bladeswitch
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2009
Posts: 2
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Post by bladeswitch on Jan 4, 2010 14:09:29 GMT -5
Woke up at 5:30am to a tumbler with a broken belt! That started off the day then I have to admit I am brand new to drilling stones the stones I have to drill are Cape May Diamonds and they are mostly quartz, I dont now what Iam doing so I just wasted $14 in dremel diamond drill bits. Any advice for a newbie that wants to make beads from these stones?
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Post by deb193redux on Jan 4, 2010 15:03:10 GMT -5
massive quartz is tricky. you need to forget about the Dremel brand diamond bits. I have tried the tapered one, and considered the others too thick. Even the tapered one is about 180g and you want a bit that is about 100g, unless you have all day.
I have tried 1.25mm (I kept breaking the .075 and 1.0 mm) from 75cents to $4 per bit. Something called triple-ripple was the most expensive. lopacki.com has some inexpensive ones, I think the ones from cyberrockhound.com are a little longer lasting. Kingsly North also offers some bits.
Slintered ones work best because they have the most diamond and it is built into the metal.
Use lots of water to keep from melting the medium bonding the diamond.
I have only drilled single holes for pendant bails. If you have to make deeper holes along the length of the bead and have multiple beads, it could be an expensive project.
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 4, 2010 15:19:13 GMT -5
Contrary to what you might think, you want to drill at lower speeds with the dremel. Also, use a pulsing motion where you drill, retreat, drill, retreat. This allows water to wash away the stone and cool the bit.
Chuck
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Post by NatureNut on Jan 4, 2010 15:32:30 GMT -5
There are a couple real good tutorials on drilling in the tips section (I think) complete with pictures. If not there, in the general section. Maybe somebody can dig them up and post the link if you have trouble finding them. I've got some Cape May Diamonds in my vibe now with some mixed quartz. Just got my rotary fixed after Randy helped me out and did an adjustment on it. Been working well since (fingers crossed). Hope you get it up and running real quick. Jo
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Post by johnjsgems on Jan 4, 2010 20:27:16 GMT -5
Other than sintered or brazed, most drills are glued rather than plated. Best to put stone in a shallow pan of water (submerged. Use very light pressure and a "pecking motion". Every time you raise the drill a cloud should rise. If you simply bear down the powder packs around the drill, the drill overheats, and as mentioned already the diamonds come off. It takes some practice. When people ask how many holes they will get I tell them one or two on first drill, maybe 3-4 on second or third, etc. A drill press helps a lot.
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Post by 150FromFundy on Jan 5, 2010 17:54:09 GMT -5
I have had good success with the wire drill strings from The Rock Shed. Five 1.5mm drill strings and a burring bit for about $15.
The burring bit is most important for starting the drill hole. It is a round ball that will drill the necessary dimple so that the drill string does not "skate" all over the rock until the drill string digs in. Use the burring bit first and you will save yourself frustration and heartache.
Drill under water and lightly pulse the drill string. You must raise the drill string up so that water can enter the hole for cooling and lubrication.
When I sarted, I only got 1 or 2 holes per drill string. That's about $1.50 per hole. With some practice, I am now getting 12 to 15 holes per sting. That's about $0.20 per hole. The key is light pressure and pulsing.
Like everything else lapidary ... you must be slow and patient!
Darryl.
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bladeswitch
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2009
Posts: 2
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Post by bladeswitch on Jan 11, 2010 9:58:21 GMT -5
Thanks for all the advice everybody I'll be drilling this week. Planing on making a set of Cape May Diamond Rosaries for my Mom. I'll posts some pics if they come out the way I planned.
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