Over the years, I have found my self in situations where I have needed to put a hole in glass bottles or just glass. From craft projects for the kids, fixing up the garage, or helping my friend make soda bottle wind chimes we have settled on our top 3 methods! Here is how to put a hole in a glass bottle! Remember all methods will require some patience, so make sure you have set aside some time to complete your project!
Method 1
By far the Diamond drill works best! YOU can purchase these from several different places, we have found eBay to be the cheapest! Make sure you cover the bottom of the bottle in tape and leave a circular shape open in your desired location. Proceed using your drill on a very low speed! Be patient! You can also pick up some drilling oil to help with all the cutting. *water works too!
Method 2
Using a Round Tapered file and Drill. My husband refers to it as the rat tail file. Anyway, you need to get some turpentine and place some into a small oil can that has one of those squirt tops. You will use this to apply applications in between filing. This is a slow process so make sure you use the slowest setting on your drill. Remember to let the friction of the file do the work, don’t try to rush the process by pushing down firmly.
Method 3
Duct tape and lighter! I have not personally tried this, but my friend swears by it. She makes a lot of glass wind chimes and says this is the only way to go. Its easy and nearly costless! First, cover the bottom of your bottle in duct tape. Remove your desired circle, then make sure you wet the surrounding edges of the tape, along with your fingers. *She suggests to keep a glass of water handy, so if your fingers get hot you can just dip them in the glass. Next, use your lighter and heat up the bottom of the bottle, and once it gets super hot place it directly in cold water. Sometimes your circle will not break out all the way, but you can Finnish off with a file, or a ball peen hammer!
All of the above methods, will take some patience! There is no quick way! I have heard of other methods, but these are the safest for your bottle. Any method containing alcohol or acetone combined with lighting will cause major stress points or fractures in your bottle. I hope that you will find this useful and have some new knowledge of how to put a hole in a glass bottle. Remember slow and steady always wins the race!