On Thu, 3 May 2007 14:11:53 -0600, "Bob"
wrote:

I have a few empty Crown Royal bottles out of which I want to make small
lamps. Most are the 750ml size & a couple 1.75 liter size. The bottles are
attractive and I think they could make nice lamps for background or accent
light in an office or den.

My problem is that I don't know how to make a hole in the back side of the
bottle near the bottom in which to thread zip cord.

I've tried new drill bits running the drill press as slowly as possible,
using various lubes (oil, alcohol, and carb cleaner), but can't get a hole
started in the glass. I even tried a masonry bit - didn't work either.

Any ideas? Thanks, Bob-tx


Method 1:
Build a little cofferdam of putty around where you want the hole,
fill it with jewlers rouge and cutting oil, And set a stick in there
in the drill press, and leave it running. come back once an hour or
so and bounce the stick up and down to get more abrasive under it.

Method 2:
If you're really skilled and lucky, you can melt the hole instead.
Preheat a bucket of sand and the bottles in your oven
to as hot as you can get it, then use a mapp-gas torch on the
spot where you want the hole, and poke it with a stick when
it starts to glow brightly. If the bottle doesn't explode,
bury it in the hot sand and let the whole thing cool.
(I've seen hobbyist beadmakers use a crockpot filled with
vermiculite, but I suspect your bottles are too big for that.)

Method 3:
Get a dremel tool with a thick grinding wheel, and prop it against
the glass, running, and go read a book.

Method 4: Use battery-driven LED arrays, and skip the external
power entirely.