Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2015 21:38:05 GMT -5
I was drilling a piece of marble counter top making it into an e-cig holder. All the big holes were drilled so I had spent a lot of time on it then the first small hole broke out when I hit bottom. It broke in such a way that I do not think I can hide it plus three of the holes are leaning pretty bad.  I went from a bucket with a brick in it to a dog dish with a slab in the bottom. I used my tile nippers to snip off the high area of the slab that is left at the end of the cut but missed some and it tipped the marble on some of the holes. When I am drilling the first couple of holes make the water so milky I can not see very good so I got burned on this one. Old way took too much water and was hard to clean up.  New way that taught me a lesson about being in a hurry.  Luckily I have more marble but these are smaller so I won't ruin so much work if it breaks. Another lesson about putting the holes as close together in marble as I do in jade.  Jim |
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Post by snowmom on Mar 23, 2015 8:06:48 GMT -5
its all good if you put it to use as a learning experience, as you have shown here. Way to have a positive mindset Jim! Cheering you on!  you are one of my favorite role models. |
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,718 
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Post by Fossilman on Mar 24, 2015 10:00:43 GMT -5
Heck Jim,we have all done something like that.....Full steam ahead with us old farts,that's all we know how to do,is push on..
Thumbs up
PS: great idea,I like it!
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Post by drocknut on Mar 24, 2015 11:32:20 GMT -5
Learning experiences are good, bet you'll have better luck with the next one.
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Post by rockjunquie on Mar 24, 2015 21:33:22 GMT -5
DOH!!! Yeah, learning experiences really are great, but they can sure piss ya off.
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Deleted
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Member since January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2015 22:31:15 GMT -5
marble sucks for this.
Use jade.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2015 6:11:39 GMT -5
marble sucks for this. Use jade. Most of my e cig holder stones have been jade and I have recently drilled a couple of stand alone jade pieces but most of the jade I have left (the black from you included) is way too nice to drill a bunch of holes in then not be able to sell them. I am just testing the waters now to see how these will sell and marble drills super easy. Plus, I have the stuff and am tired of it not serving any purpose other than adding dead weight. I do need to be a little more creative than just lining up a bunch of holes. I stepped out of the art world into the commercial world and that is not good. Jim |
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Post by connrock on Mar 26, 2015 10:07:57 GMT -5
I may go to the extreme but after cracking and breaking slabs while drilling I make sure that the surface of the piece under the slab is as flat as possible and will not "flex" in the slightest. A brick is flat but it isn't flat enough to not have a slab rock on it while applying downward force. A plastic container will also flex with the same force. I doubt if the metal bowl is flat and probably has an upward form to it as well. I've made quite few "specialty" set-ups for specific projects I've done,,,some deep,,some wide,,,some narrow. I made most of them out of Plexiglass using hot glue and or silicone. In one case I was making a fish fillet knife for a grandson and had to core drill each handle separately and then drill them both together so they would match perfectly. I made a set-up specifically for this project because this knife was VERY special to me,,,,    After drilling these holes I found slight fractures in both slabs and decided to try to drill the last 2 holes in spite of the fractures,,,,  I scrapped these handles and used good solid Queensland agate,,,   The finished handles with the drilled holes,,,  The finished knife and display "stand",,,,  So,,,,even with a good flat,non-flexible surface things can go wrong if the material your drilling is flawed! Good luck,,, connrock |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2015 21:30:35 GMT -5
I have clamped a hundred slabs directly to that brick and have never broken one. It is perfectly flat. What I said was that I missed part of the burr on the edge of the slab that I was using under the marble causing it to tip. The dish has a hard rubber bottom and is really quite flat on the inside. That is why I bought it. Not my first rodeo.
I hand held the marble for every one of the previous holes and even drilled three crooked with no breakage. The setup and the material had nothing to do with the break. It was pilot error because I didn't have my depth gauge set quite right and was putting too much pressure on it when I got to the bottom.
The only time I have to clamp my slab is when I am drilling ring blanks where I have to drill two different size holes with exactly the same center. There is enough flex in a twelve inch drill press that it does not matter what kind of setup you have there is going to be a little bit of movement.
Jim
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you are one of my favorite role models. 
