Comments on: Drilling Holes in Polymer Clay Beads for Your Jewelry Projects

By: Cindy Lietz@Dremel Tool Safety Tips for Polishing Beads

Cindy Lietz@Dremel Tool Safety Tips for Polishing Beads — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:55:17 +0000

@Beadspiration – looking forward to hearing more about how your Michael's rock drill is working with your polymer clay beads. It's this type of sharing that makes this blog so wonderful for others to come and learn!

@Anna – Great stories! I love the the chain saw Dremel analogy. Very funny! What a great way to get your DH to want to spend more money on new tools that you'll be able to get as much use out of as he does!

@Lynn – Safety first – absolutely! What a super idea for using the spring loaded clamp to secure your beads for drilling. Anna's caring husband will especially love that suggestion I'm sure.

By: Lynn

Lynn — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:56:32 +0000

For safety sake, I like to hold the baked bead steady with a simple spring loaded clamp. They are available @ HD & Lowes as well as most hardware stores and come in a variety of sizes. They resemble a "pinch type" clothes pin and have a plastic sleeve on each tip to help hold the item secure. I simply place the bead into the spring clamp, steady the bead upon a piece of scrap lumber with my left hand and drill through the bead with my right hand. The clamp allows you to accurately place the hole in the polymer clay bead without getting those fingers too close! Hope I've given clear directions.
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By: Anna Sabina

Anna Sabina — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:46:35 +0000

I have a suggestion to hold the bead while drilling…Blue Tack. I pierce my beads before baking and use this as a guide when needing to make the whole bigger
Put a glob of blue tack on the end by your hand and drill half way, switch to the other side or you could put a big glob on you work surface. I have also enlarged the holes by hand running a bit through the pilot hole.

My husband also had an anxiety attack about the electric Dremel tool and acted like I was running a chain saw. Good thing he never saw me run my high powered sewing machine on high, it shakes the room !! So he bought "me" (wink wink) a small bench grinder with an extension line for drill bits. In his mind he bought it for me but he uses it more than I do.

I have never had problems with Carpal Tunnel and sand my beads in the vibrating rock tumble. But, do notice using an electric buffing wheel with a bunch of beads really bothers my hand and makes them feel tingly for a few hours. Guess buffing them in smaller batches would be a good option but I am usually so excited about how they are turning out I just keep going.
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By: Beadspiration

Beadspiration — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 05:03:09 +0000

Someone mentioned a rock drill and it jarred my memory! My husband picked me up one at Michael's a few months back. It's advertised as a child's hobby tool, but I was disappointed that it didn't drill through any rocks I had here. Now I'm wondering if it would work for my beads! I'll experiment and get back to you.

I love this place–always something new to learn. Thanks, Cindy!

By: Cindy Lietz@Making Jewelry Wire Work Links

Cindy Lietz@Making Jewelry Wire Work Links — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:11:30 +0000

@Elizabeth: Thank you so much for your comment. That means a lot to me! Glad to hear your Gerbera flower cane turned out so cool! That is awesome!

@Freda, Ken and Ritzs: Cool tips!

@Arlene: Wow!! Thanks for the photo and tips! I am sure everyone here loved seeing them!

@aims: I wouldn't drill your beads with a power drill unless you have something to hold it with. Unlike Ken I mind a LOT if I drill into my fingers! If you put pilot holes in your beads with a bead wire, it is easy to drill them bigger by hand with a drill bit in a polymer clay handle.

@Catalina and Laurel: It is not really necessary to drill your beads with power anyway, so there's no need to worry your husbands by trying! lol (Don't get intimidated by tools though. Sometimes they can make your life a lot easier!) :-)

By: Ken H.

Ken H. — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:29:09 +0000

@ Laurel

I have put the bit into my finger a few times, it's just that it doesn't stop me (either stubborn, stupid or both). I'm going to try using the rubber fingertips from someplace like OfficeMax or the likes and see if that give me a better grip or just hinders my dexterity.

By: Laurel

Laurel — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:23:13 +0000

@Cat: How funny. My husband also will only let me work with the most benign power tools. I always cut, stab, crush myself. He won't even let me paint a wall in the house anymore because I am soooo sloppy with the paint. I am glad to know I am not the only one who has "power" issues. LOL

@Ritzs: What a great idea for holding the beads. I would drill right through my hand if I tried it the way Ken does. He is obviously way more coordinated than I am. But I am going to try your idea Ritzs. Thanks for the tip.

By: Catalina

Catalina — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:42:40 +0000

I'm not allowed to play with "real" tools, I've been known to almost slice off two fingers with an exacto knife! (Yes, an old graphic arts injury – my first job, too!) Haven't tried to drill holes, but I do ok with making them on raw clay. Sometimes I prefer the irregular look when you pierce raw clay.

Freda, you got it good with your own Tool and Die Maker! Drilling without hand holding sounds good to me.

I almost bought a rock driller. But, I wasn't sure where I would put another tool. And, yes, I get a little lazy if I have to get up and get something not within my reach. :) (My dog doesn't fetch either!)

By: Freda

Freda — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:29:09 +0000

I have two blocks of steel that I can set the bead in and a lever that pushes them together and another that then tightens it up. It stays steady while I drill. Can you tell that my husband is a tool and die maker?

By: Ritzs

Ritzs — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:32:58 +0000

Hi aims I to have very bad hands but if i need to use the drill i have a very larg pair of tweezers that i put a piece of plastic tube on each side so i dont damage the bead and then hold the bead with them it works good i have also seen plastic tweezers but cant remember were