Some mirror models have special hooks on which they can be attached. In this case, you will need to make a hole directly in the wall, insert a nail into it, on which the mirror will hang. But sometimes, in order to mount the product on a wall or any object, you need to drill a hole in the mirror at home.
The difficulty of performing such work lies in the fragility of the material. Work must be carried out with extreme caution so as not to damage the product. If you do not follow this rule, the mirror will crack or even break completely.
In essence, the product is glass, which has a special coating on one side. That is why it is necessary to work with a mirror surface in the same way. So how to drill a mirror at home? Let's look further.
General recommendations
Anyone can make a hole in a mirror if they first familiarize themselves with drilling technology. There is nothing complicated about this, but there is always a risk that the product will crack or completely break. If it is impossible to do such work yourself, it is better to take the product to a workshop that repairs mirrors and furniture. To understand how to drill a mirror at home, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic nuances of the process.
Small holes for dowels
In the bathroom it is impossible to do without a mirror, shelves or hooks. If the tiles have already been laid, the question arises of how to properly hang all the accessories so as not to spoil the repair or split the tiles. For such purposes, a special drill is used that can carefully make a hole in the tile without damaging it.
There are several types of ceramic tiles, which you need to pay attention to when selecting tools and drills. Experienced experts advise beginners to use a hand drill to make a hole in porcelain tiles. It will be easier this way, because all the power of rotation and pressure will be in the hands of the master.
Principles of working with a mirror
When processing fragile mirror surfaces, you must follow some important rules:
- First you need to place the mirror on a perfectly flat horizontal surface. For these purposes, you can use plastic, chipboard or plywood. The product must fit tightly to the surface.
- It is recommended to additionally degrease the surface to be treated. This can be done using acetone.
- How to drill a hole in a mirror? If the work is performed with a high-quality drill, you need to set the equipment to the slowest operating mode. There is no need to rush or put pressure on the instrument.
- Experts advise not to drill completely. You need to stop halfway, turn the mirror over and continue drilling from the back side.
What tools might you need?
To prevent the glass surface from cracking and falling apart during processing, you need to know what you can use to drill a mirror at home. Typically, work is carried out using the following devices:
- Solid feather shaped drill bit. Helps produce a hole with a diameter of no more than 12 mm. Despite the quality of the product, without certain skills it is difficult to make a smooth hole without defects.
- A diamond-coated drill is designed specifically for glass processing; the equipment helps to work as safely and accurately as possible.
- A tube-shaped drill will be needed if you need to get a large diameter hole.
- If the master uses a brass drill for work, you need to remember that it heats up quickly. You need to constantly add water to the drilling site.
- The diamond-coated tubular bit helps make large holes with high precision. The drill must be constantly cooled.
Steps
Method 1 of 2:
Preparation for drilling
1
Buy a set of glass drill bits. The choice of drill bit also depends on the size of the hole you are going to make. Diamond drill bits with round tips are best for holes up to 1.5 cm in diameter, while diamond drill bits with hollow cores are best for holes larger than 1.5 cm in diameter. Typically, two types of drills are suitable for drilling glass: diamond and tungsten carbide. Diamond drill bits are traditionally used for drilling glass; a single diamond bit can drill many holes and rarely breaks glass when used properly. Carbide drill bits have a spade-like tip that can withstand the friction generated when drilling into glass or tile.
2
Choose glass that is not tempered or safety glass. These types of glass can only be drilled using special equipment that is not available to the average craftsman. Make sure the glass you choose is the right size and thickness for you.
3
Cut the required piece of glass yourself or use this service when purchasing glass and sand its edges
4
Mark the location of your holes on the glass, being careful to place them as far from the edge of the glass as possible. Never drill closer than 2 cm to the edge
5
Place the glass on a completely flat surface, where it will rest on its entire plane. If you have the opportunity, place a rubber mat or other fairly hard, elastic material under it, but the glass must lie absolutely flat.
6
If possible, immerse the glass in water or constantly spray it with water to remove the smallest glass particles flying while drilling. If you choose to use oil to cut glass instead, use a small amount.
Method 2 of 2:
Drilling a hole
- 1
Insert a small drill bit into a variable speed drill.
Make sure it is securely fastened. It is best to start working with a 2-3 mm drill.
- 2
Center the drill on your intended drilling point and start drilling.
Use constant pressure while pressing down on the drill while drilling, and try to maintain a constant, slow drilling speed.
- 3
When you get close to the other side of the glass, flip it over.
Often, when drilling through, the drill breaks off a piece of glass on its back side, so it is better to turn the glass over in advance and finish drilling by drilling a counter hole on the other side.
- 4
Replace the small drill bit with a larger drill bit to make the hole larger.
The first hole is only a basting hole. It will guide larger drills as the hole is enlarged to the desired size.
- 5
Drill the hole to the desired size using each subsequent drill bit in sequence.
When using larger drills, less pressure on the drill and a lower rotation speed are required.
Adviсe
- Use a set of drill bits, starting with the smallest one, and work through each other drill size in order to minimize pressure on the glass as you reach the desired hole diameter.
- The glass must lie absolutely flat, otherwise it will break.
- Keep the glass cool while drilling. This will prevent the drill bits and glass from breaking.
- Using a drill press can help regulate the pressure applied to the drill bit.
- No need to drill at fast speed. Glass is a very hard and abrasive material, and you can quickly ruin your drill bits.
- While it's best to use water, glass cutting oil can also help when drilling holes in glass, just don't use too much of it.
Warnings
Glass is a fragile and sharp material
Handle it with care and wear gloves, a guard and safety glasses when drilling. Glass shards can seriously damage your eyes, so you should wear safety glasses that properly protect your eyes.
- Variable Speed Drill
- Glass drills
- Durable, flat work surface
- Water container or spray bottle
- Safety glasses, gloves, respirator.
Rules for working with drilling tools
How to drill a mirror at home using a quality tool? If the work is carried out using a special gimlet, you need to use a drill. In this case, the power of the equipment must be regulated. This tool is not always at hand, so you can use a simple screwdriver.
Markings must be made on the glass. It is not enough to simply draw a cross at the drilling site. It is necessary to draw a regular square, inside of which there will be a circle. This is the diameter of the future hole.
Sometimes during the drilling process the tool slides along the surface, and this can lead to damage to the product. To avoid this situation, you first need to make a small wooden blank. A hole is made inside it and attached to the mirror surface with tape. This little trick helps keep the drill in one position. To prevent the tool and the mirror surface itself from overheating during operation, it is necessary to take short pauses. At this point, it is recommended to slightly cool the mirror and drill.
Marking and preparation
The usual method of marking the center of the hole with a cross will not work for marking. To drill glass, you need to draw a square that will describe the hole. Remember that a tubular drill cannot be centered, so you will need a stand that will allow you to guide the tool in a strict vertical line. If there is no such frame, then distortions may occur.
In addition, starting the drilling itself will be quite problematic. It is possible that the drill will slip and scratch the surface of the glass. In this case, you can use a piece of plastic or wood. They are pre-drilled and attached to the surface of the glass with tape, and then using the same drill, a hole is made in the glass itself. If you have enough experience, you can do without plastic. Then you need to make an approach with only one side of the drill, gradually bringing it to the normal.
"Old-fashioned" drilling method
People who were born in the USSR never wonder how to drill a mirror at home in the usual way, since they performed such work at a time when complex electric tools did not yet exist. To make a hole quickly and easily, you need to prepare the following materials and tools:
- lead or any other material that melts easily;
- clean fine sand without foreign impurities;
- burner or gas stove;
- alcohol;
- an old metal mug for melting lead.
How to drill a hole in a mirror at home in this way? You just need to follow these instructions:
- The mirror is first degreased with alcohol, then a little water is added to the sand and this mixture is applied to the surface to be treated.
- Using a needle or awl, you need to make a small improvised hole in the form of a funnel in the sand.
- Lead or tin is melted in an old metal mug and then poured into a sand funnel.
- Then you need to wait some time until the metal hardens.
After this, it is enough to remove the sand and take out the frozen piece of metal. Under the influence of high temperatures, not only lead, but also glass melts. Reviews say that as a result of this work, a perfectly even hole is formed, and no cracks or chips will be observed.
How to drill through tempered glass
Before modern construction tools and consumables appeared, a lot of ways were invented to make a hole in glass. The most popular is to use a regular drill, which is first heated red-hot on a burner or gas stove flame, and then hardened in wax. Then everything is done exactly as described above.
Also, to solve the problem, you can use a copper tube mounted directly in the drill chuck. In this case, it is necessary to secure pieces of cardboard with an existing hole on both sides of the glass, and it is better to place the sheet itself on a rubber base to reduce vibrations. In this case, the composition of the “coolant” also changes - corundum powder should be added to the water.
Application of glass cutter
To be able to make a hole in the product in this way, you will have to disassemble the glass cutter. The fact is that you need to work with a diamond roller. To understand how to drill a mirror at home, you need to carefully study the sequence of actions with a glass cutter:
- You need to remove the diamond roller from this device.
- The steel rod should be carefully prepared for use. To do this, you need to make a small slot in it.
- You need to insert a roller into the hole and check the reliability of the fastener.
This way you can make a high-quality drill yourself. It is attached to the drill and work begins.
Using a conventional drill
It is not always possible to purchase a high-quality professional gimlet with an expensive coating. Sometimes a drill purchased in a supermarket may be of poor quality, and drilling using such a device will not work. In this case, you can use a perk. As reviews note, this is a very effective method.
Here are instructions on how to properly drill a mirror with a regular drill:
- The mirror must be placed on a flat horizontal surface and degreased with alcohol.
- On the upper side you need to make a small funnel from clay and plasticine, pour water into it. If you have turpentine at home, it is better to use this liquid.
- The tool (in particular, a drill) needs to be turned on to the slowest mode and, without exerting any physical effort, slowly make a hole.
detailed instructions
How to drill a mirror? Drill glass using a pen tip according to these instructions:
- The mirror must be placed on a flat and solid base. For this you can use sweaty plastic, plywood, chipboard.
- Using a marker, draw a drawing of the location of the hole and its diameter.
- To work with the perk, it is better to use a screwdriver. It is connected to the network and installed on the glass, according to the markings.
After this, using a spray bottle, you need to constantly spray water on the mirror so that it does not overheat during the drilling process. Start work at the lowest speed, gradually increasing it to medium mode. While working, you need to constantly lift the drill so that liquid can get inside the hole.
The process must be continued until the drill appears on the other side of the mirror surface. Then you need to turn the product over and repeat the steps above. When the feather drill appears on the other side, the mirror will have a smooth, neat hole.
What you need to know about glass?
Let's start with the obvious - mirrors and glass are extremely fragile materials. Is it possible to drill mirrors? Yes, it is possible, but working with them requires great care and delicacy, but at the same time determination. You should take into account that the usual tools that you may have used when working, for example, with wood, are definitely not your help. From their brute force, the mirror can easily burst and crack. Here we need special tools, which we will tell you about later.
