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Friday, May 16, 2014

Drilling Sea Glass

We get a fair number of inquiries about "can we drill a hole in a stone or glass?" We don't offer that service, sorry, but this is an excellent short video on how to drill glass. The exact same principle applies to stone - it's just a little tougher to line up the hole for the second side. We suggest using something like a pair of calipers to mark both sides before starting in that case.

A few important safety tips.

A drill is no more dangerous than a blender - actually - it's about the same. ;-)

Electrical safety is important.  Don't set up in or on the sink. (Sinks are often metal, and usually plumbed with metal pipes, which provide a ground.) Wear rubber soled shoes (running shoes, sneakers, trainers, whatever you call 'em). Use an outlet that has a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (the red pushy button in the middle of the outlet) (GFCI) -  you'll often see these in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms.

Be very careful with your fingers - do not wear any type of gloves, as they can snag in the drill bit. If your piece of glass is too small to hold in place - temporarily glue something to it as a handle.

The part of about drilling underwater is important too because of keeping it wet to lengthen the life of the  drill bit and to eliminate ground glass dust. Do not let the water dish dry out after and allow glass dust to potentially blow around. Dispose of the sediment that accumulates by sealing in a bag and putting in the garbage.

Wear safety glasses in case the glass chips or comes flying at you.

Be aware, stay safe, and have fun!

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