Stone Drilling Elementary Students

   The following pictures of are some 4th and 5th grade students drilling stones that we tumbled in class.  Running the tumbler in class took approximately two to four weeks.  We ran the tumbler at night because the noise was just a bit too much for the classroom.

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This is a picture of the tumbled stone before the hole was drilled

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This is a picture of a student lowering the Dremel tool, which is fitted with a relatively inexpensive diamond tipped bit, into a small cup of water.  The stone he tumbled is hot glued to the bottom of the small cup.  As I look at this picture of a young student, drilling a stone, submerged in water, with an electric power tool, I'm think'in to myself, "that doesn't look safe".  But I've never really had a problem.



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Another picture of the drilling operation.






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You can't really tell , but the student is slowly and carefully lifting and pushing down on the stone, while the bit is turning.  






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This is a picture of a stone with the hole drilled through it.  I should have taken a picture of the smiling faces when the task was completed.  Young and old students alike are always surprised to see how easy it is to drill through stone and glass.



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It's hard to see here, but he's trying to hold the stone up while he's putting a jump ring through the drilled hole. I showed the students how to make the jump rings too!






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Jump ring installed, strung on a cord, and flashing a peace sign.






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Another completed drilled stone, jump ringed, strung on a cord and ready to wear!






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Drilling most stones and glass is fairly easy, Below is a abbreviated step by step.

In terms of materials/tools you need a rotary tool (with a foot pedal to control the speed), some diamond bits big enough to drill the size hole you want, small cup, some water, safety glasses, and a dab of hot glue to temporarily hold the stone to the bottom of the cup.

BE CAREFUL-PERSONAL SAFETY IS YOUR OWN PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

1. First, you need some sort of rotary tool.  I usually use a Dremel with a foot pedal to regulate the speed.       You can use a flexible shaft (it usually has a little less end play/wobble), but generally, and lately, I use a Dremel because it's easier to travel with.  With a flexible shaft you have to provide for a way to hang the motor and when I do shows or instruct classes, it's just one more thing to bring along and  set up.  So... I tend to use a Dremel. Safety glasses are a good idea. Plus, keep in mind your mixing electricity and water, never a really great idea. 

2. Small cup with short walls ( I usually cut something down). You have to be able to reach into the cup easily so the cup generally does not have to be over 1/2 inch, unless your drilling something large, in which case, your on you own and best-o-luck!

3. Hot glue the stone or glass in question to the bottom of the cup.

4. You need to fill the cup partially with water.  Just enough to submerge the stone or glass you are trying to drill.  You put the water in the cup to keep the tip of the tool cool and lubricated.  You can buy special drilling lubricants to make the job easier and more reliably successful, but I usually just use water.

5. Put a diamond  bit in your choice of rotary tools and carefully try to spin it slowly (hence, the reason for the foot pedal).  I usually start the bit and an angle and then straighten it up.  But it often depends upon the stone.

6. As I run the tool at slow, but varying speeds, I GENTLY push and lift up on the tool repeatedly, to let the bit churn out the stone debris into the water.

7.  It's hard to predict how long any stone will take, but almost all are under a few minutes.  It really depends upon how hard the stone is and how good/new your diamond bit is.

8.  That's about it, there is really not a whole lot to it, thanks to inexpensive diamond bits.   Not everything drill well and some stuff breaks!  'Ya can't let it bother you.

As projects go, it's an easy one.  Drill a some stone or some beach glass, fit it with a jump ring, string it on a cord and that's pretty much it.