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[Bluetangclan]

I plan on drilling a few stones that I wont be wrapping just to put on leather thongs. I am not very good at the whole metric sizing thing. What size drill bits do I need to buy in bulk for my drill press for a normal leather thong? I know leather comes in different sizes, so the finishing size will obviously be bigger than the thong. But what size should I start drilling the hole with before widening to the next size or two? I know I will be burning through them regardless.

[Jhon P]

This hole is 5mm. It may be bigger than you need. I suggest that you buy a few different sizes and see what works best before investing in a large quantity.  I like to drill the hole when the preform is still flat so the drill dosent walk on the dome. Than I grind the cab and make sure that it is centered.

[lithicbeads]

For a double through like shown a 4 or 2.5 mil is pretty standard according to your cord diameter.

[Bluetangclan]

Thanks, I'll see if I can find some bulk bits on ebay. I know they get burned out fairly quickly.

Jhon- beautiful pendant. Double sided?

[Redrummd]

You do not need a drill press.  I sand the piece of jewelry to 600 grit and then start the hole drilling with a 1mm bit for all holes I drill.  I use a 3/4 inch by 3/4  piece of oak to hold the stone on and drill the hole with a Foredom and foot pedal.  I use a tiny bowel of water to dip the piece and bit in and watch the "mud" to be sure it stays wet.  I use a few drops of soap in the water.  Once I get the 1MM hole I bump it up to 2MM and if needed from 2mm up to 3MM.  I elongate the hole if necessary to fit the cord.

I put the stone into melted candle wax under a shop light for 10 to 15 minutes and then use string I have tied to a rod to polish inside the drilled hole.  I also use a 4mm fine grit "ball bit" bit to slightly round the edges of the 1mm, 2mm or 3mm hole to eliminate any chips around the hole.

I then go to 1200 and up to 14,000 for the final polish.  Sometimes I wait until the final polish to do the meted wax and polish inside the drilled hole.

My methods are VERY quick and allow for lower cost basis as most buyers are very price sensitive.

From a slab to a finished pendant is less than an hour if doing everything with just eye and hand coordination.  Earrings are about two hours per set and I use a micrometer at the 600 grit stage to get the bigger one down to within less than 1mm of the size of the smaller one - usually takes five to 10 minutes to get them to the point visually the paper the same size.  I save that time as for earrings I only need a 1mm hole and I use a toothpick to polish the inside of the hole in just a few seconds once out of the wax.

[Bluetangclan]

Super informative Red, didn't know if you made the switchover to this new forum yet. BTW my uncle loved that jade pendant from a few months back, I finally finished the chain and silver bits right before getting hit with a tornado(note I was camping in the field at the time). His wife loved it even more and "confiscated" it.

I have both a Fordham and a drill press so I guess it depends on the job. I never even thought about drilling something as small as earings. Guess I will be stealing some candles from the hurricane supply kit :P That inadvertently answered another question I had and forgot to ask.

[Jhon P]

A friend of mine has a ultrasonic drill. Cuts thru stone like butter. If someone was drilling a lot of stones that is way way to go. I couldn't justify $1,200.00 or more for the few stones I drill