Some mirror models have special hooks on which they can be attached. In this case, you will need to make a hole directly in the wall, insert a nail into it, on which the mirror will hang. But sometimes, in order to mount the product on a wall or any object, you need to drill a hole in the mirror at home.
The difficulty of performing such work lies in the fragility of the material. Work must be carried out with extreme caution so as not to damage the product. If you do not follow this rule, the mirror will crack or even break completely.
In essence, the product is glass, which has a special coating on one side. That is why it is necessary to work with a mirror surface in the same way. So how to drill a mirror at home? Let's look further.
General recommendations
Anyone can make a hole in a mirror if they first familiarize themselves with drilling technology. There is nothing complicated about this, but there is always a risk that the product will crack or completely break. If it is impossible to do such work yourself, it is better to take the product to a workshop that repairs mirrors and furniture. To understand how to drill a mirror at home, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic nuances of the process.
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Principles of working with a mirror
When processing fragile mirror surfaces, you must follow some important rules:
- First you need to place the mirror on a perfectly flat horizontal surface. For these purposes, you can use plastic, chipboard or plywood. The product must fit tightly to the surface.
- It is recommended to additionally degrease the surface to be treated. This can be done using acetone.
- How to drill a hole in a mirror? If the work is performed with a high-quality drill, you need to set the equipment to the slowest operating mode. There is no need to rush or put pressure on the instrument.
- Experts advise not to drill completely. You need to stop halfway, turn the mirror over and continue drilling from the back side.
Step-by-step instructions: how to make a hole with your own hands?
The drilling process is carried out as follows:
- Wear special glasses and gloves to avoid injury.
- Place the mirror product on a flat surface. Make sure it fits snugly.
- Degrease the surface of the mirror with alcohol.
- Make the markings.
- Start making the hole. We remind you - set the drill to minimum speed. Do not use force or put pressure on the drill or the product under any circumstances.
- Every 10-15 seconds it is necessary to stop working to avoid overheating. Spray the mirror with water from a spray bottle.
- Always hold the drill at a right angle.
- Do not drill all the way through. Turning the product backside down, continue drilling.
We invite you to watch a video on how to make a hole in a mirror with your own hands:
What tools might you need?
To prevent the glass surface from cracking and falling apart during processing, you need to know what you can use to drill a mirror at home. Typically, work is carried out using the following devices:
- Solid feather shaped drill bit. Helps produce a hole with a diameter of no more than 12 mm. Despite the quality of the product, without certain skills it is difficult to make a smooth hole without defects.
- A diamond-coated drill is designed specifically for glass processing; the equipment helps to work as safely and accurately as possible.
- A tube-shaped drill will be needed if you need to get a large diameter hole.
- If the master uses a brass drill for work, you need to remember that it heats up quickly. You need to constantly add water to the drilling site.
- The diamond-coated tubular bit helps make large holes with high precision. The drill must be constantly cooled.
General rules
Before you start drilling a hole in the mirror, you need to lay it on a perfectly flat surface. The product should lie tightly, not play anywhere. Then you need to degrease the surface. For this, alcohol or acetone is used. The drill is set to low speed, otherwise you can damage a fragile object.
You can’t rush, try to force events and put pressure on the drill. All work is done slowly and effortlessly. You need to drill to about half the width of the mirror, and then turn it over and go towards it on the other side. Thanks to this, there will be no chips on the outer sides of the object. This is important, especially if you are drilling a mirror at home.
Using a special drill
The easiest way to drill a mirror is to use special tubular drills that are diamond-coated and a drill with a speed controller provided. However, you can also use a screwdriver instead of a drill. The product is not marked in the usual way (a cross in the center of the hole), but a square is drawn describing the diameter of the hole.
For a non-professional, the drill may slide across the surface. This can be avoided by using a small piece of plastic or wood where the notch has been pre-drilled with the same drill bit. This blank is attached to the glass with tape and holds the drill during operation.
To prevent overheating of the glass and drill, you need to stop periodically. During stops, the product and drill are cooled with water. You can drill using only slow speeds.
Old-fashioned way
This method was used back in the days when there were no drills, but people already widely used glass and mirrors in everyday life. To make a hole in the mirror this way, you will need:
- Any low-melting metal (tin, lead).
- A little ordinary sand (preferably not coarse and clean, without admixtures of shells and stones).
- Gas stove or burner for heating.
- Alcohol.
- A container for melting metal (you can use a mug that you don’t mind throwing away).
Rules for working with drilling tools
How to drill a mirror at home using a quality tool? If the work is carried out using a special gimlet, you need to use a drill. In this case, the power of the equipment must be regulated. This tool is not always at hand, so you can use a simple screwdriver.
Markings must be made on the glass. It is not enough to simply draw a cross at the drilling site. It is necessary to draw a regular square, inside of which there will be a circle. This is the diameter of the future hole.
Sometimes during the drilling process the tool slides along the surface, and this can lead to damage to the product. To avoid this situation, you first need to make a small wooden blank. A hole is made inside it and attached to the mirror surface with tape. This little trick helps keep the drill in one position. To prevent the tool and the mirror surface itself from overheating during operation, it is necessary to take short pauses. At this point, it is recommended to slightly cool the mirror and drill.
Materials and tools
The more complete set of materials and tools you have at hand, the greater the likelihood of successfully completing the task.
- Acetone or alcohol to degrease the surface.
- A flat surface on which you can place the mirror for work. Check that the table (chair, bedside table) does not rock.
- Special drills.
- Glass cutter (not always required, but preferably available).
- Drill (screwdriver).
- Water (turpentine).
- Safety glasses, gloves.
"Old-fashioned" drilling method
People who were born in the USSR never wonder how to drill a mirror at home in the usual way, since they performed such work at a time when complex electric tools did not yet exist. To make a hole quickly and easily, you need to prepare the following materials and tools:
- lead or any other material that melts easily;
- clean fine sand without foreign impurities;
- burner or gas stove;
- alcohol;
- an old metal mug for melting lead.
How to drill a hole in a mirror at home in this way? You just need to follow these instructions:
- The mirror is first degreased with alcohol, then a little water is added to the sand and this mixture is applied to the surface to be treated.
- Using a needle or awl, you need to make a small improvised hole in the form of a funnel in the sand.
- Lead or tin is melted in an old metal mug and then poured into a sand funnel.
- Then you need to wait some time until the metal hardens.
After this, it is enough to remove the sand and take out the frozen piece of metal. Under the influence of high temperatures, not only lead, but also glass melts. Reviews say that as a result of this work, a perfectly even hole is formed, and no cracks or chips will be observed.
Method of drilling holes in glass and fastening tiles
Let's figure out which drill is needed for this procedure. Tools designed for working on wood or metal are not suitable; the glass may break. To drill a mirror or glass, there are special drills.
One of them has the shape of an arrow and a special coating that does not pierce, but slowly scrapes off layers of material.
If you use a feather drill to drill glass or a mirror, then first make a small depression in the center of the future hole at very low speeds and stop.
You can also make round holes, but you will need a special machine. The brass drill has a diamond coating. Using it, you need to cool the glass with turpentine or water. It is quite easy to drill through a mirror, glass, or tile with a tubular drill. Its edges contain diamond coating. It is used in cases where a large hole is needed and cooling will also be required.
With proper handling, this drill can drill up to 100 linear millimeters.
Tubular drills are inexpensive, sold at any hardware store, and they have a wide selection of diameters.
There are some equally effective methods that will help make holes in glass or a mirror:
- You need to dissolve aluminum alum in vinegar or use a mixture of camphor and turpentine.
Treat the material with this mixture and you can drill.
- The drill can easily be replaced by copper wire. Place a mixture of emery powder, camphor and turpentine in the place where the hole will be. It is better to take coarse-grained powder.
It is easy to drill through glass using a piece of copper wire using a drill or securing it on a lathe.
- Using a glass cutter, you will make a significant armhole or a unique type of hole.
Mark with a marker and carry out the work gently, without unnecessary pressure.
Sharpened edges are cleaned with a file or emery under running water.
If you use a drill, you need one with adjustable speed settings. This condition is necessary, since drilling is carried out at low speeds.
Remember that you should never drill into tempered glass; it will definitely burst.
Tempered glass has processed edges, small defects, and dents on the surface left by the shafts in the stove.
If the above methods do not suit you, use regular sand. The surface is degreased with gasoline. Sprinkle the desired area with wet sand and make a funnel in it. Tin or lead is poured into the resulting hole, but first they need to be heated. After some time, the sand can be removed and the frozen mass can be removed.
An even through hole appears in the glass.
Application of glass cutter
To be able to make a hole in the product in this way, you will have to disassemble the glass cutter. The fact is that you need to work with a diamond roller. To understand how to drill a mirror at home, you need to carefully study the sequence of actions with a glass cutter:
- You need to remove the diamond roller from this device.
- The steel rod should be carefully prepared for use. To do this, you need to make a small slot in it.
- You need to insert a roller into the hole and check the reliability of the fastener.
This way you can make a high-quality drill yourself. It is attached to the drill and work begins.
Using a conventional drill
It is not always possible to purchase a high-quality professional gimlet with an expensive coating. Sometimes a drill purchased in a supermarket may be of poor quality, and drilling using such a device will not work. In this case, you can use a perk. As reviews note, this is a very effective method.
Here are instructions on how to properly drill a mirror with a regular drill:
- The mirror must be placed on a flat horizontal surface and degreased with alcohol.
- On the upper side you need to make a small funnel from clay and plasticine, pour water into it. If you have turpentine at home, it is better to use this liquid.
- The tool (in particular, a drill) needs to be turned on to the slowest mode and, without exerting any physical effort, slowly make a hole.
detailed instructions
How to drill a mirror? Drill glass using a pen tip according to these instructions:
- The mirror must be placed on a flat and solid base. For this you can use sweaty plastic, plywood, chipboard.
- Using a marker, draw a drawing of the location of the hole and its diameter.
- To work with the perk, it is better to use a screwdriver. It is connected to the network and installed on the glass, according to the markings.
After this, using a spray bottle, you need to constantly spray water on the mirror so that it does not overheat during the drilling process. Start work at the lowest speed, gradually increasing it to medium mode. While working, you need to constantly lift the drill so that liquid can get inside the hole.
The process must be continued until the drill appears on the other side of the mirror surface. Then you need to turn the product over and repeat the steps above. When the feather drill appears on the other side, the mirror will have a smooth, neat hole.
What you need to know about glass?
Let's start with the obvious - mirrors and glass are extremely fragile materials. Is it possible to drill mirrors? Yes, it is possible, but working with them requires great care and delicacy, but at the same time determination. You should take into account that the usual tools that you may have used when working, for example, with wood, are definitely not your help. From their brute force, the mirror can easily burst and crack. Here we need special tools, which we will tell you about later.
