Drilling Fantasy Marble

H

Hunterarrow

BANNED
Joined
Feb 19, 2013
Messages
49
Newbie question here.
I'm going to be drilling Fantasy Marble from Jants. Last time I drilled it it chipped pretty bad.
So the question is this: when drilling brittle material is it better to use high speed low torque? or low speed low torque? Any other tips?
Thanks in advance.
 
I've never drilled fantasy marble, but regular marble and granite is really prone to cracking and chipping as well.

I always take the end of the drill bit and scribe a small x so the bit wont slip. Go slow speed and low pressure. Make sure you keep it wet and free of debris so it doesn't bind up.
 
Please, I'm probably been a bit slow on this. When you say you scribe an X on the end, how do you do that or what do you mean? Thanks, Frank
 
He is mean like with metals how you can use a center punch.
But with the marble i would use a nail and a scratch the surface of it or even just tap it lightly so u have a center mark.
Go slow and little pressure i would even use a little drill bit first and the go up in sizes till you reach the size you want. And put lots of water on it as you drill i would have a cup and just pour it on as you drill. That way you keep the bits cool and the marble cool too.
 
Yeah, sorry I meant using the end of the bit, scratch an ex where you want to drill.

What blank said was correct about slowing going up in sizes.
 
Slowly going up through the sizes. I always put a piece of duct tape covering where I want the hole. I've found it keeps chipping to a minimum.
 
Buy a quality carbide bit if you can. Composites don't conduct heat well, so the edges of HSS bits used for plastic will tend to lose their fine edge quite quickly, which is one of the most important things for cutting plastic. The other important thing has been mentioned above, which is keep it well cooled. A flood coolant system is the best for cutting plastic, but if you're really trying to be careful on a piece, fill a cornbread pan partway with water and then drill underwater (with a scrap underneath of course so you don't ruin your pan).
 
Thanks guys. I drilled it (it wasn't fantasy marble but Gemstone, sorry) on low speed with low torque. I also put a piece of 2x4 underneath it to prevent chipping. Worked well.
 
Tape is a good idea. I'd use a drill bit made for ceramic tile and go slow.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top