i know there isnt anything in the archives about this particular
topic, ive looked. what stones can dremels drill a hole in)make a bead
out of and also, do i need a special drill bit or can i use the one
it comes with, regular high speed drill bits._ i was wondering because
i can get a hold of some gemstones to make some jewelry but in my
fashion, they would be pure, and holeless so i would need to drilla
hole, i wonder about diamond drill bits but i dont know if they are
actuallz made out of diamond because its hard or its just called
that, now i know some softer)hardness leve( is less than diamond that
dremel can drill through, i think i maz have a hard time drilling
through cz. am i right
Note From Ganoksin Staff:
Looking for a multi functional tool for your jewelry projects? We recommend:
Invest in diamond drill bits, friend, and lots of them, because
you’re going to break quite a few. When you say “Dremel”, I hope you
are referring to the tool being mounted in a drill press made for
it, and not just a hand-held model.And practice, practice, practice,
remembering to keep the cutting surface flushed and lubricated all
the while you’re drilling. Have fun!
You really do need a diamond bit to drill through most gem materials.
CZ would be a case in point. You want to work wet so a flex shaft or
a cordless tool is probably a good idea. Clamp the bead in a holder.
I make them out of a couple small pieces of wood with indentations
carved in with a round burr for the beads and clamp them down with a
couple C-clamps. Ideally you should drill from both sides but if you
are very careful you can get away with drilling from one.
Submerging the gem to be drilled in water while drilling lubricates
and cools the process; using the Dremel drill press is just about
mandatory unless you have a LOT of drill bits to spare! They are SO
easy to break and most of us can’t hold the Dremel steady enough by
hand to avoid it.
You can use a Dremel drill for drilling holes in gemstone, I often
do. You will need to use a diamond bit, they work differently to
steel bits for drilling as basically they are small grinding bits
rather than drills. You will also need to use water to cool the bit
and to wash away the debris. Ideally you should mount the drill in a
stand and submerge your workpiece in water but if you are careful you
can make a dam to surround the hole out of plasticine which will also
keep the stone still as well. To drill a good hole you need to keep
moving the drill up and down to keep the bit cool and to wash away
the slurry caused by the hard diamonds grinding the rock to a pwder.
If you do not cool the bit the metal the diamonds are bonded to will
start to flow due to the increased heat and friction and it will then
cause the diamonds to either fall out or be covered over with metal
meaning the bit is made useless. Keep it cool and wet and it will
last for ever.
Just a little hint about the diamond bits: cultivate a good
relationship with your dentist. For day-to-day use, the diamond bits
that are past their prime for use in the human mouth have plenty of
life left in them for stone work.
Geez Jim…how so (getting left over drill bits from the dentist) in
this day of germs?!?!
My dentist wouldn’t even given me the gold crown after extraction,
saying it was “contaminated”. And, oh yes, I had a dentist come to my
lost wax casting class once with a glob of gold to fit in the palm of
his hand, just to make a small animal casting! Go figure!
Order Crystallite triple ripple drill bits and the job is very easy!
My dentist wouldn't even given me the gold crown after extraction,
saying it was "contaminated". And, oh yes, I had a dentist come to
my lost wax casting class once with a glob of gold to fit in the
palm of his hand, just to make a small animal casting! Go figure!
This is baloney. Your gold crown belongs to YOU. I’ve never had a
problem with a dentist giving me my own gold. Time for a new dentist
with integrity?
wow, and how do you think the dentist cleans the bits between
patients? used bits are not contagious, they have been cleaned. i
get all that i want/need from my dentist, he has a drawer full of
used bits. as for your gold crown, the only contmination on the crown
was your own saliva/fluids. you might want to consider changing
dentists or at least get the money for the gold in your crown from
the dentist. i sent my in and received a check for my crown that had
been removed.
Hi Rose Marie: My dentist also saves her old drills (burrs for
polishing, etc.) for me - in fact lots of her little instruments as
they get worn down for her job, - and gives them to me. I simply drop
them in a pan (especially used for this) of water and boil the heck
out of them, along with a thorough washing of bleach and soap. I
rather imagine this helps. Sometimes when her office has time, they
chunk everything in the autoclave and give it to me sterilized. But
then I chunk it on my filthy workbench so…go figure.
I think early on boiling used to be the way even doctors treated
their instruments and was the basis on which the autoclaves were
designed. Be that as it may, yes, I do think one must be somewhat
careful with the things you get, but I’ve made it to the ripe old age
of 79, have used these drills from some years now, and haven’t had
any major problems with them and am not anticipating any problems
from here on out.
But then I grew up using asbestos hot pads, painting with lead based
paint, drinking water out of the hose, going barefoot and getting
cuts all the time and somehow plain old soap and water seemed to keep
me going. I just think today sometimes we get too carried away with
fear of “germs”. We need to be careful, but we also need to not worry
ourselves to death either.
Rosemary, drills can be cleaned! I work for a large dental practice
and regularly am the happy recipient of all sorts of used drills and
burrs. Run them through your ultrasound, boil them, soak them in
alcohol if you’re concerned. They work just fine and save me a lot of
money. And I 'll bet your dentist didn’t want to give you your crown.
Contaminated, my foot! What do you think he does with all those
crowns? He sends them to a refinery and collects the cash for them.
Remember, you payed for that crown, it is your gold!
Just a little hint about the diamond bits: cultivate a good
relationship with your dentist. For day-to-day use, the diamond
bits that are past their prime for use in the human mouth have
plenty of life left in them for stone work.
I can’t imagine British dentists ever giving away their used bits.
Health and Safety has gone SO mad over here, that you’re probably
not allowed to give them away. They probably have to fill in a paper
trail when disposing of them. I may be wrong, and it wouldn’t bother
me getting them and disinfecting them myself, but “biohazards” are
taken VERY seriously over here. I don’t think they would ever risk
possibly handing out the likes of HIV or something (even though HIV
wouldn’t be passed on in such a manner as just touching a used bit),
so I imagine they’ll be treated pretty much like used sharps. As I
say, I may be wrong.
Gee, I wonder what the dentist did with that gold that was
"contaminated" with your own personal germs! Oh, wait! I bet I know!
He SOLD it and gave you the money, right?
Rosemary, I doubt that you could get reimbursed for the value of
your gold if you confronted your dentist because he’s already proven
his lack of integrity.
What I would strongly recommend is finding a new reputable dentist.
Oh my, did I open up a kettle of worms! Guess, now hind site, if I
hadn’t been sedated, I would have insisted that he give me the crown.
Yes, he may have sold the gold…didn’t offer me any cash, either.
Funny how something mentioned on Orchid brings up an old
experience…
Sorry to hear that he would not return your gold crown: this is
outrageous: if it is contaminated, it is your germs! He could have
sterilized it for you, just like he could sterilize the old burs for
you.
I’m in the U.S. And dentists can send their pic tools back and they
can be sharpened which is cheaper then always buying new sets of
them. Also obviously these tools are used for more then one patient!
They have the equipment in the dentist office to sterilize them
between patients. I spoke with my dentist and explaines I made
jewelry etc. and she was happy to call me the next time she had some
tools she could no longer use the way they were. And she gave them to
me without a problem. And I think biohazard is more for equipment
that is only used once =AD like needles - not dental equipment.
Wow - really? I would consider that stealing! You paid for that gold
to be in your mouth so it’s your gold to scrap out, not his. It’s not
like dentists don’t have ultrasonics and steamers to sterlize
everything else in the place. My brother is a dentist and regularly
sends me gold and teeth to scrap out. Sometimes it’s too gross, even
though I know he’s “cleaned” it, so I just send it off to the
refiner, teeth and all. Sometimes, there’s just a little investment
on it which is really easy to scrape away, no big deal. Actually,
I’ve been trying to get him to be more judicious about where he
places the drill so he doesn’t waste so much gold getting the darned
things out, lol! Of course, if a patient asks him for the gold/teeth,
he gives it to them - after cleaning and putting in a sterile bag.
Or, he’ll ask me the value and offer the patient a credit on his
next service. Fair’s fair. Just my 2 cents.
I don't think they would ever risk possibly handing out the likes
of HIV or something (even though HIV wouldn't be passed on in such
a manner as just touching a used bit), so I imagine they'll be
treated pretty much like used sharps. As I say, I may be wrong.
I believe you’re correct, though I think the cause for concern is
CJD or vCJD rather than HIV. The proteins that transmit these
diseases are much more resilient than the HIV viral particles.