Advice on drilling Marble please?

[John Harding]

Hello Rob, im sure I read in a previous post here to use a tile cutting bit, if nothing else its worth a try

John

Ps heres a link to another thread http://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.p … ing+marble

and another

http://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.p … ing+marble

[Craig Brown]

Are you sure it’s marble Rob? …Could it be granite?

If it is it’s a buggers uncle to drill with standard or diamond tipped bits – see if you can find these bits locally to you, http://www.granitetools.co.uk/solid-drill-bits … -shank.htm (they are used on a plunge rig, if you know a friendly kitchen fitter they may be able to lend you the rig)

[Robert Lambie]

Thanks John, having read those threads back, they are basically doing the same as i have done mate… even the scoring the surface to prevent skidding of the bit. (i had square shanked file doing that).
I think what Craig has said may well be the problem here… the owner told me it was marble before hand but now I’m thinking it might be granite because as i said, i tried the marble when i got back and went through it no problem. 😕

i have a couple of good sources for bits and the like.. i will give them a call in the morning and see what they have for drilling polished Granite. even if its pretty expensive i can easily bill the customer for the extra and i have it for future use.

Thank you both for the help… 😀

[Hugh Potter]

it might still be marble, marble, as with lots of things, comes in many types, from soft enough to carve with a penknife, to hard as granite!! i used to engrave (badly) marble as a hobby, i used to pick up the chunks of marble from a scrap pile outside a stone masons / posh kitchen tops maker i used to deal with, some i could so easily, and drill with a simple masonry bit, other times i’d wreck any number of specialist drill bits !

either way, and since my rambling offers nothing but anecdotal words, i’d do as craig said and try the granite people !!

[Robert Lambie]

:lol1: thanks Hugh, i do agree…
It could still be Marble mate… i recon if i go for the hardest cutting bit then ill win one way or another i guess, even if Marble or Granite… 😀

[David Rogers]

The last time I drilled marble (about an inch thick) I resorted to using a standard 5mm HILTI SDS bit in a normal electric hammer drill NOT the SDS one.

Went through very cleanly as the (variable speed) mains drill vibrates more frequently but a lot less violently that a normal SDS drill.

I did however get maybe 10 holes per drill before it was utterly knackered.

Normal drill bits just disintegrated, even the ‘pro’ carbide bits with the shaped tips…(proper) Hilti works a treat. (Ideally cut down the shanks to fit in a normal Jacobs chuck).

[Robert Lambie]

I do have various types of gun and tried them all mate… power drill, cordles large 24volt hammer and non hammer action sds drill, 18vlt cordless Bosch hammer and non-hammer drill. all with the diamond tipped bits… nothing worked… then i try my small de-walt cordless on regular setting and it goes through 1 inch of marble in my workshop? 😕 :lol1: :lol1:
as hugh says, its probably a very hard marble, or like Craig says… a polished Granite.
knowing my luck it will be a marble print over stainless steel faced titanium or something… :lol1: :lol1:

[David Rogers]

quote Robert Lambie:

…knowing my luck it will be a marble print over stainless steel faced titanium or something… :lol1: :lol1:

Don’t jest…I had one that was almost THAT.

16’+ Curved fascia above door (dibond panel) – looked like painted ply (straight bits were)…hmmm, screws don’t go in…maybe it’s stone…hmmm, hammer drill doesn’t go in…OK, four inch thick steel beam it is then…

…five hours and half a dozen TiN coated drill bits later and having resorted to using 1" no.8 screws as impromptu hammer-in-rivets…job done.

[Robert Lambie]

:lol1: :lol1: oh the joys of sign fitting mate! 😉

[Peter Normington]

marble and granite can be the extremes of the same stuff, what most people don’t do, is lubricate the drill, use a proper diamond drill, (not a diy 2 bob diamond coated tip,) and spray with water to aid the cutting, dont use a high speed, it only overheats and blunts the drill bit, and no hammer action, sds is not a method, just the way the bit is held..
just my 2p

Peter

[Shane Drew]

so, how’d ya go Rob…..?

Best advice would be to ring a stone mason, but its probably too late now 😳

[Neil Churchman]

for what it’s worth, I’ve always used a standard sds drill bit on the hammer setting for drilling marble, and taken it very slowly – same method also worked for granite

only problems that I’ve encountered is the occasional surface around the drilling area has ‘blow out’, which was probably due to going in to quickly

please let us all know how you got on and if it was marble after all 🙂

[Robert Lambie]

hi guys… well the bits arrived late today. i didn’t expect them in at all after midday so sent fitters out on other jobs. the customer was understanding and accepts we are doing our best.
the sign will go up tomorrow now, but due to another fair sized job which "i am required to fit with andrew" ill not be on the fascia one now… however, ill definitely being asking the lads doing the work how they found the new granite bits. i bought 4 bits… think they cost about £16 each but did not come with a jig, but did have a sort of plastic gadget to hold water or lubrication while drilling. it will be interesting to hear how they get on. ill post some pictures of the bits etc on Friday as i doubt ill see them till then due to being on different jobs on site.

will keep you posted! 😀

[Steve Underhill]

Not entirely relevant but might be helpful if it is granite anyone needs to drill/cut,
Granite has a "grain" like wood and it is apparently a lot easier to cut with the grain than against if the need ever arises.
The dots in the granite are ever so slightly oval, and that is he way the grain runs, cut that way and its easier than going against it.
That was told to me today by an old Cornish boy who knew a granite mason & he thought I may like to know.