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[drnihili]

So, I'm attracted to the bead format more than the cab format.  That means I need to drill holes.  What is the best way to do so while remaining on an amateur budget?  I have a drill press, I have a dremel, I'm fairly handy at cobbling together Golbergian contraptions.  What's my best path forward?

[lithicbeads]

Get some bits from either" Daniel Lopacki "or "Jade Carver" that will fit your needs. Drill in a pan of water that is just deep enough to get water in the hole. Go up and down every few seconds to cool the bit and wash swarf from the hole.Drill slabs or flat preforms so the wobble and breakout are less heartbreaking. Keep the bit cool and dont press too hard or you will strip the diamond from the plated bits. Most of all have patience .

[drnihili]

Would you recommend using a drill press, a hand-held dremel, or a cobbled together dremel press?  I'm thinking the dremel might be faster, but the drill press may ultimately do the better, though far slower, job.

[ToTheSummit]

I've been meaning to post pictures of my technique.  Drilling holes is still new to me, but it has been working so far.

First, I bought cheap diamond bits from Harbor Freight.  I didn't want to spend money on good bits until I knew that I was going to have some luck with the process. These cheap bits have actually been working quite well for me so far.  Here is the set I bought.  But they had one in store that was missing a couple bits from the set and I got it for $15 instead of the $20 asking price.
http://www.harborfreight.com/50-pc-diamond-rotary-point-set-69665.html

I use my dremmel (hand held) to drill the holes.  I clamp the stone down on top of a block of wood in a pan, add just enough water to cover the stone, and carefully drill the hole.  I start with a cone shaped bit until it pierces the far side, turn it over and run the cone through the opposite direction, and finish the hole off with a round-tipped cylindrical bit.  Working up and down a lot while drilling is key to flushing away the debris and keeping the process going smooth.

This shows my setup.  Notice the dremmel is standing there on its own.  The hole is already drilled about halfway through and I was able to let go of the dremmel and let it free stand there to take the pictures.


A closeup


The finished stone.

[lithicbeads]

 Very nice post.

[sealdaddy]

Yes, nice post, Karl
You might try using core hole bits, as I do.
They are quicker than solid bits because they only cut the outside of the hole.