How Fast Should I Drill?

Good morning! Today, we will continue our series of tips and tricks to drilling glass with a some information pertaining to the speed of your drilling.

How fast should I drill?

Use diamond bits to drill hard, brittle materials like glass, ceramics and tile. Drill small holes using a round ball shaped bit. Drill holes 1/4" and larger using a diamond core bit. First, pick the shank size that fits your tool, and then choose a rounded end bit or core bit that matches the size of the hole you need.

Diamond bits (even coarse) will leave a smoother finish than spade bits or twist drills and won't chip and crack your work. With a little luck, the finish will be smooth enough, without any additional polishing. Drill speeds vary. Start out very slowly and gradually increase the speed. As a starting point, start hole saws at about 700-800 RPM. Start round end bits at 2500-5000 RPM. The larger your bit is, the slower you should start. The more lubrication you use, the faster you can drill.

Drilling faster increases friction, burns up the bit and causes the colorful drill tips. Everyone repeat after me: if your drill bit develops yellow, brown, blue or black “burn marks” around the tip, slow down.


Next time, we'll discuss pressure.