How to drill a mirror

Having decided to hang a new mirror in the room, you probably wondered how to drill it so that it remains intact. It turns out that this problem is easily solved if you know some secrets.

Mirror - fragile material. Therefore, the standard processing methods used for metal or concrete products are not suitable here. When using a standard drill, the material may crack or crack completely. Special drills will help:

1. Feather. Made of high strength metal alloy. Suitable when you need to drill a slot with a diameter of 8-12 mm. Drilling is carried out at low speeds with the supply of coolant. When working with it, you must first make a recess at low speeds in the product, and then continue to work.
2. Tubular (castellated) with a diamond insert. It quickly copes with ceramic tiles, mirrors, glass and other fragile materials. Cylindrical drills are used by professionals. This is a budget and highly efficient option, featuring a high resource. The width of the hole can be adjusted by selecting the appropriate drill diameter.

ATTENTION! Tubular drills are often faked. With poor-quality goods, the diamond coating flies after one operation. When buying, pay attention to the material of which the nozzle is made and its thickness. If it is not thick, made of brass, then immediately after insertion into the cartridge it will bend and become unusable.

There are other ways to make holes:

1. Using aluminum alum dissolved in vinegar. The resulting composition is treated with a mirror and drilled. This method is used for carbide glass.
2. Thin metal tube or copper wire. A mixture of turpentine, grinding powder and camphor is laid out on the place where the drilling is planned. Then a wire of suitable thickness is attached to the drill and drilled.
3. Glass cutter. More precisely, a ball of diamond, which is inserted into it. It is pulled out of the tool and fixed on a metal rod. The resulting drill is attached to a screwdriver and drilled. The hole with this tool will turn out to be peculiar. Sharp edges are filed.
4. Using sand and molten metals. The surface is degreased with a solvent. The place where the slot is planned is covered with wet sand and a funnel is made in the center. Pre-molten tin or lead is poured into it. After solidification, the metal is removed along with the sand. It turns out a beautiful smooth hole.

IMPORTANT!Use a drill with speed control. Drilling glass is unacceptable at high speeds, this will immediately lead to damage to the product. If a speed-controlled drill is not available, the use of a screwdriver is allowed.

Prepare everything you need before drilling. It:

• degreasing solvent;
• drill or screwdriver;
• water, turpentine for cooling;
• plastic glasses and gloves for protection;
• drill.

Before work, exercise on an old cut of glass. As soon as you fill your hand, you can proceed directly to work with the mirror.

REFERENCE!The mirror and diamond drill are afraid of overheating. Therefore, during operation, they need to be periodically cooled with water.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Protect hands and eyes.
2. Put the product on the table. It should lie tight - not to move, not to slip.
3. Prepare the surface of the mirror. Treat it with a degreasing agent. Allow to dry completely.
4. Mark and pour some turpentine. This will protect against cracks. If turpentine is not at hand, you can stick plasticine around the hole and pour water into the resulting recess. The distance between the edge of the product and the slot should be at least two centimeters.
5. Start drilling. Adjust the tool to the slowest speed, otherwise damage the brittle product immediately. Do not press on the drill, do not apply force. Work very carefully, take breaks every 10 seconds to avoid overheating. At such times, be sure to cool the work area.
6. Hold the drill at right angles to the mirror. To prevent the drill from sliding on the glass, make a hole in a wooden or plastic bar and fix it to the product with tape.
7. Do not drill through hole. When there is very little left to end, turn the product over with the back side and finish drilling. This will help to avoid chips from the outside.
8. Grind irregularities with a grinding tool to prevent chips and cuts.

At the very end of the work, make the speed even lower and minimize the pressure on the drill.