# Drilling Quartz?



## xochi (Feb 2, 2006)

Hello ,
I recently found some very cool little quartz skulls. I'd like to be able to drill a small hole into them to insert a tritium capsule to illuminate the skull to use on a lanyard. Problem is obvious, how do I drill this hard stuff?


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## Osprey_Guy (Feb 2, 2006)

For small holes to accomodate tritium vials, cobalt drill bits are probably sufficient...If not you can usually find masonry bits at most any hardware or home improvement store. They're more expensive but they will certainly work. 
Or if you have a Dremel-type tool use a diamond bur to "drill" your hole.


Dennis Greenbaum


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## xochi (Feb 2, 2006)

Thanks! I'll give it a shot.


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## greenLED (Feb 2, 2006)

I've seen those dental drill bits on eBay; some are diamond coated. My guess is you gotta go slow and maybe use liquid to cool the parts/lubricate while drilling. But


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## MoonRise (Feb 3, 2006)

Hard and brittle, you usually don't just jam a regular twist drill bit into the material and try to make a hole. That approach will lead to a broken bit or broken workpiece more often than not.

Without seeing the actual materials, I'd tend towards a do-it-yourself core-bit approach. Get a piece of tubing of the appropriate diameter for the desired hole and also some grit paste (coarse lapping compound, valve grinding compound, etc). Hold workpiece in a suitable holder (vise, clamp, etc), put tubing in a drill press or mill, line everything up, apply some grit to the end of the tubing, and have at it. Reapply grit as needed. Speeds and feeds are up to you to determine.

Or use the diamond coated burr. I wouldn't hand hold that setup either, but jig/clamp/fixture it and use a drill press/mill on high speed.

Or try a high-powered eximer laser.


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## Tritium (Feb 3, 2006)

Be sure to use a ring of putty around the area that you plan to drill and fill that area with olive or mineral oil as a coolant and lubricant. Above all else go SLOW!!!! I do lapidary work with many quartz based minerals. You can also use a piece of copper wire with 320 diamond grit in the above method.

Thurmond
http://www.gemcutters.org


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## Osprey_Guy (Feb 3, 2006)

I've never installed a tritium vial...I have tritiums vials in two of my lights (Raw, McLuxx III PD) and it looks like those vials aren't much larger than 3/64"-1/16" in diameter. I've also never drilled into quartz, but I've had more than my share of occasions to drill into other tough materials (such as hardened steel and titanium). Is it really so difficult to drill that small a hole in quartz? If so than I stand corrected with my suggestion to use cobalt drills for small holes. 

How about carbide (which is actually what I use for much of my drilling needs)...will that work for such a small hole in the quartz?


Dennis Greenbaum


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## Tritium (Feb 3, 2006)

Metal Cuts, Crystaline solids abrade. You don't actually cut into them. You have to grind slowly to avoid shattering.

Thurmond


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## dcarch8 (Feb 4, 2006)

both HarborFreight and eBay sell high quality carbide drill bits 50 of various small diameters in a set. very inexpensive. Must have in a shop. All Dremel sizes.

Diamond bits may not be small enough for you.

You should use a drill press, go very slow, use lubricant. Because it takes a while, Dremel will over heat.

If possible drill fom both sides, because the pressusre usaully cracks the edges when you reach the bottom.

good luck.

dcarch8


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## dcarch8 (Feb 4, 2006)

One more thing:depends on the thickness of the work piece and the shape and angle you are trying to drill, it may be very difficult to do a good job.

there is a special wax that you can get just for this purpose for making jewelry.

It allows you to hold the workpeice securely. It shouldn't be too difficult for you to find and buy this wax.

I wonder why anyone would make a quartz skull? How do you know it's quartz?

dcarch8


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## xochi (Feb 15, 2006)

It's obviously quartz. 

I believe it is a reproduction in miniature form of ancient pieces.


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