Drilling A Hole In Gemstones With Dremel Rotary Tool or Flexshaft

[@kathysviolindiaryadultbegi3378]

Drilled an agate slice tonight. Watched your video because I was afraid the second the hole went thru the back, the torque would fling the piece or clench to the drill bit and spin. You immediately turn off your drill, split second the hole goes thru. I went to my bench and selected one of my drills that gave me that shut-off quickness. Hole made, I am happy! More agate slices to drill and no fear. Thanks!

[@lapidarydave]

thank you kathy

[@lisamessenger3713]

I have an agate slice that I need to put a hole through to make a necklace, and I'm terrified of breaking it

[@rhondaburrell3267]

I'm new to Dremels, but this thing has been great. kzbin.infoUgkxfPgcZ5_Cl0HDUKkMJAKde11YKQZVgMoR The variable speed is awesome and the cordless aspect makes it so easy to work with. I am constantly finding uses for it that make tasks easier. Recently I put in a new deadbolt on one of our doors. I knew I had to enlarge the hold where the deadbolt goes into the door frame. At first I thought I would have to get a big router and figure out how to use it for that, but then I rermembered we have the dremel. I was able to enlarge the hole almost as easy as if I was drawing with a pen. It's also great for grinding our dog's nails done and so many other household tasks.

[@funfactswithmaxx]

The Bob Ross of Rocks. Calm voice put me to sleep. Nice job drilling the holes. I would suggest laying the rock down so you keep your fingers safer.

[@lapidarydave]

Thanks for watching my friend I really appreciate it :)

[@268marley]

#rockross

[@TheOnlineJournalism]

I just ended-up here randomly, as I was curious about how to drill stones. Aww, that "I love ya" at the end. I needed that today. ❤ I love you back Lapidary Dave. 😊

[@lapidarydave]

thank you so much ☺️

[@ZapperJohn]

The round bit to start the stone was the puzzle piece I was needing. Thanks!

[@lapidarydave]

my pleasure:)

[@EDLaw-wo5it]

I had watched this before but I am drilling my first holes this week and so glad to refresh. Great vid as usual. Havagudun my friend.

[@lapidarydave]

E. D. Law I’m so happy that it helped my friend :)

[@ruthdederich3622]

My name is Ruth. Nice to meet you! Great video. Love the algorithm that found out I ordered diamond tipped drills for gems and then gave me this video! I hate that and find it very helpful. It sends some stuff my way that is NOT needed though so is not infallible. I was gonna ask several questions but read the replies and they were asked already. Anyway, I was told to always leave a comment and the algorithm likes that and sends you more business. Thanks so very much. Appreciate you. Very much. Thanks again. Happy Thanksgiving!

[@lapidarydave]

Thank you so much Ruth

[@explorewithme602]

It's nice to have a hole. Can use the stone for many projects. I make jewellery. Anything with a hole will do. I believe in holes

[@gunnarnizzler]

Thanks so much! This is just what I needed to help me get started drilling. I wasn’t sure about how to incorporate water, If I should use pointed burrs, or if I had burrs that would work (turns out I have these very same ones). So thank you Dave! I’m excited to get started!

[@grahamkane2993]

Each Gem stone resonates at a different frequencies. These frequencies aid with healing and soothing qualities. In the body. If one drills a hole into it, or bang it down hard. It shocks the frequency energy out of it, rendering it as useless and worthless. Thanks for the tip. G.

[@stronga.7648]

You mean to say a fragment of gem that once came from a bigger solid piece will no longer have the frequency/energy. Thus making it worthless?

[@michellebernard2249]

Thank you for the clear and concise instructions!

[@bornagainwierdo]

We use more or less the same process. I always click these vids in the hope there is a two second technique. Alas there is not. I hate drilling holes. It takes ages and sounds horrendous. Keep up the good work my lapidary bro. We have a very similar jewellery style also 👌🏻

[@elissamiller691]

I use the same Hyper Tough drill and it has outlasted 3 other models from other brands. I mostly drill antler with it. That thing is a little beast! :)

[@lapidarydave]

Moon House I absolutely love this tool I used it for over 1000 pieces already I plan on buying another one when I go to Tucson this year since our Walmart has one of the worst selections I’ve ever seen I might even buy two Thank you so much for watching my friend it’s really a pleasure and a blessing make sure to subscribe if you haven’t done so already it really helps the channel and I’d really appreciate it also feel free to ask any questions you might have

[@clownfishstix]

the most helpful video I've found

[@luisgomez385]

Great advice you give. I'm new to drilling stones such as quartz.

[@lapidarydave]

Thanks for the kindness my friend , good luck it can be very easy when get use to it

[@luisgomez385]

@@lapidarydave thanks for the reply. I finished drilling so quartz's. It wasn't as difficult as people have said it was.

[@lapidarydave]

Awesome I'm happy you did it my friend , when you are seasoned at it you can't charge good money just to drill people's stones , I charge between 5-10$ to do it by hand :)

[@luisgomez385]

@@lapidarydave thanks for the advice. Right now I'm practicing more with softer stones such as Amber. I'm also learning how to Polish them by hand. I'll soon save up for a diamond Pacific machine to polish stones. I just finished a emerald I got it turn out okay for my first polish.

[@bernym4047]

I have very successfully drilled a 6mm hole in a beach pebble using a glass/tile drill in a pillar drill by making a doughnut shaped ring from modelling clay (plasticine),sticking it to the pebble and filling it with water. It cuts through much more quickly than your method and can cope with some very hard pebbles.

[@JoeFernald-q7i]

This video is perfect for what I'm working on rn. Thanks❤

[@lapidarydave]

🙏

[@sfbfriend]

These are great! Amazing the ingenuity that is out there. Thank you, you have earned a subscriber

[@mariaromero-mj2tw]

With your voice my therapy tonight 😂

[@lapidarydave]

thank you so much my friend :)

[@kendraltwomey]

Very informative and you have a lovely voice.

[@lapidarydave]

Thank you so much for watching my friend :)

[@jimmymcgill2557]

dude get a vice! i'm not surprised you've skewered your hand more than once! that looked precarious!

[@RedHeadyDreadyGirl]

Thankyou Dave...super helpful and concise. Appreciate your time making these presentations.

[@lapidarydave]

thank you for watching and commenting my friend

[@SheRockz]

Awesome video! I'm gonna try to drill holes for the first time and this was super informative.

[@jimmymcgill2557]

get a small cheap vice that attaches to any table too! i was waiting for him to skewer a finger...

[@Kötkylä]

Thanks for the video👍 very helpful for beginner like me 😊👍

[@kathypool3990]

I drilled my first hole. Yay. It came out pretty good. Thanks.

[@kairos6312]

thanks for the video! also you have a really calming voice

[@lapidarydave]

Thank you so much for watching:)

[@alibird1]

Thanks! I was just able to quickly put a hole in a rock my grandson wanted to wear on a chain.

[@lapidarydave]

Happy to help

[@barbaraness1973]

Very nice, and so well instructed! It looks like enough audio and visual instructions for even an amateur like myself can do. Thanks so much for sharing and Happy New Year!

[@lapidarydave]

Barbara Ness Thank you so much for watching my friend I really appreciate it and it’s an honor that you enjoy the video let me know how you’re a gem stone drilling turns out and if you need any help with anything feel free to ask and if you lapidary questions anytime it’s really my pleasure

[@jamesburke6078]

This was helpful.... don't sound too expensive to do...small table saw, sander, and those drill bits and drill....oh, and a little art skills

[@theartisancompany]

I've got lots to drill! TFS!

[@KCs.Creations]

Thanks Dave.... just subscribed to your channel now, and looking forward to checking out your other videos 💝💐👍🏼

[@lapidarydave]

Thank you so much for watching my friend I really appreciate it it’s such a blessing to have your subscription

[@meggweeg7005]

just recorded ur video. will watch it later. saw the ending. beautiful stones..

[@lapidarydave]

Awesome let me know how it works out for you my friend and feel free to message me if you ever need any help

[@JemacMauricio]

Ty for sharing friend.

[@lapidarydave]

My pleasure my friend thanks for watching

[@eleaerik6478]

Hi Dave, Great, informative video - thank you! I have a question for you; can this technique be used for drilling sea glass as well? Thanks!

[@digipicartist]

He never answered you?

[@Mz.Stephanie]

Thank you! What a great idea!

[@bev8200]

Thank you my daughter and I are going to make some cool stuff

[@lapidarydave]

Totally my pleasure thank you so much for watching I really appreciate it :)

[@cassieclementine5866]

Thank You For Your Video...I Had No Idea Which Bits We're For What...I Thought Maybe I Had to Have A Hollow Diamond Bit...

[@explorewithme602]

Awesome. I never used a drill.

[@sharonrowland1196]

Thank you Dave for this awesome video bro alot of inspiration information and.knowledge...... Much Love Bro ♥️👍😃 🖐

[@lapidarydave]

thank you my friend:)

[@sharonrowland1196]

U're very welcome Dave 👍😃♥️🖐

[@victoriadelafuente5340]

Hello! Thanks for sharing your knowledge, I drill sea glass and meet (if it’s the right word) the hole in the middle of the way trying to get a perfect look in both sides of the piece. But now I want to try my technic with beach stones and your video helped me a lot. Did you think about using an acuarios bomb to get the pieces with water? Won’t be so cheap but maybe can be better. ;)

[@lapidarydave]

I will definitely check it out my friend thanks so much for the info :)

[@shappobunny6046]

Hi Dave, I’m super new to this and I have a couple of questions. One of the comments mentions backing material to avoid getting your hand in the way. What can we use for that? Also, does it need to be continuously covered in water or can you dip, drill, dip, drill, etc, you mention that you don’t but is that an option still? Do we need ear plugs for this? And do you know of any smaller but reliable drill bits as the rocks I am hoping to drill are quite small? Sorry about all of the questions, great video :)

[@lapidarydave]

Ear plugs are good for sure but I don’t use them You can submerge the stone in water but I drip directly onto the stone and don’t ever worry about getting my rotary tool wet or hurt When it comes to keeping your hands out of the way I just take my time to avoid busting though and hurt my hand I guess you could use a vice or something but I don’t think it’s necessary When it comes to small bits I’m sorry but I don’t really know if any high quality small bits but I do know they ate out there I just so happen to drill holes around 2.2mm and larger

[@shappobunny6046]

@@lapidarydave no worries! Thanks so much for the in detail reply, I appreciate it a lot.

[@chiloquinuniquecreations9924]

Omg this helped me so much. Thank you

[@lapidarydave]

happy it helped that’s my mission :)

[@vickypolarstar693]

Hello, author, this video is very usefull for beginners. Just one question: how many RPM have HYPER TOUGH and LItium Ion Cordless Dremel?

[@lapidarydave]

Not sure I think you can find the info online

[@SVENofKY]

I’m curious as to why you don’t use a backing material when drilling. I’m thinking that would both protect your fingers as well as minimize blowout.

[@lapidarydave]

I’m not too worried about damaging my fingers using the burrs that I use I have more of a risk of hurting my fingers when I Reeming beads using pointed burrs Then I do using the ones I used in this video for drilling I’ve seen some people use things like tape to keep down the blowout but really it’s not too big of a deal for me when I need a precise hole I use my water swivel which is a fancy drilling tool that leaves perfect holes with absolutely no blowout but for these simple pendants I don’t mind a little bit of blow out since my chains bales or braiding usually hides the blow out Thanks for watching and thank you for commenting I really appreciate it

[@RICDirector]

It's no wonder you owie your fingers! Use something like a hunk of thick rubber hot glued to your cabinet, or hold it behind the stone.

[@idahogemlady8017]

Thank you so much for this tutorial, God Bless

[@kalimuddinansari6873]

Nice work Dave I learnd so I will try to make hole thanks.

[@lapidarydave]

Kalimuddin Ansari totally my pleasure my friend thank you for watching ;)

[@tinahhhsorondo8398]

Very helpful video thank you 😊

[@lapidarydave]

tinahhh Sorondo Totally my pleasure my friend thank you so much for watching

[@ModernProspector]

Thanks for sharing this with us Lapidary Dave. Great video! If you're interested I'll be making a prospecting trip for gemstones and lapidary stones in Wyoming over the next couple weeks. I'll be mining agate, jasper, sapphires, rubies, opal, jade, serpentine, peridot, pyrope garnet, chrome diopside, pegmatite hosted gemstones, and potentially diamond and eclogite. You're welcome to join me if you'd like. The only catchs are you have to keep the locations to yourself - you're welcome to film you just have to do your best to hide idenifying features. The second catch is there potentially could be miles of hiking per day involved. I'll give you my personal email and some links with information on the deposits if you want to join.

[@lapidarydave]

Wow! What a honor and pleasure I might take you up on that my friend it sounds like a offer of a lifetime💛💙💜🧡

[@JonKinchIsLegit]

Come to Canada in Alberta if you want to find good diamonds in alluvial gravel beds .

[@user-pz3wm5ic3m]

Hello there. thank you for the information.. Also can you please teach us or tell us how to drill a emerald stone at home to make beads.. I have been looking for a video but i couldn't find any.. Can you help please.. thank you.

[@juliamaloof5033]

Can you post links to the burs & drill you're using? Would be super helpful

[@lapidarydave]

Here is the link :) and I will leave the link in the description section of the video www.johnsonbrotherslapidary.com/shop-bin/sc/ss_mb.cgi?storeid=*0c0420a8a754bd26&ss_parm=Ae8e90da6c26db04107477a5906598b0b

[@AncientAdventures]

Awesome video. I am gonna order some burs do they have to be 40 grit and how many should I order? I want to make quartz crystal necklaces for friends ..thanks

[@lapidarydave]

I use 80 grit I buy the variety pack from Johnson Brothers it’s about $7

[@timbeao9405]

Hi Dave ,great vid of yours!..... im want to set myself up to play around with some lapidary craft.Please tell me will does burr bits fit all Dremel tools?as i have one and the chuck (if thats the name) only accepts 2 mm shaft drill bits, nothing bigger...my dremel is like 20 years old thou..thank you

[@lapidarydave]

Hello there my friend most burrs three typical average sizes can work inside of Dremels in very jewels depending on the grommet that holds them in the tool most dremel Zafarano Tools come with one for the smaller size in the medium size sounds like yours only came of the medium size look up Dremel and rotary tool grommets it’s the brass piece that goes underneath the truck that actually holes in Titans on to the burr

[@muthrfuqrjonz3530]

Namaste Blessing my brother 🙏🏼

[@tanialopes7581]

Can you tell me the model of hyper tough. I don t know if i can buy it in Portugal.

[@romanieboriel5779]

Hi Dave! I was wondering if this works on thicker gem stones? Im struggling to cut a hole through my aquamarine stone all the way through

[@lapidarydave]

Hey there my friend I just want you to know that there’s definitely 100% works on thicker stones however you have to adjust your technique a little bit for the thickness you’re gonna have to pull the Diamond bit all the way out of the stone to make sure water is getting into the depths of your thicker hole and to make sure that all of the debris from drilling is cleared out or you’re going to burn out your bits also towards the end of your long deep hole you might have to address your drillbit to be longer and then when he started for strength and consistency I always chuck up my diamond bit as deep as it will fit into my tool so if you do the same I might have to pull out a little bit to make a drill bit longer to get all the way through the whole if you are not meeting in the hole on both sides of the stone Feel free to message me on Instagram via #Lapidarydave if you need any more help

[@MegaJonaslover99]

Hello! I have been making rough stone jewelry for a little while but have yet to drill my own rocks - only using glue for pendants and such. I was wondering if this same process can be used to make a hole that is a bit smaller than the ones you made? Just enough to fit wire through basically. I found this video super helpful and informative! Thank you(:

[@lapidarydave]

yep just take your time on the hole and it will work

[@amyeethomas2495]

I found a lot of tigers iron hearts that are partially drilled. I was looking it up to see if I could finish them myself to turn them into beads for rings. I have 2 different dremmel tools so I think I'm good.

[@lapidarydave]

should be easy

[@amyeethomas2495]

So my stones came in the mail today. Yayy. Problem whoever did the holes hella f#cked them up. Like cracks where the hole begins. My husband said it looks like the used a drill press and it was getting too hot. Some are cracked where the hole began. My husband worked at a landscaping company for 15+ yrs. He knows you can't cut brick without water since he's done masonry work. Anyway lol .. im just wondering if these guys are salvageable at all.

[@stephyclaws]

I am looking to buy a dremel, been watching your videos for a while... what dremel do you have? I am looking at the 4000 but I am honestly clueless xx

[@lapidarydave]

i use to have a cool older discontinued lithium battery chordless dremel but the airport took it away now my main rotary is a harbor freight flex shaft and my main chordless is a walmart lithium hypertough brand rotors tool

[@stephyclaws]

@@lapidarydave the airport took it away 😱 oh gosh! Thank you so much. I am in the UK so we don't have Walmart here. I will keep researching 😀 thank you so much for replying xx

[@hooddaddy7124]

I just got mine today and I’m honestly scared to use it 😂 Does it have to be the diamond tipped ones like your using or, in the kit I got it came with those, and also like regular looking drill bits. So with the twists in them, would I be able to use those too to make a hole or does it have to be diamond tipped? It’s just for polished stones like yours

[@lapidarydave]

It really should be diamond regular metal ones are mostly for wood and sometimes metal but never stone Diamond bits are cheap get some between 80-120 grit

[@hooddaddy7124]

@@lapidarydave ooook thats great to know because i was going to use just a regular metal one and wasn't sure if it would work 😂 probably just saved me a broken bit, and an injury so thank you

[@riwayafilms7430]

Thank you Dave for your great video. How can I find hyper tough 8-volt lithium-ion rotary ? I can't buy it through eBay, because I live in France they did not accept on their web site. Could you help me to get it please.Thank you in adavanced

[@lapidarydave]

Do you have Walmart.com in France ? Also this tool is affordable but there are all kinds of similar tools on eBay

[@feather_0327]

These drill bits are compatible with the dremel 3000? :) I want to order but just double check

[@lapidarydave]

should be

[@enoruwao9368]

Many thanks for this video. It has really inspired me. I have not drill holes in my stones. I have topaz, amethyst and many other hard stones. Please i will appreciate your guide on the tool start with and where to purchase it

[@lapidarydave]

ENORUWA O I like flex shaft because they don’t take batteries you can get a nice one for $50 from Harbor freight but Dremel tools and rotary tools are the easiest for maneuvering well drilling stones I like the hyper tough brand rotary tool that is sold at Walmart I think it’s between 16 and $30 depending on which Walmart store you get it from

[@jenniferfreeman2776]

It looks like you start at a slight angle then straighten. I’ve seen others do that too.

[@lapidarydave]

yep give it a shot it’s super easy

[@ShannonShenanigans79]

I was wondering if you can do any videos on how to tell if a stone is fake or a crystal when drilling? I'm so glad I came across your video I'm returning what I got because it's not quite working and definitely going to order the stuff you have

[@lapidarydave]

I was on my phone thank you so much for watching over appreciate it if you mean like identifying the stillness synthetic by drilling I can definitely make a video like that it’s usually a lot easier certain materials like troopers are commonly dyed and often white inside where the artificial coloring did not penetrate to the inside Let me know how you’re Drilling goes I’m always here to help you anyway I can

[@ShannonShenanigans79]

@@lapidarydave that's exactly what I got and I don't want them and they're going back and they suck 🤣 that's exactly what I was wondering when drilling a certain pieces I've noticed that instead of saying okay blue lace agate, it's like a clear powder. And the same thing with another pink stone I totally forget the name of it But when I was trying to drill a hole in my tiger's eye bead it had like this reddish substance coming out which almost look like rust. And it'd be really cool if you could do a video on that showing yes what synthetic and what certain ones will look like when you're drilling. I've tried so hard not to get ripped off and it seems like there are so many fakes out there it is just really annoying. I'm an empath and it's probably also why I don't feel any type of energy from some of these bracelet chips. When I hold a crystal quartz, or a nice tiger's eye chunk even a good piece of amethyst I can feel vibrations Who knows but I really don't feel like putting more money into something and constantly getting ripped off. 🤣

[@lapidarydave]

@@ShannonShenanigans79 I completely understand my friend:) it would be cool if they banned fake gemstones in the USA like they use to In parts of Russia back in the day I will make that video sometime soon after finishing my Tucson series

[@ShannonShenanigans79]

@@lapidarydave okay so sending these stupid drill bits back whatever the heck you want to call him yeah the twisty rope things because I'm getting frustrated 🤣 I'm going to order the ones that you recommended. And when drilling should they last for quite a while or do you tend to run through them?

[@ShannonShenanigans79]

@@lapidarydave if I see any more white coming out of some of these I'm going to just throw the whole lot of them away oh I'm so annoyed 🤣 actually I think more so disappointed oh well I will learn. I prefer rough Stones anyways and maybe that's a lot safer

[@pepe117]

Thanks Dave! The way you described the process and the reasoning behind it was great. I'm a beginner about to start drilling and polishing for the first time. Have a flat lap and a dremel for holes. But my dremel has a plug, should I get a cordless one since I'm using water? I have the flex shaft but it won't fit on the drill press.

[@lapidarydave]

Lol I love dremels with chords they are way more powerful and have more torque and last a lot longer, I am never afraid of getting shocked by corded dremels myself lol I drip water onto the stone using a two and a half gallon drinking water container rather than submerging my stone into water so it's a little bit more safer that way

[@queenKuwori]

Hi thanks it is beautiful idea

[@karenstackpole3846]

I'm wondering w hat speed you should run your tool at. Beautiful stones!!

[@lapidarydave]

Good question I’m not exactly sure how fast it’s spinning but I’m using a cheap flex shaft which spins around the same speed as my Dremel’s and I’m using them at full speed I do not go any slower than the maximum setting on these tools because it can create chipping and blow out

[@CrucesNomad1]

good tips

[@lapidarydave]

Thank you so much for watching my friend I really appreciate it if you haven't done so already please consider subscribing to my KZbin channel it really helps :) supre ask me any of your lapidary or rock related questions it's totally my pleasure to help anyway I can

[@alegdansk]

This gives me hope for my next drillings ;) ...first two have ended bad :/

[@lapidarydave]

Fantastic! That's exactly what I was hoping to hear

[@alegdansk]

@@lapidarydave I'm waiting for my first diamond burr set :) Your videos are very inspiring for beginners like me, thank you very much Dave ;)

[@lapidarydave]

Your word are a inspiration to me my friend if there's anything I can ever do to help let me know ,when you get your burrs if you need any help we can video chat and I can walk you through the way I drill

[@alegdansk]

@@lapidarydave Thank you very much, I will keep you informed ;)

[@mbr663]

Would the techniques and the type of diamond bits you used in this video work with a small piece of a porcelain dish? And can I use my flex shaft to do this without being electrocuted, or should I use a hand-held portable drill like you have? Thanks for your advice!

[@lapidarydave]

Hello there Thank you so much for watching I really appreciate it when it comes to drilling porcelain you can use the same techniques and you do not need to worry about being electrocuted using your flex shaft how are use flex shafts 95% of the time with water and I have not been electrocuted

[@RICDirector]

Flexshafts should not shock you, as all the macinery and motor are way up in the part you hang way up higher than your piece. That motor twists a cable inside the sleeve of the flexshaft, which in turn drives the bit. Hope that helps....

[@digipicartist]

Hello. I just saw a previous video and am on this one now... I am in deep need of help... I collected some beautiful rocks (that I believe are some type of quartz) I bought a Dremel (a few years ago) and tried to carve over them but has been a failure (stopped trying ever since)... Not sure if it's the stone or the Dremel is to big or I may not be doing it right... Not sure if there is a way I can get help... But am asking for it... Can you help? Not saying I haven't carved on other rocks... But on the ones I believe are quartz ... No success... And I want to do more on those.

[@lapidarydave]

do you have instagram you can message me there

[@digipicartist]

@@lapidarydave I do... Under "Lapidary Dave"?... Thank you for reaching out.

[@lapidarydave]

@@digipicartist yep message me on instagram via lapidarydave

[@digipicartist]

@@lapidarydave Hello... I have not yet received an answer from you on Instagram. Hope all is well.

[@lapidarydave]

@@digipicartist message me again i get hundreds of messages and lose track of some

[@gailjbr9823]

Hi Dave! I make jewelry and found some beautiful semi precious heart stones that do not have holes. I was wondering if you drill holes in stones as a business? Thank you. Valarie R

[@lapidarydave]

i do drill hole as a service feel free to text me 7722844459

[@tattoofthesun]

That piece of Mojave green is fucking killer bro. Do you have a video about polishing and getting a nice glassy look using store bought items? I hear the pros use sapphire coated wheels and rawhide. I have 3,000 grit sandpaper, but I’m working with moonstone, labradorite, Turquoise chunks and magnesite

[@lapidarydave]

tattoofthesun I do not have a video like that yet I’ve been meaning to make that video for two years and it could really help a lot of people I think I’m going to start by making a video on how to turn a tile saw into a flat lap and then on where to buy silicon carbide belts for traditional belt sanders and using that as a lavatory machine and then I will make a video on just basic stuff that one can get at Walmart to work lapidary thank you so much for the suggestion I really appreciate it and thank you so much for watching it means a lot

[@Northstardanes]

Hi @Lapidary Dave, I didn't know that you had a Cab King!?

[@lapidarydave]

Yep I have one of almost every cabbing machine

[@Northstardanes]

@lapidarydave do you use different machines for different things?

[@lapidarydave]

@@Northstardanes you know for years I didn’t and it was just having these machines to do reviews or buying them because they were a good deal at the time but I’ve been using Diamond Pacific genies the last three years and they really are the best but when it comes to working a ton of material and an evening, especially if it’s dirty with weird metals and stuff, it slows me down a bit using the same water in those trays so I’m gonna start using my cab for extra material besides that they all at the same speed and the same it’s just the watering system that’s different between machines however the wheels that come on the cab king are hot garbage

[@Northstardanes]

@@lapidarydave I just replaced the 4 new wheels that came with my screaming deal 280-4000 but think the novas would be good or what do you recommend?

[@lapidarydave]

@ no as are the best the other is definitely do the trick. The three best bands are 1. Diamond Pacific nova 2. REZ wheels 3. Johnson Brothers

[@jadeharvey8667]

Do you have any advice for drilling river rock?

[@lapidarydave]

@@jadeharvey8667 take your time. Make sure that there’s water in the hole and drilling regardless if it’s submerged or you’re dripping roller on it, Rock is either some kind of quartz or granite for the most part. Both are kind of difficult but can be done.

[@laurasantina2558]

Hi Dave. Might be a dumb question, but could you drill a hole with the Hyper Tough while the stone is just barely submerged under water? I don't really want to get shocked. :)

[@lapidarydave]

Yes you can I personally have the water drip onto my stone since I have better control of the stone and water then when I submerged the stone I have done both and have never been shock I would say definitely do not worry about it for sure

[@lalin96]

Do you have a special bit for a mineral of 9 hardness on the Mohs scale.

[@lapidarydave]

Hello there my friend yes I do have special tools for drilling very hard materials like eight and nine on the moh The tool is called a water swivel it attaches to a drill press and drills perfect holes in very hard material I will leave a link to the tool here guntherdiamondtools.com

[@fifinaturalsclub7921]

👍

[@lisavelle2663]

Thank you it whale fun

[@Le0n_2jz]

Can I use a masonry bit? And if so should I use a cordless drill or a corded drill (more power)

[@lapidarydave]

Nazel Oh 99% of stones you will not be able to use Masonary bit unless the stone is very very soft like alabaster even then you are most likely not going to be successful with the Masonary bit you will need to buy Diamond coated bits which can be very cheap When it comes to the drill itself it doesn’t really matter if it’s corded or cordless it doesn’t take much power to drill the stone just the right type of bit lots Of water and patience :) Thank you so much for watching I really appreciate it please consider subscribing if you haven’t done so already

[@Le0n_2jz]

@@lapidarydave okay, thank you!

[@shannonlouise5690]

Why do you need to use water? How would you use the bowl method.

[@lapidarydave]

water cools the stone keeps from cracking and cools the bit which keeps the diamond from falling off the bit and most importantly, it keeps the dust from the stone from becoming airborne while you’re drilling

[@tattoofthesun]

Hey dude can you do more videos about turquoise and where to start with a large piece of raw? Where to start cutting, where to best keep as much as possible, strategy to get the best beads, nuggets, cabs

[@lapidarydave]

tattoofthesun Thank you so much that is a great idea I really appreciate it I would definitely make more videos about turquoise Trail kind of just never got into it because of how awesome the Durango silver videos are but there are still a lot to share that’s not in there videos

[@tattoofthesun]

Lapidary Dave oh yeah man!! I’ve watched all of theirs and I’m glad I found you. yeah there is definitely room, brother. I have a dremel and a drill and a lot of different bits. I adore working with turquoise and finally up and bought some raw for myself from northern Mexico (lol I feel like I’m talking about coke ) and I had to stabilize it, right? It was chalk-ish soft. I did that and it’s got all these different colors and dimensions. I don’t even know where to start and I don’t wanna mess up potentially good parts. It’s like I can imagine the cabochon I’m cutting for, but I work with diamond discs and it can make things hard to get exact

[@lapidarydave]

tattoofthesun That’s fantastic my friend how did you stabilizing the piece is? Don’t be afraid to cut it take your time and trust yourself

[@janstittleburg]

Would using a piece of wood behind the stone to support help prevent that blowout problem?

[@lapidarydave]

Some people say it does and that leather helps too

[@janstittleburg]

@@lapidarydave Thanks! Was planning on drilling vertically into a wood fixture to keep the stone still, padded with leather that can be replaced when it gets too holey.

[@lapidarydave]

@@janstittleburg perfect :)

[@vickygoodwin9771]

Would a piece of tape on the back of the hole help reduce the blowout?

[@lapidarydave]

maybe i’ve never tried i will try today

[@juliebauknecht2071]

can you use a drill press to drill holes in rocks?

[@lapidarydave]

@@juliebauknecht2071 yes

[@juliebauknecht2071]

@@lapidarydave just found the Gunther products

[@danvango]

you will not have blow out if you drill the other side. loved the video

[@lapidarydave]

100% facts my friend

[@lilithpowers9686]

Would you recommend this for opals?

[@lapidarydave]

there are a lot of variables but it could be done

[@sunray9941]

Put the glove finger. On that glove finger glue the penny or other coin, or piece of flat metal you can cut from a jar lid. Protect your finger! Thanks.

[@lapidarydave]

Living life on the wild side

[@sunray9941]

@@lapidarydave brave man!

[@lapidarydave]

@@sunray9941 I’m just kidding And you are 100% right I should be safe and I should do things the way I like people to see them done which is safely I appreciate your comment my friend

[@rhondarice5446]

Can you drill in rose quarts the same way

[@lapidarydave]

absolutely

[@rhondarice5446]

@@lapidarydave thanks I'm a newby to drill semi precious stones.

[@sunnybogden3900]

Lol I've been using my manicure file with these size bits

[@lapidarydave]

has it been working

[@stephaniesimon9764]

Do u have to push real hard bc I can't even get my hole started on my moss agate

[@lapidarydave]

you do not need to push real hard in fact, they could just ruine the bit even more

[@stephaniesimon9764]

@@lapidarydave then what am I doing wrong?

[@lapidarydave]

@@stephaniesimon9764 could be the burrs you are using not every brand advertises Diamond are the same quality. Also if the Grant is to find it won’t make drilling easy I always suggest using 80 grit.

[@lanabanana4006]

Can this method be used for rough rocks? I live in the high desert of NM and have found some gorgeous rocks. I have no idea what they are, but wanted to make simple jewels since they are from my land. Also, is there a site where I can figure out what kind of stone they are? (For instance, there is an app where you can take a pic of flora or fauna and it will tell you species, etc).

[@lapidarydave]

I’m not sure about the app my friend but def one can drill rough rock

[@marshamilne]

Did you do your rough rocks? What dril and but did you use?

[@HendersonNoMore]

thannks for this man

[@afinomusic]

love you too 👾💜

[@TheGranolaForce]

Can you drill quartz using this method?

[@lapidarydave]

Absolutely my friend

[@TheGranolaForce]

@@lapidarydave Thanks!

[@ShannonShenanigans79]

I'm halfway through the video I'm wondering how long each piece should last as far as how many times you can drill with it. What I got is definitely not what you have it looks like they're twisted and then they've got the diamond stuff on them and they suck 🤣

[@lapidarydave]

Not all diamond tools are created equal it seems like you might’ve bought the twisted triple ripple style bits which work for some people were not for me it really depends on how you use the bits when it comes to how many can you draw before they’re no good when I’m patient and I take my time making sure to get lots of water into the hole and out of it all I can probably get over 10 holes easy maybe even as many as 20 or 30 but until you get the technique down it’s nearly impossible to say how many particular but will be able to get I ordered the drillbits to see in this video from Johnson brothers lapidary company I believe there around eight or nine dollars for a 30 pack

[@yessylovesmetal]

Is this also okay for pearls?

[@lapidarydave]

Good question Pearls are definitely different and from what I’ve seen no this is not the way most people in the industry drill pearls I’ve seen people You special pearl drilling machines with your pretty cheap and they use different type of bits I do not believe these diamond but my honest opinion I do think you can drill pearls with my technique it’s just not what most of the way the drill pearls with their special Pearl drillers they do it really fast so even though I do you think you can draw on my way there’s definitely a better way

[@lmcoutu1105]

Hi! What grit are your burrs please?

[@lapidarydave]

Mostly 80 but I’ve been moving to 120

[@dikshitasur5365]

Why is it important to drill with water?

[@lapidarydave]

To keep the stone cool otherwise the friction from the drillbit and the spinning will make the tool hot and the Stone hot which can break both very easily hey Siri is diamond tools without water the little pieces of diamond will fly off of the tool and become useless is the stove and gets too hot I can shatter or can make the whole unappealing but more than anything and keeps the stone dust down all stone dust is poisonous

[@dikshitasur5365]

@@lapidarydave ohhh thank you so much! I didn't know anything about this. New learnings!

[@JessieEdlen]

Hey, I have a question I'm hoping you can help me with, but I'm not very KZbin savvy so I didn't know if there was a way to message you privately lol. Is there? I say that bc I need to send a picture of a stone and my issue to explain my question lol.

[@lapidarydave]

I have a Instagram # lapidarydave and I use facebook ( david garcia taos or lapidary dave ) or email [e-mail]