Definitely. Exit wounds >> entry wounds.
I haven’t drilled masonry very much, but I’ve drilled a lot of wood, and with wood, blowout of the exit hole is a definite issue. It can be minimized by using a backer board to support the exit hole when the bit breaks through, but you always want to drill starting from the side where you want the least damage to show.
The same way you drill a hole in off-the-shelf Home Depot ceramic tile, but with more anxiety.
I needed that laugh.
I’m going to find thick ceramic tiles and practice on them.
Kinda dying to try to drill this myself.
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Glass shops routinely drill holes in glass for mirror mounting and such.
Take the tile to them, pay them a few bucks, let them do it.
And yes, you almost always want to drill from the front to minimize spalling.
You could take it to a gravestone carver. They make rubber stencils to cover the stone with only the parts of the stone that need to be carved away exposed, then sandblast it. They might be able and willing to make the hole for you. (Probably a quicker and easier job than their normal work.)
I look forward to your thread: How do I invisibly mend a 100 year old priceless ceramic tile?
So do I !!
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That was interesting, especially the diamond core drills. My father used to make diamond core drills. Many were sold to Corning Glass. A plating process was used to build up the cores from a blank that was then punched out.
The concrete it is stuck to will help keep it from splitting when you drill.
From your mouth to God’s ear.
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If you have to drill then immersing the piece in water is way to go. Vibration can be a problem but it’s usually heat that causes ceramics and glass to crack.
You zeroed in on a particular type of spalling that does not apply. Look at the general definition of spalling, which does apply.
Wow- I’ve got a Zombie in the family. Braaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiins !!
I just looked up spalling again. It’s been almost three years. Some memories become cemented in place. Others flake away…
GaryT is right.
I never came back for the climax, no less a denoument. My apologies.
I bought a hole saw specifically made for masonry. Mounted a masonry drill bit into the centering chuck. First used a smaller diameter masonry bit to get things started. My wife stood by dribbling water from a hose onto the stone. Clamped a panel of wood onto the drill press so I’d have a place to push through into. Took my sweet time. Worked like a charm- and created a perfect plug. Which then wound up being the key to solving the next problem.
The sides were goopy and messy with spill-over mastic from 100 years ago. I found a local stone cutting joint that had a 10 foot by 8 foot table, enormous circular saw with nifty pressurized water cooling jet. I explained that I wanted the sides cut clean. The fellow looked at me with pity, took the stone, walked to the machine, pushed a few buttons to release the saw into “freestyle” mode and cut it down in a thrice.
Then I used the plug as a riser to slightly fill in the hole and act as support for an antique inkwell. Made the year before the Dome was constructed. The new Rector at the church collects antique inkwells. This became a gift along with the inkwell I rested into the hole.
Sidenote: The new tiles became the new Dome at St. Bart’s church on Park Avenue in NYC. Lovely thing We got to walk up the scaffold stairs and tour it up close- close enough to press our hands against the new tiles. The one I got was one of the orange colored tiles.
ETA: Ghosts In The Machine as well as Zombies. I didn’t resurrect this thread. My reply is in response to a post from the last day or so. That post isn’t showing now. VERY weird…
nm.
No picture of the resulting gift?
No, I am embarrassed to say. Didn’t think to.
Dangit, I thought that I had nuked the spammer quickly enough to unbump this thread. Guess not.
Yes, I’m also wondering how it turned out.
The ancient Egyptian trick for cutting granite with copper tools involved sanding it.
Drill with a copper pipe as a drill bit.
pour water and sand so it goes under the copper pipe, essentially the pipe is making the sand “sand” its way into the work piece.
Unless the piece is so hard that you absolutely need diamond dust, this should be sufficient.
Obviously, as others said, less pressure.
For straight cuts, the Egyptians used a wood “saw blade” and sand, also. The only problem I think was finding enough sand.
Fascinating stuff !!! Thank you, I’ve never heard of any of this.
Imagine?
General Contractor on the Giza Pyramids " Look, this drilling is taking way too much time. What’s the slow-down? You’re only 2,348 pieces into a 13,800 piece order. Explain yourself. "
DrillMaster: " We’re having trouble sourcing enough sand, sir. "
General Contractor: ( Glancing out shed door to endless expanses of sand. )" Hmmmm ".