Out Of The Blue Seaglass Jewelry
Drilling Method
Back To Sea Glass Jewelry Making Tips & Tricks
So many people ask me how to drill sea glass - I thought I would simplify things and provide the following information. This is not meant to be instructional - this is just how I do it. I have done it this way for over twenty years, for all I know there is a better way! If you want to pursue this I advise consulting with jewelry tool manufacturers or a jewelry tool supply company like Rio Grande for information about safety etc.
When I moved to Puerto Rico there were a few sea glass jewelry artists in the area who had been making sea glass jewelry since the 1960's and used components known as "bell caps" to attach sea glass to jewelry pieces. I chose to drill out of deference to them. That way my jewelry would be original. I also wanted to drill because it allows for flexibility in design. Drill holes turn tiny pieces of sea glass into beads and the possibilities are endless.
When drilling glass it is important to keep two things in mind - speed and temperature. If the drill is too fast the glass heats up and could shatter. I keep the glass cool by keeping it in a cooling bath. I do this by placing a small piece of kitchen sponge into a shallow plastic ice cream lid - pint size. Then I pour enough water over it to just cover the sponge and then place the seaglass on the sponge.
I use a flex shaft to drill with diamond drill bits. Only the tip of the drill bit is immersed. My flex shaft is slow enough at its highest speed that it will not shatter the glass. I do not use a drill press. I hold the sea glass in place with a plastic knife with my left hand and hold the drill in my right hand. I am so set in my ways I do not think I could use a drill press!
Once halfway through I flip the sea glass over and drill from the other side to prevent the hole from chipping. Once rinsed it is ready to use in jewelry. I rinse the ice cream dish frequently. I always wear safety glasses and a dust mask.
I have never shattered a piece of sea glass but have drilled too close to the edge - yes usually on a rare color! I do not drill sea glass pieces that appear to come from car window pieces. Many pieces are square cubes that would look great in jewelry, but often split in half when drilled, if they do not at that moment they will eventually after being drilled - reminds me of an egg hatching!
Some colors are easier to drill than others - amber seems softer and kelly green is the hardest. Red is soft but brittle...glass colors are created with different colorants and I think this along with the annealing process used when the glass was made factors into the hardness of a particular glass color.
Ocassionally I use beach found seashells in my jewelry pieces. I never use seashells that were taken live. When drilling seashells I am especially careful as the dust generated from this is very dangerous to inhale. I drill seashells with the seashell immeresed in water in a deeper plastic container and take great care to keep the seashell immersed in the water, I rinse the container and workspace frequently.
