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Aren’t you fed up with rotary tools that are way slower? But with the Dremel, you don’t have to worry about its speed. Dremels are smaller and spin much more quickly than most oscillating tools out there.
Drilling a hole in glass can be tricky as it’s a pretty fragile material. You could wind up breaking the glass or perhaps injuring yourself. However, you can easily drill a hole in the glass when you have the appropriate equipment and expertise.
Among the equipment available for cutting glass, Dremel is the best option. Dremel is a powerful piece of equipment that rotates at high speeds. Before you begin drilling holes in glass, make sure you have all of the essential tools. We are listing below some of the essential pieces of equipment to ensure you don’t break the glass while drilling.
Tools you’ll need:
- Dremel
- Diamond drill bits
- Glass
- Water
- Masking tape
- Workbench
- Permanent marker
- Clamps
5 Steps for Drilling A Hole In The Glass With A Dremel
Drilling a hole through glass does not have to be complicated. This article will take you through the proper steps to drill a hole in your glass with a Dremel.
1. Selecting The Dremel Bits For Glass
First, you need to choose a proper Dremel bit to ensure that you drill a perfect hole in a glass. There are varieties of Dremel bits available for cutting through different materials, including glass, wood, or plastic. Since glass is a fragile material, make sure to choose Dremel bits that are specifically made for cutting glass. It’s highly recommended to use diamond Dremel bits while working with glass.
These diamond bits don’t gouge out large chunks of glass; instead, they scrape fine fragments from the glass, resulting in a smooth, accurate, and fast finish. Using diamond Dremel bits will protect the glass so it doesn’t crack while drilling. Make sure your diamond bits are compatible with the Dremel collet. You need to install the diamond bits into your Dremel and tighten it.
2. Preparing The Glass
For the next step, you’ll need some masking tape and a permanent marker. First, you need to mark the exact spot where you want to drill. Drawing on the glass using markers may not last long. Thus place the masking tape on the glass and then mark the spot where you intend to drill.
Masking tapes are great for writing, and they don’t leave any sticky texture on the glass. Before you start drilling, make sure the surface of the glass is wet. Place the glass in a slow-flowing stream of water or you can use a spray water bottle. The water keeps glass dust from spreading and keeps the Dremel at a nice temperature.
3. Start Drilling
Always begin with a tiny hole, regardless of the size of the hole you plan to drill. You can start drilling where you marked, but initially try to keep the Dremel speed as moderate as possible. As the bit carves out the starting hole, use little pressure. Keep the glass moist at all times. To avoid overheating the bit, you may need to take a break once in a while.
At this stage, drilling a hole through the glass should be simple. Now that you have made a starter hole, you can remove the masking tape. Upgrade to a larger Dremel bit and with a steady speed start drilling again. Clear away any glass dust from time to time.
4. File the Glass
Once you are almost through to the other side, ease the pressure a bit so it doesn’t break the glass. Remove the drill gently once you have exited the hole on the opposite side of the glass. Next up, you have to smooth out the rough edges of your glass piece. You can use a diamond file to clean away the rough edges of the glass. While sanding, don’t put too much pressure otherwise it can shatter the glass into pieces. Finally, rinse the glass with cold water to remove any residual particles.
5. Safety
Glass is incredibly sharp when it’s being cut, and the Dremel is a powerful instrument that spins at high rates. Thereby you need to take some safety precautions while drilling a hole in a glass with a Dremel. You can use safety glasses and a dust mask that would protect you from glass particles caused by drilling. Make sure to clean up any glass dust from the workstation as you drill.
A clean workspace will make sure you’re not inhaling any dangerous materials. While drilling on the glass, keep an eye on the direction the bit is rotating. Don’t forget to wear gloves at all times. To prevent the glass from breaking, always keep your glass moist and the Dremel speed under control.
Conclusion
Dremel tools rely on the notion of high speed to fulfill their tasks. Working with Dremel tools has the considerable advantage of producing very high-quality cuts. Moreover, along with drilling they can be used for polishing, sanding, and grinding. Cutting glass with a Dremel is easy if you take your time and don’t force the Dremel through the glass.
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