How to DRILL Holes in GRANITE Countertops (Quick and Easy)

[@kevinlange5930]

I do Granite, Marble and solid surface for a living. I approve. Well done

[@GraniteByJay]

Thanks man. Much appreciated. Glad you like.

[@jpdst29]

I'm a carpenter and not a granite guy but every so often we have to drill a hole somewhere that the granite fabricator forgot or a customer added on...and this is exactly how I do it. Glad to know I've been doing it the correct way all these years. :-)

[@GraniteByJay]

Thanks for the comment. Great minds think alike. Have you ever have one walk on you yet?

[@jpdst29]

@@GraniteByJay I certainly have. lol. That is when I started tipping the grinder at an angle when starting to drill. There are a few guys I work with that are too scared to freehand the grinder when drilling granite so we have jigs made up with all the standard size holes. They just clamp it to the top and drill away. Seems to work well too. Just a little more time consuming.

[@SterlingRobertson]

Awesome video. Love that you get straight to the point and speed stuff up when it would be boring to watch. Clever and informative.

[@GraniteByJay]

Thanks Sterling. Much appreciated. I think its a no brainer that everyone hates a 25 min video on how to change a light bulb. Try to be a short as I can but still give all the info needed. Thanks again.

[@mistergarrett8175]

You can drill a 1 - 3/8" hole in a piece of plywood and use that as a jig for your core bits that don't have a pilot bit so it doesn't walk on you, I'm a plumber and have drilled tons of these holes and sometimes it will walk on you. this is my method so I don't damage a large expensive slab of granite

[@DJDJ808]

How do you clamp down the plywood jig to an installed countertop to keep it from moving as well?

[@D_A_M-091]

​@@DJDJ808 with clamps

[@scottwillis5434]

Great video, thank you! Depending on how much of this you do and the filtration of the shop vac, might want to wear a half-mask respirator with P95 or P100 filters. Sharp-edged stone dust gets into your lungs and causes silicosis (scarring of the tissue). A $40 mask is a much better deal than new lungs.

[@richardbeam6335]

I would also add one point, have a good vac operator and do not wash the sink especially like the stainless until you have removed any loose debris so as not to scratch surface, loved the video

[@GraniteByJay]

Thanks a ton. And yes, the stone chips will trash a new stainless sink pretty fast. Great advice. And thanks for watching. Means a lot.

[@crawz83]

Hey, this was pretty informative. I feel like I could do it myself now! well done.

[@carlparkins5745]

Honestly thanks for this, I've seen other videos that were way too sketchy. This is a fantastic walk-through with the proper steps and tools used. If you have an angle grinder use it!

[@GraniteByJay]

Thanks Carl. And thanks for the kind words. It's greatly appreciated and means allot. Hope it helped. KZbin is an awesome platform to learn anything you want. I always hoped my videos would add to this amazing tool for DIYers.

[@CHICAGOTEDUK]

Great job Jay. Exactly same techniques I use except one extra thing I like is to plant an elbow down on the surface for extra stability and control, especially if it's a big 90mm for pop up sockets and stuff.

[@ilovepineapple6393]

wtf is up with that username ayy yoo

[@CHICAGOTEDUK]

@@ilovepineapple6393 just one of those things

[@aaronmaas599]

Slick video. Love the presentation. Now I know what to do 👍

[@carlospenha4011]

Great video, Guys. Funny, professional and very pratical. Well done.

[@GraniteByJay]

Thanks Carlos. Much appreciated.

[@lindamccluskey6254]

Great Video, simple to follow. I as a woman need the visual steps to accomplish a task. Ladies, if I can do this so can you. This video . This video gets straight to the point. Tells you through steps what tools to use. I found this video to be informative and as I said simple to follow. Protect your lungs using a respirator with P95 filters. The dust causes scarring to the lung tissue. I think the mask cost thirty dollars but this cost is well worth it.

[@GraniteByJay]

Awesome comment. Thank you and much appreciated.

[@helloplumberllc]

I agree with the editing, nice job.

[@GraniteByJay]

Thank You. Much appreciated.

[@ced4298]

Great video. Love the music choice.

[@GraniteByJay]

Thank you. Much appreciated.

[@marylou7230]

Nice job, beautiful granite too!

[@GraniteByJay]

Thanks you. Much appreciated.

[@celery_annihilator]

That finger snap was pretty fly.

[@GraniteByJay]

Thanks man. My novice attempt at movie magic.

[@DoctorQuackenbush]

Well, it turns out that the available hole saw had a different thread than my angle grinder. I had to get a cheaper saw that was made for a drill. The drill was unhappy, but it got the job done. Thanks for the video.

[@dheniffiii9438]

Informative. This video was shot and edited nicely. And good music choice too!

[@GraniteByJay]

Thanks Man.

[@ChristopherJones-cjphoto]

thanks for the valuable advice!

[@GraniteByJay]

Thanks for watching Chris.

[@1zebula1]

Your vid’s are dope.

[@Taragor]

Does the power on the grinder matter? I need to cut one hole, one time. I don't mind buying the bit, but the grinder is pretty expensive. Harbor Freight has a 4 amp one for cheap. I dont need it to last but I was thinking the power is the factor here for cutting through granite.

[@allcheckout]

Great instructions, but quite a lot off-center. Any ide how to prevent that?

[@July-A7]

Great video, good instructions! The American faucets are horrendous though, lol!

[@GraniteByJay]

I agree. At best you can get 6+ years out of one. Where are you from? Just curious.

[@July-A7]

@@GraniteByJay reliability isn't good but I mean the design mainly. I'm from Europe. In England but originally from another part of Europe. Wish you many more years of successful business!

[@July-A7]

I go to the States regularly, so I know from experience about these faucets.

[@GraniteByJay]

@@July-A7 Thanks a ton. Much appreciated.

[@anthonysantillo1358]

Pro. job,To the point !!!! Thank U

[@GraniteByJay]

Thanks Man. Much appreciated

[@stephenruggieri]

Wow, you made that look easy ! What would the general cost be if I hired someone to drill one hole for a water purification system?

[@GraniteByJay]

Usually between $35-55 per hole.

[@kyleporter8797]

My sink is mounted with a weird combo of smaller pieces of stone and I imagine extremely strong glue. The space between the sink and wall is enough for a new hole... but the small stone pieces make it difficult. Like playing the knife game with your hand... in between the fingers. With that in mind... are there any recommendations of how to try and map the whole properly? I imagine it's a lot measuring but was hoping for any neat tools or tricks. Thanks!

[@AllisonSkiff]

This is a great video, thank you! Just out of curiousity, is there any concern about potentially cracking the granite while doing this? Or does the taping help with that?

[@GraniteByJay]

Hello. There is always a possibility for cracking. The type of stone makes a big difference, but here are some things to watch out for. 1. Heat - If some materials get hot enough, they will crack or pop the surface. Both are bad. To prevent this you can use a spray bottle with water and take breaks to let the bit and stone cool down. In the video you can see I only drill for about 15 seconds. Than I pull out the bit and let it air cool. 2. Vibrations - High frequency sounds, rattling, and unglued vibrations can all break the stone. But it has to be extreme. Pressing really hard is bad too. Let the bit do the work. The worst part is just getting the bit started. After that, you're good to go. Hoops this helps. Thanks for watching.

[@AllisonSkiffdotcom]

Super helpful! Thank you so much for responding. I really appreciate all the insight and hope to give this a try next month! Is there a specific tool you like or would recommend? Or can you rent one of these?

[@GraniteByJay]

@@AllisonSkiffdotcom I would use or rent a variable speed angle grinder. We use an STS. The angle grinders that have one speed are way too fast for drilling with a core bit. The bit and stone will get too hot.

[@AllisonSkiffdotcom]

@@GraniteByJaythank you for all your help!

[@GraniteByJay]

@@AllisonSkiffdotcom Thanks for reaching out. Much appreciated. And go back to making videos. I checked to see if you were a creator. You made a couple videos in the past. You have the talent. One thing I'll say that I've learned. I have 4 other channels on KZbin. The one that is doing the best is the one I created just to help people with things I knew. I wasn't hunting for views or subs. Just wanted to help people. That's this channel. I would take helping one person over getting thousands of views and subs any day. I see that in your channel. Keep trying. People will know you are only trying to help them. That goes a long way. Best of luck. And try a couple holes on scrap material first. It takes a feel you won't get the first time.

[@alanyoung7045]

Great video

[@GraniteByJay]

Thanks

[@dennyspasseto]

Dude, great video!

[@GraniteByJay]

Thanks a ton. Much appreciated and hope it helped.

[@garyroxene]

this core drill, not having a centering bit drilled off center and could have been rectafied by forcing it back on center before getting too deep. That is if you're a perfectionist like me where perfection is just close enough..(!)

[@sbjforever]

Good video. Takes the myth and if you will nonesense out of drilling stone and granite.

[@GraniteByJay]

Thanks. Much appreciated.

[@jesseblake9360]

Does the Grinder matter? I have a Porter/Cable.

[@GraniteByJay]

The grinder doesn't matter, But I would highly recommend a variable speed grinder. You want to run at a lower speed. Heat is your biggest enemy when cutting a hole dry like this. You can always use a spray bottle with water to keep everything cool too.

[@basakmermercilik8857]

Good work👏👏

[@GraniteByJay]

Thank You. Much appreciated.

[@DChos3n1]

Thanks for the video & tips. You're missing the faucet plate at the end, by the way :).

[@charlescho]

The escutcheon plate? That’s for covering up mistakes or for cheap and fast installs like in apartments. He took the time to layout and drill holes in the granite to avoid using the escutcheon plate.

[@GraniteByJay]

Right on man. Thanks. And the reason for the plate is to cover up the un-used holes on a top mount sink. Top mount kitchen sinks usually come with three holes drilled @ a 8" total spread.

[@eosme]

for this drill bit, what would you recommend that would it work with a dewalt drill?

[@GraniteByJay]

For this drill bit, you need an angle grinder. The drill bit has a female connection that will screw onto your grinder. I'm sure you can rig something up for a Dewalt drill but if your drilling 4-5 holes a day, that Dewalt will burn up fast and be trash.

[@jimmynguyen1537]

Where did you get that diamond, seen it sharp, I got one from Home Depot and it won’t work

[@GraniteByJay]

There is a link in the description of this video to buy the core bit. You can get it right from amazon. The core bits they have at Lowes and Home Depot are more for porcelain and ceramic tile. But even for those tiles, they are a pain to use. Hope this helps. Thanks man.

[@jimmynguyen1537]

Granite By Jay thanks bro

[@sluggztube]

Great video. I still have questions (as I need to cut a whole for a reverse osmosis faucet) #1 What is the purpose of the tape and should it be a specific type of tape? #2 As long as I still come in at an angle, will my pistol-grip be safe to use with the proper bit? Thank You in advance.

[@GraniteByJay]

Hello. Thanks for watching. #1 The tape is for laying out the hole. Any tape will do. It's really hard to mark stone unless you use a paint pen or sharpie. And sharpies will stain certain stones. #2 Anything that spins will eventually drill the hole. I've even seen people use cordless drills with adaptors too. I use a Metabo angle grinder because its variable speed and they last a long time. SIDE NOTE - starting at an angle reduces the chances of the bit walking greatly, but there is still a chance. Just go slow and grip firmly. Or use a hole guide cut out of plywood. Hope This helps and thanks again

[@casemods]

I have been using a milwaukee 1" or 1 1/4" diamond bit with the 1/4" chuck for impact in a hammer drill (on drill mode) to drill holes for reverse osmosis faucets. Will this work for most counter tops? Or will I need different bits? This seems a lot quicker

[@GraniteByJay]

Hello. I had to look these bits up. I have never used them before. They will probably work for most 3cm stone countertops. But here are a couple things I notice just by looking at the bit. 1st - The amount of actual diamonds and or cutting surface area is very minimal. I would suggest running at low speed with a water spray bottle. Keep it cool and go slow. 2nd - I would have to image, when cutting thru 3cm granite, this bit will only get you about 10-12 holes. and that's being generous. If you want a bit that will last for the money, Look in the description of this video. I have a link to one. 3rd - After doing 3-4 holes back to back, your driver is going to get hot. I always use an angle grinder. Even with an angle grinder, it get warm after 5-6 consecutive holes. It's a strain on any grinder. Hope this helps and let me know how it goes. Thanks.

[@omarrodriguez7426]

What speed do you need to use the grinder ?

[@GraniteByJay]

On the SJS, I usually only set it at speed 1 or 2. Any faster I would use water to help keep the bit cool.

[@michaelhancock9636]

Nice choice of music!

[@GraniteByJay]

Thanks man. Much appreciated.

[@Passions]

Spray it down with water as you're drilling

[@swsquish]

So it seems no need for water to keep the bit cool as shown in other videos?

[@GraniteByJay]

Thanks for the comment. The bit I used in this video is a wet/dry bit. Allot of bits out there are strictly wet bits. The main difference, is that the dry bits have ventilation slots on the sides to keep them cool. But note, they will still overheat if used for long intervals. Take breaks and let them breath. Thanks again.

[@swsquish]

Granite By Jay Thank you for the explanation 👍🏽

[@brentnelson1590]

@@swsquish water also helps to keep the extremely dangerous microscopic dust down. Silicosis look it up.

[@noelcairo2749]

What is the name of that tool,.?

[@christianrivera5211]

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@ThisGuuuy]

What kind of tape is that ?

[@GraniteByJay]

It's white Duct Tape. Lowes and Home Depot sell it. Amazon too.

[@mebosstory9557]

Personally I would use a guide (better safe than sorry plus more accuracy) and I would add water to the drill bit and the stone so minimising heat to the diamond metal and stone. PS great work and only advising from past experience.

[@GraniteByJay]

Thanks for the comment Vitor. I used to use water with all on-site holes. You should really try these dry cutting bits. You would be surprised. They still get hot, but not even close to how hot a wet bit gets when cutting dry.

[@CaptSpaulding239]

I've drilled hundreds of holes and never once used water and never cracked a top. That bit he was using is wet/dry

[@DJDJ808]

My stainless steel sink is undermounted beneath a granite counter top. The spot I want to drill the hole for my filtered water faucet may hit part of the stainless steel sink edge underneath. Will the bit you used cut through stainless steel?

[@GraniteByJay]

These diamond bits don't cut very well thru stainless steel. They more or less burn thru and you will trash your bit. It will make it. Just go slow and watch the heat. My suggestion: Drill the stone first. When you hit the stainless, switch to a 1/8" metal drill bit on a normal drill. Then go thru the new hole in the stone and make a series of small holes in the stainless. Then try to snap or punch it out. Its a pain in the rear, but it works better than the diamond bit. Hope this helps. Let me know.

[@2alphazerodown289]

What bit do you use regularly? I see a lot of listings for "1 3/8" wet/dry core bit with side diamonds" but I"m sure there is one you prefer? Thanks!

[@GraniteByJay]

Im a huge fan of the Cyclone Turbo Bit. I do a lot of on-site drilling, and this bit is a beast. Just make sure to give it a break every 15 seconds when drilling dry. Since I have been doing this, the bit lasts so much longer and stays fast and sharp. The heat is the main culprit when working with diamonds. Here is a link. Let me know what you think if you get one. And tell Craig from GMR Jay said what's up. www.gmrqualitystoneproducts.com/cyclonedrybits.aspx

[@2alphazerodown289]

Granite By Jay awesome! Thanks so much! And is there any concern with cracking the granite with this bit?

[@GraniteByJay]

@@2alphazerodown289 You can crack any stone with enough heat. It's just as important to give the stone a rest break as it is to give the diamonds a rest break. And all stones are different. But don't worry, you will feel the bit glaze up before the stone will get hot enough to crack. Granites I do about a 15 count. Marbles I do about a 7 count. Man made quartz I can usually drill without stopping. And natural Quartzites are tough, take allot of breaks and I'll use a water bottle to spray the core bit just to be safe. It's hard to explain. After so many years you get a feel for it. But I hope this helps and feel free to write back with any more questions you might have.

[@2alphazerodown289]

Granite By Jay awesome info! Thank you so much!

[@thenickgilbert]

Can you also expand an existing hole with the same method?

[@GraniteByJay]

You can for sure. If you have a 1 3/8" hole and want to expand to a 2" or bigger, use this method. If you have a 1 3/8" hole and want to expand to a 1 1/2" or a 1 3/4" hole, I would suggest using the 1 3/8" drill bit and using it like a drum sander to expand the hole. Most of the new 1 3/8" core bits have diamonds on the side walls. This is very useful when you want to expand holes. Hope this helps and thanks for watching.

[@sam111880]

Nice video never consider using an angle grinder , die grinder or some multitool to use the core bits on instead of a drill or hammer drill.

[@GraniteByJay]

Thanks Sam. Much appreciated

[@sbjforever]

Do NOT use hammer drill. Cracks granite!!

[@TamNguyenKangenStar]

Hi.. I am a novice at this.. Can someone tell me exactly what tool to buy similar to what was shown in the video ?.. Amazon.ca link would be greatly appreciated... Thanks... Tam,

[@GraniteByJay]

Hello Tam. The angle grinder I use www.amazon.com/Makita-GA4030K-4-Inch-Angle-Grinder/dp/B002OTDIH2 The core Bit I use www.amazon.com/Cyclone-Core-Drill-SIDE-PROTECTION/dp/B00578XWLO/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1539391354&sr=1-1&keywords=1+3%2F8%22+wet+dry+diamond+core+bit+cyclone Hope this helps

[@lovekumarrana9582]

Will name bro&price

[@qicoocooqi1026]

I guess the users are left-handed?

[@animaldax]

Why 'wobble' the core drill, it then cuts a larger hole! Why do people when carrying out normal drilling run the drill in and out of the hole all the time, once the drill goes through that is it!

[@GraniteByJay]

Hello, here are a couple reasons I wobble the hole. 1st - It makes the hole just a hair bigger which allows room for the dust and grit to escape. This keeps the diamonds cooler. Longer bit life I believe. 2nd - With any core style bit, it is a total pain to get the core out of the drill bit if you drill straight down. Wobbling helps this. I usually just tap the grinder and the core falls right out. Most of the time the core falls out on its own. 3rd - You have a greater risk of over heating the stone and popping the surface. This is always bad. Especially when the faucet flange doesn't doesn't cover the oops. Yes, I've done this before. Embarrassing. Thanks and hope this helps.

[@animaldax]

@@GraniteByJay I do like the use of an angle grinder but the thing is to control the speed. Also lubrication solves all sorts of problems and increases the life of any diamond cutter by 2-3 times. I attach a great site about using diamond cutters. www.diamondsure.com/Techniques.shtml

[@derekschober9613]

@@GraniteByJay I really appreciate how professional you are in your replies to suggestions and comments! I love that you don't get offended or defensive. You are very helpful

[@GraniteByJay]

@@derekschober9613 Thanks Derek. But for some reason your comment really aggravates me. You're a piece of ...... Just playing. Much appreciated. After 23 years of stone work now, I just want to help people out. I don't do everything the right way. But I do what has always worked for me. And as far as some of the bad and negative comments, they help the channel as much as the good comments do. So they have never bothered me. In the end they all are great for the page. Thanks again.

[@derekschober9613]

@@GraniteByJay wow for a minute there I thought you were replying to someone else lol. Thanks again I was extremely nervous attempting this since it was my daughters first house I didn’t want to disappoint her and always was told the granite would crack if it’s drilled so close to the edge . I’ve been in commercial contracting all my life and retired, I did exactly what you said it it came out perfect! Thank you again

[@brentnelson1590]

Use water. Dust that lingers last a long time and is microscopic