6mm diamond drill bit for plates, tiles, glass, etc.

Drill bit for drilling holes in plates and other crockery; also good for work with tiles and glass.

Starting a Core Drill Bit by Using a Template, use with water.

To reduce a 6mm drill bit slippage or "walking" when using a hand drill, a template can be used to help start the drill bit if necessary.

The template is placed on the surface of the material being drilled, with the pilot hole above the target hole area. The template will hold the core drill bit in place as it starts. After just a few revolutions of the drill bit, a groove is created and the template can be removed

Drilling a Plate

Use a Battery Drill on low speed, for safety reasons don't use water around 230volts

The most basic method is to use a small hose that runs water onto the surface near the hole and down into the bore hole. To provide lubrication on a horizontal surface, one trick is to place a plastic jug or bottle with a small hole near the bottom of it, next to the drill hole. The water leaks out of the bottle and provides continuous lubrication as you drill. To allow lubrication to reach the drill tip, it is very important to use a "pumping" technique described below. Without the pumping technique, the water will not reach the very tip of the drill bit.

Another excellent lubrication technique is to build a "dam" around the drill hole using a small amount of modeling clay or a similar material. This method can be very effective, especially if the water extends above the side tip lubrication hole to allow water to flow into the bit providing good interior lubrication. "Pumping" the drill is also very important to increase the lubrication at the tip. Without the pumping technique, the water will not reach the very tip of the drill bit. The clay can be used many times if it is stored in a plastic zip-lock style bag to keep it from drying out.

For low volume repetitive work, it is also possible to place the material into a pan or plastic tub (place a thin plastic board underneath so you don't drill into the pan) and fill the pan with water so that it covers the surface of the material being drilled. The water should cover the side lubrication hole on the tip of the diamond drill bit. To allow lubrication to reach the drill tip, it is very important to use a "pumping" technique described below. Without the pumping technique, the water will not reach the very tip of the drill bit even though the bit is under water.

No matter what lubrication method is used, a periodic "pumping" action will significantly improve lubrication at the drill tip. Because of the pressure on the drill tip, water has trouble reaching the very tip of the drill bit. A "pumping" technique allows lubrication to reach the very tip.

While drilling, merely raise the drill up and down a fraction of an inch once in a while as you drill (maybe every 15 to 20 seconds or so). This assures that water enters the drill tip area completely and fully lubricates the very tip. Pumping the drill improves lubrication at the tip and will improve drill bit life considerably.

Balancing Cutting Speed, Drill Speed, Pressure and Lubrication

The cutting speed and life of a diamond drill bit are affected by the hardness and abrasiveness of the material plus the drill speed, pressure and lubrication.

Experience with a specific material quickly allows a person to determine the optimum drill speed, pressure and lubrication to obtain the fastest cutting speed with the least affect upon bit life and risk of heat fractures or breakage.

However, when experience is lacking, it is best to start out with a very slow battery drill speed, very low pressure and lots of WATER lubrication. This starting point reduces risks to a minimum and extends bit life considerably.