How to Drill Beads
Many beautiful beads are available with holes pre-drilled in them. However, if you like to use unusual materials as beads or want to make your own unique beads, you must know how to drill holes into beads so you can string them onto necklaces. Drilling holes into beads is not difficult if the right steps are taken and correct materials are used. Within a few minutes you will have beautiful, functional beads.
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Things You'll Need
- Diamond drill bits, 1/4 inch or smaller
- Glass or clay beads
- Dremel drill
- Large plastic bowel or flat tray
- Water
- Silly putty
- Permanent marker
- Acrylic cutting board
- Sharp, precision utility knife
- Drill press
Instructions
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1
Use a drill press to drill the bead if you have one. If not, fill a large tray or bowl about half full with water. Place a mound of putty large enough to hold a bead in place on an acrylic cutting board. Place the cutting board into the tray under the water.
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2
Mark a dot on the bead with the permanent marker to indicate where you want to drill the hole. Take the knife and scrape away a little bit of the bead to create a rough spot that the drill bit will be able to grip.
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3
Push the bead into the putty under the water. Make sure it is anchored and will not slip out.
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4
Put on the protective goggles. Attach the drill bit to the drill and plug the drill in. If it is a cordless drill, make sure it has full battery power. Place the drill tip onto the mark you drew onto the bead. Drill slowly into the bead until the tip of the drill bit is just covered by the bead.
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5
Remove the drill bit from the bead. It is important to allow the water to fill the new hole in the bead. Drill about 1/8 inch at a time and then remove the drill bit from the bead to allow the water to enter the hole. Repeat until the hole runs all the way through the bead. Remove the bead from the putty and begin again with a new bead.
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Tips & Warnings
If you have a drill press, the process is a little different. Clamp the bead into the vice grip that is in the drill press base. Wear protective goggles. Turn the drill press on and slowly lower the drill toward the bead. Slowly drill all the way through the bead. This method is best for clay beads. Glass beads can shatter when a drill press is used.
