We all occasionally drill holes-hang pictures, strengthen the furniture, and so on. But for special tasks, we need the help of the world’s hard material – a diamond. They say diamonds are the woman’s best friends, but they are also the best friends of those who want to drill large holes in hard materials such as concrete or granite, and also for those who want to drill brittle materials such as glass or ceramics.
What is a diamond drill and how is it distinguished from the familiar drill bits?
Unlike the familiar drill bits from everyday life, which are based on the blade of the cutter into the middle (the material in which the hole is drilled), sometimes with the help of blows (when drilling in the walls), a diamond drill is based on grinding. At the end of a diamond drill, which is usually decorated in the form of a glass or pipe, small diamond fragments are embedded (industrial diamonds – different from those embedded in jewelry, so do not open ideas). The diamonds, the hardest material in nature, abrasive the medium into dust, thus cutting through it a hole.
Diamond drill bits are especially suitable for drilling tasks of large holes in hard materials such as concrete, Jerusalem stone, granite, porcelain granite, marble and the like. In addition, because diamond drills perform their work by grinding and not by cutting or beating, they are especially suitable for tasks where precise drilling is required and clean with brittle/brittle materials such as porcelain or glass.
While ordinary drill bits can split chips from the material and even break the glass / porcelain, diamond drill bits will allow accurate hole drilling, having a smooth margin and without peripheral damage.
How is a diamond drill used?
As mentioned above, a diamond drill is fundamentally different from an ordinary drill not only in its appearance but also in the way it performs its work.
It is drilled in the medium by grinding the material at the point of contact to fine dust while rotating at high speed.
This friction creates a lot of heat that, if not treated, can damage the drill and/or mediate.
It is also necessary to evacuate from the hole also the dust formed from erosion, otherwise, it will interfere with the work of the drill and cause it to wear out.
Both of these problems are treated, usually, by water.
Diamond drills usually have a special connection to a water pipe, which pumps the water through the drill itself directly into the contact area between the drill and the drilled material.
The water cools the tip of the drill and also washes out the grains of the worn substance.
In cases where there is no dedicated connection, for example, in diamond drills installed on an ordinary drill or a hammer, it is recommended to splash water on the drilling area.
If there is no such possibility, the drill should be divided into short sections, with every few seconds stopping the drill and pulling the drill out of the hole to allow it to cool and make sure to free the dust from the hole (for example with the help of an airstream).
Tips for using a diamond drill:
- If the drill does not have a “centering bit” (a regular drill head in the center of the diamond drill), it is recommended to slightly tilt the drill bit at the beginning of drilling. In this form, the drilling force is concentrated in a smaller area and less friction is created, so it is easier to control the drill that does not “run away” to the sides or vibrate (which impairs the drilling efficiency). Having formed a socket at a depth of several mm gradually straighten the drill, and the groove formed at the first stage helps to stabilize and direct the drill bit.
- Work at the highest speed that the drill allows. Drilling with the help of a diamond drill is based on grinding, and the higher the speed, the faster the drilling. Put pressure on the drill, but not too strong pressure is required. If you hear that the drill starts to slow down, ease the pressure.
- Adjust the volume of the water stream (in drills that include a connection to the water) so that the water came out of the hole as a kind of sparse emulsion. Too weak A Current will not effectively evacuate the dust, and too strong A Current will increase the dirt to the environment.
- Drilling with a diamond drill is a dirty matter-the revolving drill quickly splashes the water with dust (basically sparse mud) in all directions and at a fairly large distance. So make sure to evacuate from the area furniture or anything else that could be damaged by water or become irreversibly dirty. What can not be evacuated-thoroughly wrapped in plastic wrap.
- Drilling with a diamond drill causes the drill to vibrate at a high rate.
It is recommended to use thick working gloves to protect hands from calluses and a feeling of tingling as a result of vibration.
With continuous use of a diamond drill, vibration may even cause damage to the hands-and the recommendation for thick gloves is under force.
How to choose a diamond drill?
As with any working tool, it is important to adjust the drill bit to the task.
The first measure is the diameter of the drill bit – it is important to choose a drill with a diameter that corresponds to the needs – large enough to pass the necessary plumbing, for example, on the one hand, but not too large (which makes the drill more expensive and makes it difficult to drill) on the other hand.
The second measure is the length of the drill bit – those who need to drill openings for taps in marble, for example, can settle for a relatively short cup drill, the length of which is 4-5 cm.
The drill bit should of course fit into a tool that will rotate it – a thread of suitable diameter in drills dedicated to diamond drills, an SDS adapter (check on Amazon) if intending to use a smoking pipe, and so on.
Of course, as always, the quality should also be taken into account – those who rarely drill, or materials of no high difficulty, may be content with a cheap drill bit of less good quality.
However, for those who use the drill during their regular work, and drill with hard materials such as reinforced concrete or granite, it is worth choosing a quality drill, which will allow drilling faster and will survive longer (so that the long term is actually cheaper).