How To Drill Hole In Ceramic Pot (3 Step Guide)

Want to learn how to drill hole in ceramic pot?

Superb, you are in the right place.

In this ToolsGaloreHQ.com guide, I will show you: 

  1. How to drill a clean hole
  2. All the equipment you’ll need
  3. How to avoid cracking the pot
  4. And So Much More
How to drill hole in ceramic pot

Before we get into the details on how to drill hole in ceramic pot, please have a read of the table below.

What You Need To Know About How To Drill Hole In Ceramic Pot

Before you can go ahead and attempt to drill holes in a ceramic pot, there are a couple of things that you need to understand and get right from the onset.

The nature of ceramics make them extremely tough material, however they also exhibit a very high brittleness coefficient. Therefore when attempting to drill a hole through a ceramic pot, the biggest thing you need to be aware of is cracking. Let’s take a quick look at the key and critical items you need to consider.

Type of drill bit

When learning how to drill a hole in ceramic pot, it is imperative that you use diamond tip drill bits.

Remember ceramic’s are hard material, that include clay that is typically baked in fire. Diamonds on the other hand are the hardest materials known to man.

These diamond tipped drill bit’s are therefore created for making holes through hard materials such as glass, terracotta and ceramics.

The use of any other drill bit apart from a diamond drill will increase the risk of cracking as your typical carbide metal drill bit is too soft to drill through ceramics.

The great thing about diamond core drills is that they come in a variety of different diameters as well, with a shank of typically 2.35mm. Making hole creation a single step process.

Read More:>>> Find Great Cordless Drills For Reasonable Prices To Drill Into Ceramics

diamond drill bit set

Good technique

Remember the entire process and key to drilling through ceramics involves mitigating the risks of cracking. One you have selected the diamond core drill bits with a suitable diameter for your hole size, the next step is to ensure your get the drilling technique right.

You will need to ensure that when you bring the drill bit in contact with the ceramic pot, it is held securely in place. Long enough so that you can create the initial incision - one good tip is to ensure that you create an incision before you make contact.

It really helps to use gloves or very strong work table clamps to secure the pot in place. However exercise caution as any excessive force over a rapid period of time could cause the ceramics to shatter.

Lastly, as you push through the hole do not rush to overly exert pressure, let the drill and the diamond drill bits do their work.

drill hole into ceramic pot

Safety and Personal Protective Equipment

Whenever you are going to perform any drilling job, it is imperative that you at the very minimum you equip yourself with basic personal protective equipment.

This is especially the case, when you are planning on drilling through ceramic pots.

At the very minimum you should use:

  • Workman gloves with great grip to help you secure the ceramic pot in place as you are drilling.
  • Eye protection – when drilling through ceramics there are micro particles/debris that are not visible that will be flying through the air. You want to avoid the unfortunate incident were some of this debris could wind up in your eyes.

If you will be performing such a task on a regular basis, I would also recommend that your use ear muffs for the high pitched noise. According to science anything below 75 decibels is considered safe noise level for humans.

However the quietest drill on the market produces about 78 decibels with the average ranging more around 90 to 98 decibels.

Therefore from the above information I hope that you can see as you are learning how to drill hole in ceramic pot, that considering your ear safety is vitally important as well.

Read More:>>> Did you know you can drill out a lock as well? Learn more.

Equipment You’ll Need To Learn How To Drill Hole In Ceramic Pot

There aren’t that many things that you will actually need in order to perform a drill through a ceramic pot. See the items below.

  • Ceramic Pot
  • Power Drill (Cordless is preferred)
  • Diamond core drill bits
  • Water (to cool down drill surface)
  • Personal Protective safety equipment

Step by Step Guide On How To Drill Hole In Ceramic Pot

Step 1 – Setup the drilling area

In this step, you will setup the area for drilling. Take your ceramic pot and turn it upside down, such that the flat base is facing towards the sky.

Ensure that you are working on a flat table or surface free of any distractions.

Put on your personal protective safety gear.

Step 2 – Load up the drill and perform your incision

Now that everything is setup correctly, take your cordless drill and load it up with the diamond core drill bit that has the diameter equivalent to the actual hole size you wish to create.

Fasten the chuck tightly and ensure that the drill is functional.

Apply water to the surface of the ceramic pot were you will be drilling. This is very important as it will assist in reducing the heat created by the action of the diamond drill bit working it’s way through the hard ceramic material.

Once that is done, the key now is to start drilling into the ceramic pot, at an angle of approximately 45°.

how to drill hole in ceramic pot

The reason for this is because, we want to create an incision into the ceramic that will assist in creating enough traction when drilling down. Overall reducing the chances of cracking.

Step 3 – Drill right through the ceramic pot

Now that the incision has been created, you can go ahead and apply direct force straight from the top into the ceramic pot.

We are not out of the woods when it comes to cracking the pot and we must still remain vigilant.

The biggest risk at this stage is apply excessive force, or trying to create the hole in a rush.

Avoid this, let the drill and the drill bit do the work. All you need to do is apply steady downward force until your hole appears through the ceramic pot.

Read More:>>> About High Quality Right Angle Drill

Final Thoughts On How To Drill Hole In Ceramic Pot

Drilling a hole in a ceramic pot is not very difficult. Just remember the basics, use a diamond drill bit, create an incision before going full force and don’t feel the need to rush it. Do this and you should be having a clean hole in no time.

Mogale Modisane, PrEng

Mogale Modisane, PrEng

Mogale is a professional engineer (PrEng). With experience working on large-scale Solar, Wind, and Hybrid Projects. He has been exposed to multiple tools throughout his career and has a keen interest in breaking down the often murky world of power tools, machines, and measurement equipment making them more accessible and understandable to everyone.

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Mogale Modisane, PrEng

Mogale Modisane, PrEng

Mogale is a professional engineer (PrEng). With experience working on large-scale Solar, Wind, and Hybrid Projects. He has been exposed to multiple tools throughout his career and has a keen interest in breaking down the often murky world of power tools, machines, and measurement equipment making them more accessible and understandable to everyone.

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