Drilling holes into a sanitary ware ceramic sink or basin how to project how do i

[365drills]

http://www.*********.com/sink_drilling/365-drills1.jpgWelcome to ********* and one of our projects which deals with drilling holes into ceramic sinks (Kitchens) or ceramic basins (Bathrooms). If you plan to drill a hole in a ceramic item then this project is for you! We include over 20 photos to give you the best idea on how to use PORSADRILL diamond tile drills to help you cut perfect holes easily in this material.
Client brief: Drill THREE holes into one sink without breaking it!!. The largest a 90mm hole for an aftermarket waste disposal unit. Normally fitted to stainless steel sinks the client wanted the hole opened from a standard sink waste to a 90mm hole. Next the client wanted a 35mm standard monoblock tap hole. Then finally a place for his after market purified water tap at 18mm. So lets get started... Notice we INSIST clients mark the area with tape or pen so we can be 100% sure to drill in the right area.
http://www.*********.com/sink_drilling/365-drills2.jpg
First off here's the big one! A 90mm hole in a place with an existing hole. Its marked out with the blue tap so we can be sure we have the correct sink with this double sink unit.
http://www.*********.com/sink_drilling/365-drills3.jpg
Here is the easy hole. Its going to be a 35mm monoblock which we will drill out from the back via pre-punched hole in the ceramic. This will be straight forward but we check the blue marker is at the BACK of the sink (Note the sink is reversible so we can easily make a mistake and drill out the front of the sink. So best to mark and make sure
http://www.*********.com/sink_drilling/365-drills4.jpg
Now witness the the corner position for the aftermarket purified water tap. This can be anything from 12mm to 20mm and our clients plumber asked for an 18mm hole. The problem is that once drilled there is no access because the back of the sink is filled with plaster. We will have to drill out a cutout so the plumber can make the connection.
http://www.*********.com/sink_drilling/365-drills5.jpg
The first cut is always the deepest... OK so off we go! As you can see the access for the drill is very tight. And also there is limed place to put the clamp. We managed to cannibalize our own clamp by removing the front and then grinding out guide holes. Holding the diamond core drill bit back on the V of the clamp manages to secure it while drilling the start hole. This is a case of SLOW drilling plus LIGHT pressure and a bit of bravery! One slip and all that...
http://www.*********.com/sink_drilling/365-drills6.jpg
After a short and steady drilling time you can see the hole is starting to form. To keep it cool we pour water over the drill site with a jug. This washes the ceramic sediment away and provides coolant to the drill site. At this stage the clamp can be removed but we do not recommend it. Its not harming any drilling of the sink so leave it alone.
http://www.*********.com/sink_drilling/365-drills8.jpg
Slow and steady drilling will get the job done. Here you can see we came to a gentle exit and did not punch out. Result is there is a perfect 90mm hole drilled into the ceramic sink. No chips. No scratches. No blow outs. No cracks to the sink. Just a nicehole. Its worth taking the extra time on these larger holes. When it goes right it looks easy. But the dangers on these larger holes is that because the drilling is freehand (not a fixed pillar drill) The operator can start to oscillate the drill [moving it side to side] causing the drill bit to snag in the hole. At best you will get an unsightly chip and at worse you can crack the sink. So a strong steady hand is needed to guide the drill slowly through the forming hole.

 

[365drills]

http://www.*********.com/sink_drilling/365-drills9.jpg
Moving on and this is a doddle.. Providing you have the right equipment of course. Yes the 35mm is pre-punched into th back of the sink. You can see we filled the resoviour with water ready to cool the drill bit down as the hole is drilled. The size here is 35mm but you can use 38mm if you want or even a 40mm if you have the bathroom fitters kit. The rules for drilling are the same. Take your time. Slow speed. Light pressure. Keep water to the diamond core drill. And ease the bit out the back of the hole rather than punching out with force. This will prevent chipping on the front side.
http://www.*********.com/sink_drilling/365-drills10.jpg
http://www.*********.com/sink_drilling/365-drills11.jpg
We chose the 35mm diamond core drill from PORSADRILL to get the exact fit but as already mentioned you can use a 38mm diamond core tile drill bit or a 40mm drill bit if you need to. Just make sure the backing cover plate for the TAP can conceal the hole !http://www.*********.com/sink_drilling/365-drills12.jpg
And there we have it moments after we eased the diamond core drill through to the front of the sink. A perfect hole drilled into a ceramic sink. No cracks. No damage. No chips.
http://www.*********.com/sink_drilling/365-drills13.jpg
So here we pull out the ceramic slug we have just drilled. You can see on the final exit the enamel is fine with no signs of major damage. All looking in tip top order. Also note the drilling rings on the slug. If we had used a fixed pillar bench drill they would not be as noticeable but hey its not bad. And the tap will conceal it.
http://www.*********.com/sink_drilling/365-drills14.jpg
Inspecting the FRONT of the sink we can check our work. The first thing you notice with the slug removed is that there is not one single chip or splinter into the ceramic of the sink. And remember we drilled from the BACK of the sink. That meant that once we got through the 20mm of plaster there was only 1mm or 2mm of glaze to get through and the diamond core gently ground its way through the front of the sink rather than punching out. So nice holes and no damage. Happy client.
http://www.*********.com/sink_drilling/365-drills15.jpg
In contrast to the 35mm hole we decided to drill the 18mm hole from the FRONT. Having measured the angles the PORSADRILL anti-slip guide plate was placed right on top of the blue marker tape. We then drilled the 18mm start hole through the glaze of the sink and bit down into the china below. The system is always to drill slowly to use water and to use the lightest of pressure. I know that nobody will see the breakout but we want to exit the back of the hole in the most elegant way we can so a nice steady drilling hand is required.
http://www.*********.com/sink_drilling/365-drills16.jpg
And here you can see ultra close up of the hole drilled right through the enamel and the china of the sink. We have a perfect hole once more and client is still happy.
http://www.*********.com/sink_drilling/365-drills17.jpg
Now you may remember at the start of the piece I told you that once we drilled the 18mm hole into the ceramic sink that the plumber would have no access to it. So the next job is to slice open an access way into the back of the sink. We did this almost freehand using the 90mm core bit. We started on the corner and then moved the diamond drill bit slowly not the sink. And then punched out a "C" style access hole so that the plumber can feed pipes to the tap.
http://www.*********.com/sink_drilling/365-drills18.jpg
Time to take a look at the top fitted. As I said the big mistake is that you can easily drill the wrong hole. That 35mm can be either side of the sink. So we made sure the client and we were ALL happy with the markings. Better to take time marking than to put a hole where its not needed.

 

[365drills]

http://www.*********.com/sink_drilling/365-drills20.jpg
All three holes created in a different way BUT looking great. The big hole drilled with the aid of a modified clamp. The 35mm hole drilled from the back of the china then through the glaze to the front. The final hole drilled from the front of the sink through the glaze then down into the softer china. And finally we chopped out some of the sink to create an access to the18mm hole. Gulp !!
http://www.*********.com/sink_drilling/365-drills19.jpg
Looking down into the sink we see the finished 90mm hole looking spot on !
http://www.*********.com/sink_drilling/365-drills21.jpg
And the 35mm is looking chip free and is at the BACK of the sink.
You may be thinking.. Wow that was easy. And it is. YOU COULD DO IT. But you have to remember that its the right equipment with the right technique and then you have to 100% mark out. The opportunity for errors and mistakes are there but a sensible well thoughout plan will get the job done.
At ********* we sell the diamond cores but we also provide a SERVICE for drilling holes. We are about £200 for a day and that may seem a lot but then if you are only doing it once then by the time you purchase the bits on their own then its going to add up. Having us on site is almost insurance! And looking at this project gives professional installers the "How to" to get it right first time.

If you need any advice or you would like us on site please go direct ​

to *********.com for more information. If you want to call dial 01992-410636 and ask for Richard. ​

[SIZE=+3]Drilling a hole into a ceramic sink[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+1]Project by ********* (Copyright) [DLMURL="http://www.*********.com"]Main Website *********.com[/DLMURL][/SIZE]
​