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Drilling ceramic tile

IHateMyJob2004

IHateMyJob2004

Lifer
I have to drill about 6 holes. At this rate, I think it is going to take 6 hours.

Am I doing something wrong? The drill bits seem to be holding up well. Yes, I am using masonry bits (that and a glass/tile bit).

I've never done this before. Is 1 hour per 1/4" hole about right?

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EDIT: Found the same problem on another forum...... the response: "use a diamond core bit,if none available a carbide tipped triangle drag bit is available for drilling porcelain and glass .I use a diamond core bit takes about 30 seconds a hole!"

I think I might haev the triangle drag bit and it is still taking forever.

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Makes note to self, drill shower rod holes before installing new tile. Did you start with new bits? I'm not sure if you can use a hammer drill on ceramic tile.
 
It's all in proper scoring of it and proper pressure amounts, along with how close to the edge of the tile the hole is.
 
q]Originally posted by: jaqie
Tell me you aren't REALLY that ignorant, people!...[/quote]



No, I have a solid understanding of what a hammer drill is. I've used them many times over the years, BUT, they are NOT what you'd use to drill through ceramic tile, unless you're wanting to replace the tile you break all to hell...The hammering action of the roto-hammer will break the ceramic tile into pieces very quickly.
 
*shrug* never did for me when I worked on it, though my experience was limted to rather thick ceramic tiles, an extremely decrepit hammerdrill, and drilling holes into them near the middle. If my limited experience was indeed yielding bad advice, then please discount it.
 
Is it a new bit?
Is the drill accidentally reversed?
With a new bit and a corded drill, I'd say about 30 seconds a hole depending on diameter.
 
Glass/ceramic diamond drill bits or Dremel bits will do.

It take a bit of skill to start the first cut before drilling, and score the ceramic surface to mark the spot then drill. Or uses the ceramic core Dremel/drill bit and apply it on an angle to start the cut then slowly rotate it to a 90 deg angle to drill.

Careful use a masonry hammer drill will do in a pinch, however you will risk cracking the tile. Try it with the smallest masonry bit first, then move up to the larger bit.

For every 20-30 holes that I have drilled with a masonary bit/hammer drill I crack 1-2 tiles, and this skill I developed after drilling thousands of holes & broken many tiles in the process.

Diamond Drill Bits -- This is the cheapest bits that I have found to work using the rotate from angle to 90 deg method.

There are silicon carbide plunge bits that you can get for Dremel that doesn't last long but also work very well that doesn't cost much more than the above bits.

There are many other bits that work well but too expensive for occasional usage.

 
Are you putting pressure on the bit when you drill, or are you kinda just letting it rest on the tile.
 
I'm tiling my shower today, and I plan on cutting through the glaze with a dremel and grindstone. Once you get through the glaze, the possibility of breaking the tile is reduced. I'll use a bit after that, with a steady water drip.
 
Originally posted by: jaqie
*shrug* never did for me when I worked on it, though my experience was limted to rather thick ceramic tiles, an extremely decrepit hammerdrill, and drilling holes into them near the middle. If my limited experience was indeed yielding bad advice, then please discount it.
Click to expand...
Might've been a really crappy hammer drill, but it's not what you want to use.

Decrepit sometimes doesn't apply to power tools. My boss has a 40-year-old Hilti rotary hammer that can keep up with today's best.
 
The right bit and a hammer drill is what you need. Note that the wiki article linked above is incorrect, they are using hammer drill and rotary hammer to describe the same tool. A rotary hammer is designed to hit hard while spinning, great for drilling large holes in concrete, a total disaster when used on tile. A hammer drill's action is more like a heavy vibration, far less impact and higher rotational speed. A hammer drill is only good for drilling small holes in tile, for larger holes use a diamond grit hole saw.
 
NoShangriLa has it right. Go to Lowes. They sell diamond core bits in small sizes. I just drilled around 15 3/16" holes through ceramic this week, took less than a minute per hole.

Is this wall tile for a shower/tub? If so it may be porcelain. In that case, the only way you're getting through it is with diamond bits.
 
Originally posted by: BoomerD
q]Originally posted by: jaqie
Tell me you aren't REALLY that ignorant, people!...
Click to expand...



No, I have a solid understanding of what a hammer drill is. I've used them many times over the years, BUT, they are NOT what you'd use to drill through ceramic tile, unless you're wanting to replace the tile you break all to hell...The hammering action of the roto-hammer will break the ceramic tile into pieces very quickly.[/quote]

QFT...tile <> masonry. Also WTF was she talking about scoring a tile to drill it?

Anyway I have drilled into tile and it didn't take very long at all...I hope the OP doesn't have the drill in reverse.
 
I got 3 holes done. Took about 4 hours. I think i am getting the hang of it. I determined that the glass/tile bits are best. I think I can probably do the rest of the holes in about half an hour each. One of the big problems is that the bits wear very quickly. I tossed in a new bit for kicks and hte thing finished hte job in about a minute. Tomorrow I hope to finish up.

From doing some research, you can buy high end drill bits for tile. It's probably what professionals use. They cost $80 or so each. The drill VERY fast and will last long enough to do 5000 holes. You can not get them at Home Depot or Lowes.
 
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