossible for the drill champion!

  • You must first block your bottle in a vice in wood. It should not move while drilling.

  • You can glue around the bottle a piece of carton thick. It will guide the bit and prevent it from slipping while drilling.

  • While drilling, the drill must be held securely perpendicular relative to the glass surface.

  • Since you can’t flip the glass halfway through, you have to drill all the way to the inside of the bottle. But be careful: a little before the end of the hole, reduce the speed the most possible ! This will prevent shards of glass.

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