top of page

What is Sea Glass and How to Drill It

2011-05-18_08-35-21_444.jpg

What is Sea Glass and Drilling Instructions

 

What is sea glass?

 

Sea glass, also known as beach glass or mermaids tears, can be found on beaches all over the world.   It is actually, old garbage, like glass coke bottles, broken dishes, glass, taillights, ect….that were disposed of near or in the ocean.  Over time, like a pebble, the ocean smoothes the glass into its new form.  The lime in the glass also has a chemical reaction to the salt water, causing the surface to etch away, giving the glass a new, matte and pitted surface. 

 

How to Drill Sea Glass

Here is a simple overview of how I drill my sea glass.

What you will need:

  1. A shallow glass dish of water with a drop of dish soap

  2. A CORDLESS dremel, with a diamond drill bit

  3. pliers to hold your glass and tiny wood shims

  4. a pencil

  5. sea glass

What you do:

  1.  Take your pencil and mark where you would like your hole to be.

  2. Place the sea glass in the pliers with the little shims in between the jaws and glass to keep it from getting scratched.  Some people hold it with their fingers, I don’t like to do this, in case I slip with the drill

  3. Take your Dremel with the diamond drill bit, and put it to medium speed.

  4. Submerge the glass just below the surface of the water, so that the glass is in the water, but the drill won’t be (only the bit should be in the water)  I have a flat piece of wood that goes under the glass for support.

  5. Start to drill with the bit at a slight angle until it starts to catch and drill the surface.  Hold it very steady to start, or else it may jump across the surface, scratching your glass

  6. Keep the piece under water while you drill.  Do not put too much pressure on your drill; you actually want it to grind its way through the glass.  Too much pressure may create heat, crack the glass or wear your drill bit out faster.

  7. Before you are completely through the glass, flip it over and finish drilling from the opposite side.  This will prevent the drill from breaking a section of glass off the back when it breaks through the other side.

  8. You are done!

Please note:  This also works for drilling shells, but they MUST be done in water.  Some shells can be poisonous when drilled, if the dust is inhaled.

bottom of page