Drill Bits and Porcelain tiles

[Carlton Banks]

Hi There,

Uncle Phil has got some builders in to do some tiling. Also there is drilling for fittings and said builder is whinging about drill bits, the diamond ones breaking or wearing out.

Is this really our problem?

Anyway, to assist and ensure he doesn't try to charge more, can someone suggest a good supplier of diamond drill bits and any tips to reduce breakage of bits and tiles.

Thanks

Carlton

[Composite Guru]

Cromwell tools have places all over the country to buy drills.

We use Tungsten Carbide tipped drills on Carbonfibre and they work well on tiles too.

Just stick a piece of masking tape over the area to drill so the drill doesn't slip. Take it easy whilst drilling as if you hit any brickwork behind it maybe liable to chipping the tip.

Finesse and care is all it takes, tell him not to just wang it through the tiles into the masonary behind.

Edited by Composite Guru on Tuesday 6th September 12:04

[wolf1]

It's like drilling stainless steel. Start small and drill slowly then progress to the size required. Sounds like the builder is trying to slam a 10mm bit through straight away and too fast.

[Stegel]

I bought some diamond bits off Ebay - the seller is something like 365 drills - and they went through 12mm porcelain floor and wall tiles like they were plasterboard. Use plenty of water - they are sold as limited life bits, but with light pressure and lots of water, I think they will do several bathrooms' worth of holes. They do a "bathroom kit" which gives you some small dia bits for screw holes plus a couple of larger sizes to suit pipes. Makes drilling with tungsten carbide bits appear very hard work, and gives a very clean edged hole.

[Simpo Two]

He should have thought about it when he quoted for the job, assuming he knew the 'hole' requirement.

[m4ckg]

porcelain tiles are very hard and exspesive to drill, did the builder know you were having porcelain? I had to drill four holes yesterday in polished porcelain and cost me the best part of £20 to do so even though I will still get a few more holes out of it ( hopefully )

[Rickyy]

I thought Phillip was your Father?

[Carlton Banks]

[quote=Rickyy]I thought Phillip was your Father?[/quote0

Everyone knows him as Uncle Phil, he even forgets he is my father!

Perhaps if I make it to Princeton, he will let me into his life!

Since the original Viv left, life hasn't been the same!

[Howitzer]

I used a cheap set of tile drills from Wickes and had no issues with some particularly hard tiles, I just took my time.

Dave!

[kentmotorcompany]

Drilling tiles is a not easy.

He can do it slowly with expensive bits - which will cost time and money.

He can try to do it faster with (more) cheaper bits - Which will cost less time, but more money in bits.

Either way his time and materials has to be paid for.

Was the amount of holes, and type of tiles specified before the job start/price agreed?

[Du1point8]

I had a bathroom specialist and I have never heard so much swearing except from him when drilling the porcelain tiles as I think he was drilling too fast and cracked 2 smaller tiles, in the end I had to show him a tip to put some tape on the tile and drill very slowly to get through it... and I know fk all about bathroom tiles.

[Simpo Two]

When I needed to fix a towel rail and didn't have a diamond bit, I made the holes with a Dremel instead. But that was travertine not porcelain.

[Gingerbread Man]

When we have to drill these, they're a pain in the arse, but not particularly hard.

Using a wet diamond core cutter it'll go through.

A normal tile bit with a spade/ spear shaped head will have no chance and will blunt. They're not designed for hard porcelain tiles.

A quick link to show the setup I mean.

[bod27]

Irwin (think thats how its spelt) do drillbits for about £4 they will do about 3-4 holes (a few more if slow) keep cooling the end and they are fine. I use these in our showroom as most tiles are now porcelain.

Rotorzip do a tile tool thats a bit like a router but cuts holes in tiles very well, one of our fitters has one , did cost about £200 , but he never moans about drilling porcelain tiles!