What is the best tool for drilling holes in PORCELAIN tiles...The normal
method for tile drilling seems not to work very well. Is there any
special method/tool for PORCELAIN tiles, or is it just a difficult tile
to drill?


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Lawrence Zarb wrote:
What is the best tool for drilling holes in PORCELAIN tiles...The normal
method for tile drilling seems not to work very well. Is there any
special method/tool for PORCELAIN tiles, or is it just a difficult tile
to drill?

Yes, drilling PORCELAIN tiles can be difficult. Water lubrication helps
a lot, as does a really good tile bit. But you're quite right, drilling
PORCELAIN is a pain, because PORCELAIN is a very hard material.

Unlike ceramic tiles, PORCELAIN tiles are vitrified all the way through.
Very tough, PORCELAIN is.

I must say, I'm very fond of PORCELAIN tiles, and have used them on the
floor of the hall, ensuite and am about to lay them (them being
PORCELAIN tiles) in the kitchen. Great stuff PORCELAIN is.

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Grunff

"Lawrence Zarb" wrote in message
news:9f6c44201c1079c75154be161bbae900.52329@mygate .mailgate.org...
What is the best tool for drilling holes in PORCELAIN tiles...The normal
method for tile drilling seems not to work very well. Is there any
special method/tool for PORCELAIN tiles, or is it just a difficult tile
to drill?


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I tried a number of tile bits ranging from the Bosch and B&D offerings at
around £6, and even going for the £20 number from screwfix.

the big problem is that whichever drill bit you use it will get blunt fairly
quickly.

The expensive option from Screwfix was marginally better , but IMO not worth
it. They do throw in a standard drill bit as well, but I suspect this to be
more of a freebie to justify the price

I also used a tunsgtsen carbide bit on my SDS drill, after using a tile bit
to start the hole off.
This was probably the most successful option in my case. the SDS also had a
very good speed control setting which made things easier.

In all cases drill slowly and use plenty of water to lubricate/cool the bit
as you go. When drilling the walls I found two kids with water pistols did
the job of keeping the area wet:-)
Also, no matter how frustrating the drilling process may be never just ramp
up the drill speed and swear repeatedly it just completely knackers the
drill bit

So at the end of the day the tiles are just a nightmare to drill through but
do look exceptionally good.

cheers

David

David wrote:

The expensive option from Screwfix was marginally better , but IMO not worth
it.

I found it to be very much worth it.


They do throw in a standard drill bit as well, but I suspect this to be
more of a freebie to justify the price

Didn't read the instructions then? The ordinary bit is for drilling the
wall/floor behind the tiles, so you don't use the tile bit to drill
other materials.

--
Grunff

"Grunff" wrote in message
...
David wrote:

The expensive option from Screwfix was marginally better , but IMO not
worth
it.

I found it to be very much worth it.

Yes I believe I bought it on your recommednation, but my experience was that
it was only margianlly better than the standard tile drills. Posibly worth
£10-15. As I don't have any other jobs for it I would probably have had
significantly more success buying 3 or 4 half decent tile drills rather than
this single expensive one.

the best success I had was by switching from tile drill to start for 3-5mm
depth, then tunsten cardbide drill, then tile drill, and then break through
with TC drill. The screfix tile drill would start to struggle once its full
cutting edge was in contact with the tile, but for initial penetrationit was
very pretty effective, but no more so than a tile drill from Bosch,say.



They do throw in a standard drill bit as well, but I suspect this to be
more of a freebie to justify the price

Didn't read the instructions then? The ordinary bit is for drilling the
wall/floor behind the tiles, so you don't use the tile bit to drill
other materials.

Yes it's pretty clear what it is to be used for but I've got plenty of drill
bits which can do that job and I also suspect that most others who buy a
tile drill also have. I think anyone would be rather foolish to try and
drill through brick with a tile drill but then again you never know I
suppose. Perhaps the manuacturers are just trying to reinforce this point
and encourage the user to protect the tile drill as they have also paid out
for this standard drill that is included.

If it reduced the price by a fiver to come without this then it may well be
worth the extra expense, but the only real reason I can see for its
inclusion is to justify the high cost of the set.

cheers

David

David wrote:

Yes I believe I bought it on your recommednation, but my experience was that
it was only margianlly better than the standard tile drills.

Sorry you didn't like it!


I think anyone would be rather foolish to try and
drill through brick with a tile drill but then again you never know I
suppose.

I bet I know a few people who would...


Perhaps the manuacturers are just trying to reinforce this point
and encourage the user to protect the tile drill as they have also paid out
for this standard drill that is included.


Yes, maybe.


If it reduced the price by a fiver to come without this then it may well be
worth the extra expense, but the only real reason I can see for its
inclusion is to justify the high cost of the set.

The reason I liked it is that it's actually still in good condition, if
slightly blunted, having drilled a dozen holes in very tough porcelain
tiles. I couldn't even get a single hole in any reasonable time scale
with the cheap tile bit - it just rounded.


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Grunff