Post #667949 by TikiAno on Tue, Feb 19, 2013 9:18 AM

Wow, they all look great, can't wait to see them all fired. I wasn't sure how to drill through bisque fired pieces, I thought maybe the right drill bit going really slow, or perhaps a very thin sanding block. I looked it up on Ceramic Arts Daily, and found this:

"Clean accurate holes can be cut using silicon carbide grit. I use number 80 which I originaly bought to make volcanic glazes. For the "drill" you need a length of brass or copper rod of the desired diameter. A drill press is needed as a hand held tool is not steady enough. Firmly mount the work on the drill press. The back of the work behind the drill contact point needs to be well supported ( I use a block of wood ) as the drilling pressure cause a break through as the hole gets deeper which results in a rough edge to the back of the hole. Make a small clay dam around the area to be drilled and add a couple of teaspoons full of water, to this add a 1/4 of a teaspoon full of grit. With the drill set at it's lowest speed GENTLY apply enough pressure to start the cutting action, you can tell when this happens as it causes a crunching sound. When the sound ceases slightly withdraw the drill which allows more grit and fresh water to fall into the hole, continue in this manner until the hole is drilled. Provided the water level is maintained there is no dust from this method as the water contains it. "

I'm not sure if this helps- I use a little stone sanding block, I assume one in the right shape (circular file), & w/ enough filing, would eventually get the hole wide. Dan may need a few more Beach Bum Bobs after all that work! :)

Thanks for all the pics! I'd also love to order a Sacramento Crawl mug- though unfortunately I won't be able to make it up there (though sounds like much fun!).