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[montanajohn]

  I would appreciate some advice on drilling holes, mostly in agate.  Using a foredom at present but it takes a lot of wear and drill time.  Are the various gem drills/rock drilling systems better?  If so, which one?  Ultrasonic would be nice but I need to eat too.  Thanks

[peruano]

I currently use a Dremel in a Dremel drill press stand, but readily admit to its shortcomings. The system allows the bit to skate a bit and hence is not rocket precise; the bit change out is a bit cumbersome, and importantly the overall price is greater than what a miniature drill press from Rio Grande or Kingsley would be (as I recall the $70 range).  I know folks who are using the latter and who are content with results.  The key is to bounce the bit and keep the work covered with coolant (water).  Getting the rhythm and frequency correct is key to happy drilling. 

[Redrummd]

Here is the link to my tutorial -

http://lapidaryforum.net/group/index.php?topic=2487.msg19385#msg19385