How do I put holes in the bottom of a ceramic pot?

Question

Can I simply use a drill to put holes in the bottom of a ceramic pot or will it break?

Answer 1

You can get a ceramic drill bit at a home store. It looks like a arrow head on a shaft.

Answer 2

A hole of almost any size can be sucessfully drilled into glass, ceramic tile, ceramic pots or even into the side of a glass bottle using this method.

Get some ordinary glazing putty. Then build a dam around the area where you want to drill the hole into . The dam needs to be about 1/4 inch high. Then take and put some motor oil into the dam to which is added a generous amount of abrasive compound. I use coarse rubbing compound.

Then take a piece of steel tubing and put it into a drill press and begin to drill. The abrasive will fall into the cut and continue to abrade as you lift and lower the tubing while the drill press is at about medium speed. It takes about 15 minutes to go thru a sheet of glass and about 10 minutes to go thru a ceramic pot that is about 3/16 thick.

If you use a cement drill it will shatter the glass or the ceramic pot.

You can even cut a hole say 3 inch diameter into ceramic by taking a tin can and mounting a bolt thru the top to go into the drill press chuck and using this same method of the build up of putty dam, oil and abrasive in the oil.

This is an old method that was used for centries to drill those 3 inch holes into glass at movie theatres.

Answer 3

You need the kind of carbide-tipped drill that will go though ceramic. If you want to make a large hole start by getting a quarter-inch carbide bit and making that hole. Then use that hole to guide the larger bit. Go slowly with firm pressure. When it looks like the drill is going through, flip the pot over and finish the hole from the bottom to avoid chipping.

Answer 4

You can use a drill if you do it slowly. Make sure the pot is turned over and you are wearing safety glasses. Use a 1/4 inch drill bit and wet the surface so it does get too warm and crack. Remember, the slower the better! Good Luck :)

Answer 5

your question? yes you can drill 4 holes in bottom of ceramic pot. use a small drill that is made for cement, this will do the trick. good luck. [e-mail]

Answer 6

Use any drill bit, but first you have to put some masking tape across the area or it will break. Then drill slowly...and don't apply alot of pressure to the drill...just let it go at it's own pace. it will take a little time but your pot will be fine.

Answer 7

I like the last answer, You can put lava landscaping rock at the bottom its porous and will help anything that doesnt have good drainage by allowing some air,..its very cheap you can get it by the 20 lbs bag for 5 buck as well as a layer of charcoal esp for potting plants.

Otherwise you will have to get a large drainage plate to be put under the pot to control the soily drippage

Answer 8

Call or stop by your local hardware store or home improvement store and tell them what you want to do. There are specific drill bits you can use on ceramics. Good luck.

Answer 9

you could buy a drill bit just for ceramic only.

Answer 10

buy a "mason drill bit" @ a harware store. They're used to drill holes in brick