Post by herchenx on Mar 15, 2012 1:52:03 GMT -5
This is not a tutorial. This is not advice. This is just me showing anybody who wants to watch how I manage to get a hole in a slab. Sort of like curious onlookers watching a car accident.
I had exactly one cab that I drilled, which didn't blow out the back. I thought maybe I was smart, and maybe I had stumbled onto something good to know. I was wrong, this technique does not prevent blow outs and I was wrong about being smart, I just happened to get lucky one time.
I do think this can be an option for some folks. There are real tutorials on here about drilling cabs, by smarter people than me who have way more experience.
I just wanted something simple, that would offer me support and would be simple to set up with stuff I already have.
Before I dig in, here is everything laid out:
daharsh.net/r/2012-03-14 23.51.05.jpg[/img]
First, I used a CD spindle cover as my tray. Why a CD cover you ask? Because I had one, and I didn't care too much if it got destroyed. I did not put any thought into this, I just looked around for a plastic thing with not-too-tall sides that would hold water.
I put a piece of not-too-interesting material in the bottom for 2 reasons. First, I *thought* this would prevent blow outs when I put the actual cab over it. Second, it raised the slab far enough off the bottom so I could pinch it over the edge of the CD spindle cover.
I held everything together with a very cheap, small bar clamp. The only qualities I was looking for in my clamp was 1) I already owned it 2) It needed to be able to hold things to a flat surface and 3) it had a rubber foot so it wouldn't trash the slab.
So here's the set up, without the to-be-drilled cab and no water:
daharsh.net/r/2012-03-14 23.51.36.jpg[/img]
Next, I added the slab I wanted to drill. Now when I drilled my last one, it was already polished. I thought I'd try one that wasn't polished because if I ruined it I would have less invested in it.
daharsh.net/r/2012-03-14 23.52.09.jpg[/img]
I used the burr diamond bit to get a bit of a divot started:
daharsh.net/r/2012-03-14 23.52.53.jpg[/img]
Here is the divot I screwed up because I was trying to do it one-handed so I could take a photo. I will use 2 hands from here on. Also, I did this dry, a big no-no - but the door was open and a good breeze was coming in behind me. I just wanted to be able to show the divot and when the stone is wet that is harder:
daharsh.net/r/2012-03-14 23.53.25.jpg[/img]
Next I added the water, just enough to cover the stone:
daharsh.net/r/2012-03-14 23.54.11.jpg[/img]
I swapped bits for a narrow diamond drill bit:
daharsh.net/r/2012-03-14 23.54.33.jpg[/img]
Then I used the handle of the bar clamp as a guide and drilled the hole. I used a pulsing motion, alternately applying light pressure then lifting so water could get into the hole to keep it from overheating.
daharsh.net/r/2012-03-14 23.54.11.jpg[/img]
I was doing pretty well, feeling pretty cocky, when it broke through with a distinct "pop" and I all my illusions of being "so smart" came crashing down. In any case, I drilled a hole in a rock:
daharsh.net/r/2012-03-14 23.55.38.jpg[/img]
Here out of the water. not too bad all things considered:
daharsh.net/r/2012-03-14 23.56.06.jpg[/img]
Join me in my next post on "precision cabbing with John" or "What the %*#$*&% is this guy doing, and is it really safe for someone who clearly has serious issues to play with power tools?"
I had exactly one cab that I drilled, which didn't blow out the back. I thought maybe I was smart, and maybe I had stumbled onto something good to know. I was wrong, this technique does not prevent blow outs and I was wrong about being smart, I just happened to get lucky one time.
I do think this can be an option for some folks. There are real tutorials on here about drilling cabs, by smarter people than me who have way more experience.
I just wanted something simple, that would offer me support and would be simple to set up with stuff I already have.
Before I dig in, here is everything laid out:
First, I used a CD spindle cover as my tray. Why a CD cover you ask? Because I had one, and I didn't care too much if it got destroyed. I did not put any thought into this, I just looked around for a plastic thing with not-too-tall sides that would hold water.
I put a piece of not-too-interesting material in the bottom for 2 reasons. First, I *thought* this would prevent blow outs when I put the actual cab over it. Second, it raised the slab far enough off the bottom so I could pinch it over the edge of the CD spindle cover.
I held everything together with a very cheap, small bar clamp. The only qualities I was looking for in my clamp was 1) I already owned it 2) It needed to be able to hold things to a flat surface and 3) it had a rubber foot so it wouldn't trash the slab.
So here's the set up, without the to-be-drilled cab and no water:
Next, I added the slab I wanted to drill. Now when I drilled my last one, it was already polished. I thought I'd try one that wasn't polished because if I ruined it I would have less invested in it.
I used the burr diamond bit to get a bit of a divot started:
Here is the divot I screwed up because I was trying to do it one-handed so I could take a photo. I will use 2 hands from here on. Also, I did this dry, a big no-no - but the door was open and a good breeze was coming in behind me. I just wanted to be able to show the divot and when the stone is wet that is harder:
Next I added the water, just enough to cover the stone:
I swapped bits for a narrow diamond drill bit:
Then I used the handle of the bar clamp as a guide and drilled the hole. I used a pulsing motion, alternately applying light pressure then lifting so water could get into the hole to keep it from overheating.
I was doing pretty well, feeling pretty cocky, when it broke through with a distinct "pop" and I all my illusions of being "so smart" came crashing down. In any case, I drilled a hole in a rock:
Here out of the water. not too bad all things considered:
Join me in my next post on "precision cabbing with John" or "What the %*#$*&% is this guy doing, and is it really safe for someone who clearly has serious issues to play with power tools?"