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HOW TO USE DIAMOND DRILL BITS
Small diamond drill bits are, simply put, a solid stainless steel rod
with a fuzzy looking coat of fine diamond embedded at the business
end. The best techniques for
drilling small objects of shell, glass or stone are as follows ...
The object must be completely immersed in water or have a steady
stream of water flowing into the bore.
The water is to flush the grindings out of the hole, and at the same
time to keep the bit cool.
A Dremel tool set at a medium high speed works well. Employing a drill
press makes the job even easier.
Dremel's adjustable chuck upgrade or the appropriate collet will be
needed to hold these various sized bit shafts.
The technique is to use a gentle tapping action with the bit while
keeping
bit's shaft as straight as possible.
The GENTLE tapping method helps to keep the bit cool and flushed
out.
One must understand these bits do not cut like a regular
twist drill, they instead GRIND a hole.
Bearing down while
drilling will quickly ruin the bit.
You can tell if the bit is doing it's job by the swirls of waste coming
from the bore as you tap.
A shallow metal pie tin or tuna fish can are ideal baths that can be
used to immerse your work.
A thin piece of wood like a paint can stir stick
can be used as a drill pad under the work, or a mound of
modeling clay
can be used to cradle the object.
Note: Small steel
twist drills can, at times, be used successfully to drill soft shell and
pearls.
Drilling by hand with a pin vise using bees wax as a lube is a good
solution to eliminate bit breakage.
See our
Hand Tools
page for hand drills, pin vises and steel twist drills and visit our
Beader's Tools page for pearl
drilling jigs and holding tweezers.
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