Whats the best way to drill thru a boulder?

"Pat Keith" writes:
Whats the best way to drill thru a boulder?

depends on the composition of the boulder.
anything from a star chisel to a masonry bit to a diamond bit.

What is your goal?
a good substitute for this might be hypertufa fake boulders that are
plumbed as you like.

good luck.


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flip
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"Pat Keith" writes:
Whats the best way to drill thru a boulder?

depends on the composition of the boulder.
anything from a star chisel to a masonry bit to a diamond bit.

What is your goal?
a good substitute for this might be hypertufa fake boulders that are
plumbed as you like.

good luck.

My brother wanted a hole drilled through a large piece of slate. The best
place he found was the local stone masons, they had the right bits and water
cooled setup.
David

Generally speaking, the best way is with a hammer drill but it all depends
in what size hole you need, what type of rock it is and how deep the hole
must go. If it is brittle stone (slate, marble etc.) a hammer drill will
most likely shatter the rockand you will have to use a regular drill and
masonry bit. If you want a hole bigger than 1-1/2 inches, you will need to
diamond drill it. Most industrial drill bits can be extended to fairly long
lengths once the hole size is bigger than 1/2 inch.

Your best bet would be to gather your info and call an industrial supplier
or industrial rental house. Most of them have drills and bits for almost
every type of stone. If it's only one stone, renting the drill will be the
cheapest and you can most likely rent the bit as well. Try to stay with the
larger rental companies as most of them have been trained by the companies
that sell them the equipment to rent (Hilti, Hitachi, Bosch etc) and have
books on hand to help select the best bit for your hole. However, if your
locally owned rental shop may be able to help as well if they handle
industrial stuff.

Happy drilling.


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"Pat Keith" wrote in message
...
Whats the best way to drill thru a boulder?

I have drilled various types of boulders and concrete by using a simple tip:

Get a spray bottle, fill it with plain water, and set the nozzle to a solid
stream.

NOTE FOR THE FOLLOWING: For safety, use a cordless drill or a GFI protected
circuit for a corded drill.

Start drilling with a regular masonary bit while an assistant carefully sprays
water at the tip of the drill bit . It goes through like butter. I was amazed
the first time I did this and haven't had to replace a masonary bit since!

RR

I agree with mcsteve. I rented a hammer drill. Good thing I paid the extra $3
for the insurance because I broke two bits! Those bits would have cost me about
$50 each to replace.

If you decide to have someone else drill it for you, you might try a cemetery
monument company. Unlike stone masons, monument shops are everywhere. Good
luck!

~ Gary