Message text written by INTERNET:[email protected] >I'm going to try to drill a hole the same way I drill holes in stone using a high speed diamond sphere with H2O.<
That should work fine, John. It's really no different to drilling ceramic floor or wall tiles - though of course they can be softer in the middle than glass. You can buy drills especially made for glass; they cost about 17 pounds sterling here in the UK for a quarter inch diamond one. You can buy grinders and even ring saws for shaping and cutting stained glass. Not cheap but if you are in the business then these are the tools of the trade. Glass really is not a very difficult medium to use once you get the hang of it. The other thing to watch is how you hold the glass. If the piece is small then it may be best to glue it with some temporary adhesive (like a non-silicone sealant) to a piece of wood. I'd also suggest using a drill press with the depth set to just a 'tad' more than the thickness of the glass and to use a drill speed of 200-600rpm. Do it under water or allow water to flow over it whilst drilling - keeping the water away from the electrics of course. You can buy special lubricants but they are quite expensive. If actually using stained glass then many of the best coloured glasses have an uneven finish, certainly to one side and occasionally to both. This makes drilling harder so try and drill from the smoother side, fix the workpiece in a drill vice and of course wear protection. Always to expect the glass to shatter is a good way to operate! If you are going on to paint the glass using the traditional kiln fired stains and paints then drill before these processes are carried out if you can. Some modern stained glass dials use a brass frame for holding the gnomon instead. It is made of a size and shape to fit over the leads surrounding the dial proper. After holding it in place and in the right position it is then soldered to the leads. This has the benefit that it is easier to set the angles correctly but of course it is a little more obtrusive in appearance from the outside. Good luck Patrick -
