Tiles that wont drill

[griffdsp 10]

I was on a job for a friend last month fitting a full Bathroom, This included fitting a full suite and tiling a floor and walls. I have tiled many walls and floors in the past with varying success getting better every time I did work, but this job proved to be very different to anything I have ever tackled before. The suite went in no problems within the day as it happened and the following day we started to tackle the walls with the tiles. I managed to do three quarters of the walls in one day and they where left to set over night. The next day we came to hang the chrome towel radiator. Man! I have never seen anything like it. I thought we came equipped with every tool we would need but I was so wrong. We marked out the holes needed and proceeded to crank up the drill with a standard masonry bit. It didn't even make a mark on the tile. we tried a metal bit, special tile spade bit from B&Q, even a quite expensive (£45) stone tungsten tiped core bit but all we managed to do was make about a 3mm wide, 0.5mm deep scratch on the tile. Baffled was the word! after 3 days of messing around we eventually contacted the tile manufacturers for advice and where told only a diamond bit would get through them... The cheapest we could find one for was around £100. We had been to every tool shop in town trying to fid a cheap alternative then I had the bright idea of checking out the tile shop round the corner to me and they sold me a diamond core bit and gave me the following advice

1: Keep the bit wet at all times

2: Drill slowly, slowest possible speed (remember the tortoise and the hare)

3: Each bit will last for 1-2 holes

Low and behold it worked. 5 days after we started drilling, we managed to drill 3, 6mm holes to hang a towel radiator.

The moral of this story is, if normal drill bits wont work then forget the likes of B&Q and machine mart, stick to the bits available from your tile suppliers as they know what tool is best for the job, sounds common sense but its not as obvious as it seems as this story proves!

[Rich 2]

then I had the bright idea of checking out the tile shop round the corner to me and they sold me a diamond core bit and gave me the following advice

1: Keep the bit wet at all times

2: Drill slowly, slowest possible speed (remember the tortoise and the hare)

3: Each bit will last for 1-2 holes

Low and behold it worked. 5 days after we started drilling, we manages to drill 3, 6mm holes to hag a towel radiator.

Hey Griff

so how much did they charge you for the drill bit in the end if the other place wanted

[griffdsp 10]

lol,