top tip for drilling porcelain tiles!

[Welchyboy]

A little gem I discovered by accident today for all those, that like me,have real problems when drilling these nasty things

Nothing too involved just get a standard 6mm spade tile drill bit and use it on the hammer setting on your pistol drill, NOT YOUR SDS! Lol

Works a treat!

 

[SirKit Breaker]

NOT YOUR SDS! Lol

I did that........SPECTACULAR:laugh3:.............and bloody expensive:bigcry:

 

[Darkwood]

Pistol drills vary in hammer action frequency and peak/trough of the action, what may be great with your drill may be disaster on another, if i dont have a tile bit i use a standard hammer bit but without setting the drill on hammer, if you place some insulation tape on the tile it wont slip around as you break through the glaze.
Also to note is any kind of hammer action can crack a tile as it depends on how the adhesive was done, if it was spead on evenly then less chance if it was in dots you have many air pockets and this makes the tiles suseptable to cracking.

 

[SirKit Breaker]

Pistol drills vary in hammer action frequency and peak/trough of the action, what may be great with your drill may be disaster on another, if i dont have a tile bit i use a standard hammer bit but without setting the drill on hammer, if you place some insulation tape on the tile it wont slip around as you break through the glaze.
Also to note is any kind of hammer action can crack a tile as it depends on how the adhesive was done, if it was spead on evenly then less chance if it was in dots you have many air pockets and this makes the tiles suseptable to cracking.

Cracking! when i used my SDS it exploded, tile all over the place, and even a nasty sharp bit firmly embedded in the nice shiny new bath tub. I nearly cried, the customer wasnt too amused either.

Cheers.............Howard

 

[AP Electrical]

I always put the drill bit ( in the drill) and just push and twist the drill as if trying to screw into wall manually, cracks the glaze and then drill normally through, never cracked a tile even when going close to edge.... Can't believe I just said that probably cursed myself......

 

[Darkwood]

Cracking! when i used my SDS it exploded, tile all over the place, and even a nasty sharp bit firmly embedded in the nice shiny new bath tub. I nearly cried, the customer wasnt too amused either.

Cheers.............Howard

Cant say ive ever had an issue like that could be your bit was on the way out, discoloured end usually means its overheated at some point and due to fail, i always use good quality and make sure they haven't suffered from overheating.

 

[ackbarthestar]

Drilling porcelain tiles with an SDS drill Lol.... Why not just set the sds to hammer ? and smash through the tiling :laugh:

Ive tried, oil and putty, tape, various types of drill bits.
The best so far is a standard variable speed battery drill with a sharpened masonry bit. Scratch the surface at the point of insertion with a diamond class cutter and then proceed to drill slowly through the glaze and then through the ceramic sub-structure. I've never had one crack yet.....he said !

 

[jedisparks]

the likes of tool station etc do tile drill bits for about £2.50. trust me they are the way forward, so much easier

 

[Spudnik]

This is what i use..


Tile Marcrist PG750 Hard tile drills

 

[AIM]

I use tile spade bits Toolstation > Power Tool Accessories > Tile Drills > Tile and Glass Drill Bit cheap and accurate when run from combi drill, NOT set to hammer.

I also always drill glaze 2mm oversize so as not to crack the tile when screw & plug is tightened up. Otherwise plug expands with tension from the screw and tile, especially cheap ceramic, crack. Time wasted making good......

 

[SparkyJoe]

masonary bit in sds off hammer simples

 

[topcat]

They look a nice bit of kit jason may have to raid the piggy bank again

 

[wade88]

9 inch nail, lump hammer..... give it a hefty whack, voila, pilot hole.

 

[LukeBuckaz]

I use a sharp SDS bit, off hammer. Mark hole position, put drill bit on the mark. Push against the drill very firmly (not whilst rotating) to 'crack' the glaze. Keep the drill off hammer until through the tile then whack on hammer and off ya go!

 

[Rockingit]

Can't believe the Arms has sunk to this level. :90:

 

[Spudnik]

What level would that be?

 

[HandySparks]

Can't believe the Arms has sunk to this level. :90:

Not a bad thread, in places, but I can't see why it's in the Arms.

 

[wade88]

I just thought the arms was a place to come and moan at..... at least thats all do. WHINE and MOAN lol

 

[ackbarthestar]

Not a bad thread, in places, but I can't see why it's in the Arms.

Lol, Porcelain is a very dangerous material and should be handled with care and respect for the danger it could cause in the hands of a non-competent person. With that in mind we shouldn't declare to those who don't drink the expertise it takes to down a pint while thumping our way through somebody's shower wall......