How to Drill a Hole Through Glass

Do you need to do something around the house or have a craft project that requires drilling holes through glass? You can use a regular electric drill and an appropriate drill bit to do this. The key here is that the material used for drilling must be harder than glass.

Table of Contents

Find the right tool

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Determine the type of glass you want to drill. You can drill holes in wine bottles, aquariums, mirrors, glass tiles – any type of glass in general. However, an important rule of thumb is to never drill holes through tempered or safety glass. ^{[1] X Research Source}

The tempered glass will splatter when it comes into contact with the drill bit. To identify tempered glass, look at the four corners. If it is tempered glass, the manufacturer will engrave on each corner.
Another warning: When using the drill, be sure not to wear loose clothing or long dangling accessories like necklaces, bracelets, and long tasseled tops. It is crucial not to wear or wear anything that could get caught in the power tool. Also, wear goggles and gloves as possible.

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Buy or use a drill you already have at home. Use a drill available at home; otherwise, you can buy a regular electric drill at most hardware stores.

Drilling holes through glass does not require a specialized drill – you just need the right drill bit. ^{[2] X Research Source}
However, it is important not to use the full power or top speed of the drill; otherwise, the glass is in danger of cracking. Think of it as if you were carving into glass, not drilling a hole through it. Set the speed of the drill and adjust to the lowest. This will help you slow down the drilling process.

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Choose the right drill bit. You need to choose a drill specifically designed to drill holes through glass. This is extremely important; you cannot select any of the available drill bits. Ask the seller at the hardware store to help you choose the right one. Glass drill bits are quite common, and you can also buy them online.

Carbide drill bits for drilling glass and glass bricks are also a good choice. Carbide drill bits are shaped like shovel blades and withstand the friction of drilling on glass or glass bricks. ^{[3] X Research Sources}
You can find carbide drill bits at hardware stores. Just go to the drill bit area and ask the salesman. However, one disadvantage of cheap drills is that they are dull and can even break.

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Another option is to use a diamond drill. These drill bits are specialized for drilling glass, marine glass, wine bottles, glass tiles and other harder materials such as marble and stone. Diamonds are harder than glass, so they are perfect for drilling hard materials. ^{[4] X Research Sources}^{[5] X Research Sources}

Diamond drill bits can be used to drill holes approximately 0.6 cm in diameter or larger. You can choose either round or tubular drill bits. The diamond drill will produce a smoother bore. Diamond drill bits are often used to drill glass; a drill can drill many holes and rarely break if used correctly.
For very small holes, you can choose a small diamond drill with a hard, flat tip. There are many types of drill bits with very small sizes, up to 0.75 mm. ^{[6] X Research Sources}
You can also buy diamond hole punches. You need a quick-start punch replacement. These parts will match the drill. Use the punch for the drill to make the first hole in the glass. Then attach the drill bit to the drill and place it in the hole just made with the punch. Drill through the hole. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Prepare to drill

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Place the glass material in a small container, if medium. You can use an ice cream box or a plastic tray. You probably don’t want to drill through tables or similar objects.

Line some old newspapers in the bottom of a container of glass material. This is to prevent drilling through the box.
Another option is to place the glass on a very firm and firm surface. If possible, you should put a piece of rubber or other material underneath, but the glass object should be close and firmly supported. In other words, don’t stand up the glass object when drilling holes or anything like that.
Always be cautious. Be sure not to drill where it could damage the furniture, and remember that the power cord of the drill should not be placed near water.

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Glue a piece of cardboard or tape to the glass. This is to prevent the drill bit from slipping when starting to drill. You can use cake tins for this purpose.

An alternative is to glue the inside and outside of the glass object to be drilled with packing tape or masking tape. This will keep the glass from breaking.
Tear off two pieces of tape. Glue two pieces of tape cross each other in the shape of an X over the point you want to drill. Never drill a hole less than 2 cm from the edge of the glass.
Mark on the tape at the point where you want to drill a hole. This way you will be able to determine the location when preparing to drill. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Drill a hole

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Start drilling at the lowest speed. Slower drilling is recommended for hard materials; You can search online for drill speed recommendations for different materials, including glass. ^{[9] X Research Source}^{[10] X Research Source}

Attach a small drill bit to a multi-speed drill. Make sure to attach it tightly. It’s best to start with a 1/8″ or 3/32″ drill. You should just make a hollow in the glass first.
Then remove the cover plate or tape and drill faster, about 400 rpm (400 rpm) If you drill too fast, the drill bit can cause scorch marks around the drill head. If necessary, you can replace the drill bit with a larger drill to widen the original hole. The first hole is the “guide” hole. It will guide the larger drill bits that you keep using until you’re done. ^{[11] X Research Source}

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Reduce drilling pressure and speed even further when the drill is about to penetrate the glass. When drilling glass, you should keep the drilling speed low or medium. When you’re about to go through glass, you need to slow down even more, as that’s when the glass is most likely to break.

If you press the drill too hard, you may crack the glass. You need to keep the drill perpendicular to the glass surface to prevent chipping. If you are new to this job, you should only use light pressure to avoid making a big mistake. ^{[12] X Research Sources}^{[13] X Research Sources}
Another alternative is to only drill to half of the front, then flip over (carefully) and drill until it connects to the hole on the front. ^{[14] X Research Source}

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Use coolant to prevent the drill bit from overheating. This is very important. Pour a little oil or water over the drill bit. Water is the most commonly used coolant for drill bits. You will need more cooling if drilling harder surfaces. ^{[15] X Research Source} Coolant will keep the drill bit smooth and cool. If the glass gets too hot, it can crack and break.

Coolant can be used before and during drilling.
You can pour some water into the bottle and pour it over the hole you are drilling. Water will flow out and into the borehole while drilling and will help with cooling. ^{[16] X Research Source}
You can also spray water around the drill bit to keep it smooth. Again, be very careful with electrical cords and water. Try filling a spray bottle with water and spraying it while drilling. If a white powder forms while drilling, you should use extra coolant and reduce the drilling speed.
You can also place a wet sponge under the glass during drilling as a coolant. ^{[17] X Research Source} Or you can put water on the glass before drilling – by pouring water over the glass container.

Advice

Do not use excessive speed when drilling. Glass is very hard and has high friction, so drill bits can fail very quickly.
Using a puncher can help stabilize the drilling force.
Use multiple drill bits, starting with the very small and gradually changing to larger bits to reduce pressure on the glass.
Note that the drill bit can chip the edge of the hole on the back of the glass, the hole on the front will be smoother.
It is extremely important to always use a respirator. Dust from glass, also known as silica dust, can cause a form of lung cancer, also known as pneumococcal disease.
Keep the glass cool when drilling holes. This will help prevent glass breakage and drilling tool breakage.
While water is still better, cutting oil can also help with drilling – but should be used sparingly.

Warning

Glass is very brittle and sharp. Take care when handling glass, use gloves, mask and goggles when drilling holes.
Glass shards are very harmful to the eyes, so you should wear appropriate ANSI standard goggles.

Things you need

Drills with multiple speeds
Glass drill bit
Solid working surface
Tape
Containers containing water or aerosols
Safety goggles (ANSI standard): any “ANSI” lenses will have “Z87” printed on the frames.

Steps