Slightly OT: Plasplugs Coolcut

[Eric The Viking]

I'll admit this is off-topic, but I'm so impressed I thought I ought to mention this:

http://www.plasplugs.com/acatalog/Cool_Cut_Drill_Bits___Kits.html

It's a kit for drilling tiles. I got mine from Toolstation a while back but hadn't used it until just now.

I've got quite a few diamond-based tools now: whetstones, files, and some big industrial core drills to turn the house walls into cheese. Drilling through tiles has always been a bit heart in mouth though. I've have a technique using masonry pins and a masonry or SDS drill (turned very slowly) that works. It makes pretty good holes, and works at different diameters too (16mm for pipes, for example), but not through glass!

And glass was today's problem. The bathroom in question is done in glass-based mosaic, so not only are the tiles small and fragile, they're also tough as old boots. Experiments with the masonry drill system just ended up with either a red-hot drill (literally) or razor sharp fragments (and no actual hole), so that was a non-starter. I saw this kit in Toolstation and thought I'd give it a go.

Basically it's a diamond core drill in miniature. There's a guide (orange in the picture) that sticks to the tile with a double-sided pad (replaceable), and the drill runs in that so it can't slide around. The diamond drill is intended to abrade a ring through the tile. The final bit is crafty: there's a tiny water reservoir that sits on top of the guide. It has a push-button valve to release a small amount of water at a time onto the drill, as lubricant.

The system lets you accurately position holes in vertical tiles, and then wet-drill them with the diamond core-drill. They even include a same-sized masonry bit, so you can sink a hole for a rawlplug in the conventional way, once you've gone through the tile (saves the diamond drill wearing unduly, apparently). Probably don't need that bit, but anyway...

... does it work? Heck yes!

I should say this bathroom is costing £loads and these are the fixing holes for the shower screen. I couldn't afford any mistakes. Awkwardly, because of the colour scheme, the holes come ever-so-nearly on a tile edge--no chance with my ordinary method of not chipping large bits off the tiles or possibly cracking them completely.

I couldn't easily mark the holes up properly, as they're pre-drilled in the aluminium. Resorted to the time honoured felt-pen-through-the fitting approach, which gave a recognisable oval to align to. That was fairly easy to do, so I stuck the guide onto the tiles. It fixed securely (leaving me wondering if I'd be pulling tiles off when I came to remove it...).

Drilling was a doddle. The instructions say to go slowly and use a fair bit of water, so that's what I did. It cut through in less than 30 seconds, leaving a very nice clean hole. The plug came out of the drill without problems, too. To my surprise, the guide peeled off the wall easily (might have been the water), leaving no marks nor damage and a very clean hole.

So I'm pleased: it's taken the stress out of a tricky task and the rest shouldn't take very long at all.

The kit includes about a dozen sticky pads and two guides (which might wear fast, being plastic). It'll be quite enough to finish this job though. It strikes me for thicker tiles, you could easily start the hole then remove the guide altogether, as long as you arrange some sort of drip lubrication.

I'll post a pic or two when I've done. Right now, I'm going back upstairs to turn the rest of the wall into Emmental.

 

[rileytoolworks]

Looks like a good bit of kit. May have to look into getting one of the suction kits....


Adam.

 

[jasonB]

I've been using those type of coated hole saws for about 5 yrs but all the ones sold in this country are a rip off, if you are intending to drill porcelain, glass or large holes in ceramics then by from elsewhere. I use Richon in Hong Kong, $0.60 for a 6mm bit is a better price :lol: The sets are quite useful, the larger sizes being suitable for waste pipes and push button flushes on concealed cisterns

There cutters are infact not like diamond core drills as the diamond is a coating rather than bonded into the tips so you get maybe 10 holes in porc and a couple in glass mosaic before they go off.

To start them the safest way is to first use the bit to drill a hole in a scrap of 6mm MDF then just hold that over the place you want the hole and don't forget a drop of water.

 

[Eric The Viking]

There cutters are infact not like diamond core drills as the diamond is a coating rather than bonded into the tips so you get maybe 10 holes in porc and a couple in glass mosaic before they go off.

Interesting.

I did three last night in glass mosaic with near perfect alignment and no damage to the glass tiles. I've got the bit in front of me as I type. It's evidently worn compared to brand new, but seems to have quite a bit of life left in it.

I'm guessing the ones you use are these:


The PlasPlugs ones are similar, but have a slot in the tube. The end is also slotted. I'm guessing both are mainly for the lubrication water: they provide a handled pin to push out the plug of waste itself. Pics to follow when it's a bit lighter.

To start them the safest way is to first use the bit to drill a hole in a scrap of 6mm MDF then just hold that over the place you want the hole and don't forget a drop of water.

Fair enough. I like the idea of sticking the guide on though. That way there's no chance of it slipping. You could, I suppose, use DS tape, but you've still got to get water to the business end through the MDF.

When you do it, do you dip the drill in water or do something else?

If I were using them day-in, day-out, the Plasplugs thing would be too expensive to contemplate, but for a one-off (sorting this bathroom), it's worth it for me, to avoid mishaps.

I'm tempted by the Richon stuff for my Proxxon mini-drill though. Their prices are much cheaper than, say, Dremel (and Proxxon)!

 

[jasonB]

The 6mm ones I usually start by hand, just tilting the drill slightly, you soon get the knack and for the larger ones teh MDF can be removed once you get the hole started. And yes I do just dip the end of the bit into water ( cordless drill)

The ends are what loose the diamond first, you usually get plenty left on the sides and the Richin ones I just use a thin screwdriver to push the slug out from behind.

Jason

 

[Geno]

I've used these type of core bits as well when drilling porcelain. Great job. Pack came with a plastic hole guide that had small rubber pads that gripped surface to keep the bit aligned initially.

Thanks for the heads up on those cheaper bits, def cheaper!!

 

[chippy1970]

We use the hollow type bits too , it seems every house we have built lately has had Porcelain tiles no other drill will touch them, cannot remember what brand we use but I know they are expensive.