Q. Will your drill bits fit my drill?
A. Yes, all our drill bits will fit most rotary drills as long as your drill has an adjustable collet to grip the shank of our drills. A drill press or flexi shaft can also be used. Drills we know to work with our drills bits are the following models: Dremel, Silverline hobby, Draper multi tool, Proxxon, Bosch and Ferm Pillar drill. If you need a Dremel Collet Nut kit click here or a Dremel Multi Chuck click here
Q. Can I use a household drill with your diamond drill bits?
A. The larger core drills from 6mm upwards can be used with a household drill.
Q. Which diamond drill bits should I buy for drilling through ceramic and porcelain tiles?
A. Our diamond core drills, sometimes referred to as diamond hole saws will be perfect for the job and come in all sizes from0.75mm – 50mm. Maybe you want to drill holes through bathroom or kitchen tiles for pipes and fittings or you want to drill through decorative plates or beads, these diamond drill bits are the ones for you. The most popular sizes for bathroom fittings being 6mm, 8mm and 10mm. Need these sizes? Click here. See our How To…Tutorials for in depth, step by step instructions and videos on how to go about doing so.
Q. Which diamond drill bits should I buy for drilling through glass, mirror, sea glass, shell and pebbles?
A. If you are drilling through a tough piece of glass for lets say a table top or mirror or you’re wanting to drill a hole in an aquarium then you’ll need to use one of our larger core drills, often referred to as diamond hole saws. Take a look at our How To Drill section to the left of this for various guides on drilling through mirror and aquariums. Our smaller core drills can be used for drilling through glass bottles, sea glass, shell and pebbles. Our diamond twist drills are very useful for opening up the holes once you’ve drilled through your material.
Q. How are the diamonds bonded to the drill bits?
A. The diamond grit is electroplated to the shaft with nickel on our drill bits.
Q. What is the correct speed to use the diamond drills at?
A. Drill speeds will depend on various factors – how hard your material is, the size of the drill bit used, the abrasiveness of your material and the amount of pressure and lubricant used. As a general rule of thumb when using diamond drill bits on glass, stone and tile your speed should be slow to very slow and the speed decreased as the hardness and abrasiveness of your material increases. The best option is to feel your way through your material. Have a slow speed at the beginning to prevent skittering across the edge of your material and a slightly higher speed for the remainder of the job. You may want to go slow again towards the end to avoid chipping your exit hole, or if working on gemstones, sea glass or pebbles flip the material over and drill through the other side to meet in the middle. Top tips are to let the drill do the work – keep the pressure light! Too much pressure could result in cracking your material. Use an up and down motion to allow your lubricant to circulate in the hole you’re drilling.
If your diamond drill bit has discoloured burn marks on it then this is a clear indication that the drill pressure is too much or the speed too great.
The below chart is to be used as a guideline only.
1/8 – 1/2 inch: 2,400-1,000 rpm
5/8 – 1-1/2 inch: 1,250 – 1,000 rpm
1-3/4 – 2-3/4 inch: 1,100 – 850 rpm
3 – 4 inch: 850 – 200 rpm
Q. What is the internal diameter of the…core drill?
A. Usually 1mm smaller than the external diameter.
Q. Do you stock a tool that will bevel around the hole I’ve drilled?
A. Yes, our diamond files are perfect for the job and come in small, medium or large in various shapes and grits – 220, 600 and 900 being the finest. Depending on the size of the hole you wish to bevel something like a 600 grit half round diamond file would be ideal.
Q. Do you deliver outside of the UK and what is the price?
A. Yes we do. Our delivery costs are the same wherever you live: Orders under £10, delivery is £2.75, orders over £20, delivery is £3.95. All orders are despatched by Royal Mail 1st class post within 1-2 working days.
Q. Do I need to use water or coolant with the drills?
A. Yes water should be used as your lubricant. A continuous flow of water over the material or the material immersed in water whilst you’re drilling will extend the life of your drill bit and ensure the material doesn’t crack due to overheating. When drilling gemstones, sea glass or pebbles use an up and down motion to allow your lubricant to circulate in the hole you’re drilling. When drilling tiles have a wet sponge on hand and squeeze water onto the drill area frequently. We have various different methods for lubricating whilst drilling see our How To section for tips on how to go about this.
Q. The core won’t come out of my drill bit…
A. If you’re drilling with the material immersed in water the core debris should naturally come out.
Q. What drills should I use for fossilized bone, rock and petrified wood?
A. Our small diamond core drills are perfect for this and many of our customers who are archeologists, biochemists and researchers use them for this very purpose.