Diamond drills are used
on glass, stained glass, ceramics, ceramic tile, porcelain,
porcelain tile, limestone, marble, granite, slate, stone and
fiberglass. Drills used on wood or metal have a sharp metal tip or
teeth, that cut into the material. These types of drills do not work
on glass, marble, etc. as the tips do not "bite" into the extremely
hard material, and cause heat buildup that burn up the bit and cause
"heat fractures" in the material. Carbide tipped Spear Point drills
are sometimes used on the "softer" types of hard materials - like
untempered glass, sandstone and marble and some of the less hard
ceramic and porcelain tiles. While they sometimes work, they tend to
chip the hard surface very badly, leaving a rough hole and often
cause breakage due to fractures from the chipping and heat. Diamond
drill bits are designed differently - they have diamond tips that
"grind" into the extremely hard materials.
Core drills only
drill out a portion of the resulting hole, so they tend to drill
much faster than blunt nose drills. Core drills can be used to drill
large holes and can be used on most non-ferious hard materials such
as glass, stained glass, ceramic, porcelain and fiberglass, ceramic
or porcelain tile, limestone, slate, marble, granite and other stone
materials. Bonded diamond drill bits have the diamonds bonded to the
the edges of the drill bit tip, generally using an electroplate
bonding process. These drill bits are generally slow-speed bits and
are fairly inexpensive. During use, the diamonds eventually wear off
of the bit due to the hardness and abrasiveness of the material
being drilled. Bonded diamond drill bits must not be used on metal,
concrete, or masonry and require proper speed and adequate water
lubrication.
The life of
any type of diamond drill bit depends upon the hardness,
abrasiveness and thickness of the material being drilled and the
specific drilling techniques used (drill speed, pressure and
lubrication), however, the diamonds of a drill bit don't actually
wear out as much as they wear off due to heat and friction caused by
the extreme hardness and abrasiveness of the material drilled.
Drilling in glass, ceramic, marble, etc. is a slow process compared
to softer materials such as wood or even metal. A fairly deep hole
can be drilled in wood in just a few seconds, while it can take 20
or 30 seconds or longer to drill a hole in standard 1/8" thick
glass. In some very hard stones and tiles, it may take 2 to 3
minutes to drill only 1/4" deep. Using diamond bits to drill in hard
materials is not difficult, however, it takes time. A person should
consider that they aren't 'drilling' a hole, as much as 'grinding' a
hole.
|
