I have an upcoming project which involves drilling holes in tile to mount the vertical supports for a shower door.

The tile is in good shape but it's about 50–60 years old and it's unlikely that I'll be able to find a suitable match if I damage it.

I need to drill 1/4" holes for the anchors. What is the best method for breaking the glaze slightly so the masonry bit doesn't wander?

Thus far, I'm considering either using a center punch or a diamond–point tip in a Dremel. Are there any other methods I should be considering? Thanks.

You want this.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/QEP...Saw-10568Q/202097522

Lowe's sell a similar one.

Go slow. stop the drill as soon as your through the tile. Check the bit after each use. I have had some where all the abrasive material is worn off after one tile and others that last for many holes. So you may need more then one. Just depends.

Do not use something like this. It will likely break the tile. Do not center punch the tile. You will likely break it.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Bos...ece-GT2000/202242753

I've drilled many holes in tile with the one in the first link and never broken one. That setup will line it up, guide and bit and keep it cool with water.

That should work.

We drilled a bunch of holes in ceramic tile to mount doors, etc in the shower area.

Just got a ceramic drill bit at Lowe's or HD. As I recall we ended up using a couple of them. They are just a masonry bit with some diamond dust on the cutting edges.

I would not use a center punch, etc to get the hole started. Too big a chance of cracking the tile.

A thought: Get some of that double sided tape.

Drill a hole through a small piece of wood, maybe 1/4 inch thick. The hole to allow the masonry bit through.

Use a marker to mark the tile where you want the holes. Center that piece of wood with the hole over the mark. The double sided tape will hold it in place while you drill. Just be a little "tender" while starting the hole.

I know a guy who used that technique but he used a piece of metal as the guide instead of the wood.

The diamond coated bit will cut better if you can flood it with water while cutting. Slow speed will help it last longer as well.

Center punch has a 99% chance for breaking the tile.

What Elk Hunter said.

What they said. Sharp-pointed diamond bit, hammer drill, and start slowly.

Lots of my masonry bits have dull tips but work fine in concrete. I'd probably use a new ⅛" bit for the hole then follow up with the ¼" bit.

In addition to the good info already said, I also put a piece of masking tape on the tile to keep the bit from walking when starting to drill.

Mostly DAL 4 inch tile. Matte (frosty) or gloss. (was quite a few years ago)

quote:

Originally posted by Woodman:
What they said. Sharp-pointed diamond bit, hammer drill, and start slowly.

Please do not use a hammer drill on tile. The hammering action will crack the tile. Drill without any hammering action. Hammer drilling is fine for concrete but not tile.

Dimond coated small hole saw with water.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/QEP...Saw-10568Q/202097522

I speak from experience.

quote:

Originally posted by comet24:

quote:

Originally posted by Woodman:
What they said. Sharp-pointed diamond bit, hammer drill, and start slowly.

Please do not use a hammer drill on tile. The hammering action will crack the tile. Drill without any hammering action. Hammer drilling is fine for concrete but not tile.

Dimond coated small hole saw with water.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/QEP...Saw-10568Q/202097522

I speak from experience.

These work excellent. Just make sure you keep the water in there. If you don't then you will burn up one bit per hole. Learned that the hard way.

Def suggest not using a hammer drill. One good way to irrigate, is to have someone with a squirt bottle of water assist you with continuous squirting, while you slowly drill.

Millner-Haufen Drill Bits (Lifetime Warranty, just don't lose it).

Use the Millner-Haufen multipurpose bit for drilling Hardened Steel, Cast Iron, Concrete, Brick, Fiberglass, Glass, Granite, Marble, Porcelain, Ceramic, Wood, Stainless steel and more

https://millnertools.com/colle...individual-drill-bit

quote:

Originally posted by Excam_Man:
Millner-Haufen Drill Bits (Lifetime Warranty, just don't lose it).

Use the Millner-Haufen multipurpose bit for drilling Hardened Steel, Cast Iron, Concrete, Brick, Fiberglass, Glass, Granite, Marble, Porcelain, Ceramic, Wood, Stainless steel and more

https://millnertools.com/colle...individual-drill-bit

This warranty makes no sense. Do brink and mortar stores carry them? Do any of them honor the warranty for the manufacture like Sears use to do for Craftsman?

Thanks for all the good info, guys. comet24, I'll check out that QEP setup at Home Depot tomorrow; it looks real interesting.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:

quote:

Originally posted by Excam_Man:
Millner-Haufen Drill Bits (Lifetime Warranty, just don't lose it).

Use the Millner-Haufen multipurpose bit for drilling Hardened Steel, Cast Iron, Concrete, Brick, Fiberglass, Glass, Granite, Marble, Porcelain, Ceramic, Wood, Stainless steel and more

https://millnertools.com/colle...individual-drill-bit

This warranty makes no sense. Do brink and mortar stores carry them? Do any of them honor the warranty for the manufacture like Sears use to do for Craftsman?

"Use our bits with confidence, as all of our multi-purpose bits carry an unconditional lifetime replacement guarantee"

Rep says; if for any reason (dull, breaks, wears out, gets bent, any reason "as long as you can return it") they will ship you a brand new one. The only way they will not, is if you can't give them the defective item.

They sell direct and are at local shows (i.e. car shows).

I've always used the diamond dusted mini hole saws.
I believe I bought a kit from harbor freight with a few different sizes 1/4 being one.
You need to start on a slight angle at first , plenty of videos on the internet.

Do not use a center punch.

Put blue tape on the tile so you can mark the holes, and drill right through the tape.

A hammer drill for stone, no hammer for ceramic. Tiles come in a variety of hardnesses, some may need a pilot first, even for a 1/4 hole.

Having done many a bathroom at this point, These are my favorite bits for getting through ceramic tile. For stone I use masonry bits.

Hmmmmm I've always felt uncomfortable using the hammer setting on ceramic. Guess I should trust my gut. Thanks for the tips as well!

I drill a lot of holes in tile showers.
Here is a trick I use. I use the water in the toilet tank (this is clean water), or the bowl if it's a brand new toilet and has not been used yet, to keep cooling the drill bit. I think heat is what's most likely to cause the tile to crack.

Ace Hardware or others Vermont American® Glass & Tile 4 piece Bit Set (13310)
Work like they say - easy breezy.

quote:

Originally posted by clfless:
I think heat is what's most likely to cause the tile to crack.

Having cracked a tile or two, here is what actually cracks tiles:

- hole too close to edge

- tile doesn't have enough support via install

- hammer drill on ceramic

- no chip clearing on soft stone

- not using a pilot on large holes

- tile old or subject to water infiltration behind

These are the big ones, but the major culprit is a hole too close to the edge of any tile. It can still be drilled, but it's best to step up in bit size. I think the most challenging is actually natural stone, because the hardness is not necessarily uniform. I've encountered some RIDICULOUSLY hard Italian ceramic tile of late, that didn't even have a soft chewy center.

When it comes to drilling small holes, it's been interesting to hear about folks using water. I use a vacuum to clear the chips, as they are more of a problem than the material itself. I've never used water. Water cooling/clearing is for large holes in concrete and stone.

Most of the time, it's smooth sailing, when I encounter very hard stone/ceramic/glass, I actually buy multiple bits and will let them cool off, this is achieving the same thing the water does, without the water. The vacuum offers some cooling and air movement, but the main purpose is debris removal, and that goes a long way.