Drilling glass

[Vron]

Hi
I ordered a piece of glass with holes drilled in each corner which I now realise the stand-off fixings I have are too large to fit the holes drilled by the glazier. I was thinking about using a diamond tip drill bit to enlarge them a bit - any advice or am I going to end up with an expensive mistake? The fixings all appear to start at 9mm diameter so so not really an option to buy smaller fixings. The holes are about 8mm diameter.
Thanks

[B17NNS]

I think it depends largely on the type of glass and any treatments applied.

Ordinary float would be ok I'd imagine.

Nice and slowly with a tile drill.

[SWH]

What sort of fixings are you using?

In the absence of a lathe... is it feasible to pop the fixing in the chuck of a drill and apply say a metal file to it, carefully of course, with the drill well secured... screwing up a few of the fixings having a go at taking 0.5mm material off the radius is probably cheaper than the glass, or the tile drill to have a go at it actually

Of course it's entirely possible they're made of something harder than the file and this will fail dismally, but maybe worth a go?

ETA.. thinking about it, the part going through the glass is probably threaded to go into the 'stand off' part of the fixing, so this won't work, oh well.

Edited by SWH on Monday 14th March 21:31

[annodomini2]

http://www.drillbitsonline.co.uk/glass-tile-drills...

[Simpo Two]

If it's toughened glass, forget it.

Otherwise, whilst glass drills drill holes from scratch, I don't know how successful they'd be enlarging a hole - it might set up vibrations and stresses that crack the glass.

Can you shave 1mm off the fixings with a craft knife?

[Vron]

I've worked out the hole in the glass needs to be 12mm to allow for the standoff fixing screw thread plus a rubber sleeve washer plus a mm each side for manouvering as its going to be near on impossible to get all 4 screws in exactly the correct position and I can't put the glass under any stress.

The holes are currently 7mm and the standoff screw thread is 8mm. May be easier just to buy some mirror screws (M8's)and use the back portion of the standoff fixing as a spacer from the wall.

I can't trim the standoffs they're aluminium.


Never thought to specify a drill hole size when I ordered the glass.

[Simpo Two]

Vron said:

May be easier just to buy some mirror screws (M8's)and use the back portion of the standoff fixing as a spacer from the wall.

I think this would be most sensible!





Or you could have skipped holes altogther and just spludged it into place with No More Mirrors etc. And no, you can't get transparent filler

[Mr Pointy]

Phone round the local glaziers to see if they can do it for you. Very often a job which seems difficult is easy for a professional with the right equipment.

[Vron]

Managed to get it sorted - the glass was toughened so no chance of re-drilling. Bought 4 x 5cm mirror fixing screws, recycled the stand-off fixing tube portion to act as a spacer (had to drill them out as the hole was too small for the screws).

[Simpo Two]

Looks nice.

I'm starting a sweepstake for the number of thunderflies that will get behind it next summer.

Simpo: 4947

[Vron]

Simpo Two said:

Looks nice.

I'm starting a sweepstake for the number of thunderflies that will get behind it next summer.

Simpo: 4947

That's why I left a gap at the bottom to hoover anything out I've also got one of those Mr Sheen 'swiffer' things that will fit behind to keep the dust sorted.

[Simpo Two]

Good batting Thinkman!

I just noticed the matching wood upstand too; nice touch.



Better still, my sweepstake guess was closest so I win. Rar!

[pikeyboy]

Looks like you didnt use the hammer drill,