How to Put Holes in Seashells
Collecting seashells from a beach vacation is something that most people do at some point in their lives. Creative, artistic types not only pick up pretty seashells, but also want to make jewelry and other crafts from their shell collection. Putting holes in seashells can be challenging for most people at first, but after some practice with power tools, the task becomes quick and easy.
Things You'll Need
- Safety glasses
- Face mask
- Shells
- Modeling clay
- Masking tape
- Pencil
- Rotary tool or drill
- Turpentine
Instructions
-
-
1
Protect yourself from flying pieces of shell and dust by wearing safety glasses and a mask over your nose and mouth. Protective gear of this type is available at hardware stores and home improvement warehouses.
-
2
Place your clean shell on a flat work surface. You may want to tape it down with masking tape or set the shell on a lump of modeling clay to make it immobile while you work.
-
-
3
Mark the spot where you want to put the hole with a pencil.
-
4
Use a very small drill or rotary tool bit, in the 1/8-inch range, to start with to avoid breaking your shell in half. Rotary tools such as the models offered by Dremel are often easier to work with than drills because they move at higher speeds and more fluidly (see Resources). If you do not have a drill or rotary tool, you may be able to rent one from your area home improvement store.
-
5
Lubricate the drill bit with a couple of drops of turpentine so it will go into the shell more easily.
-
6
Touch the drill or rotary tool to the shell and allow it to work through the surface on its own power. You will not need to add much, if any, pressure of your own. Pushing too hard may cause the shell to break.
-
7
Widen the hole you have put into the seashell, if needed, by using a slightly larger drill bit.
-
1
