DRILLING HOLES (a) Into bisque or glazed ware.
ca: PERFORACIÓ DE FORATS (a) En bescuit o ceràmica esmaltada.
es: PERFORACIÓN DE AGUJEROS (a) En bizcocho y cerámica esmaltada.
Drilling holes into bisque or glazed ware; you must use a strong, pointed instrument, like a diamond cutter diamond cutter to scratch or indent a small point where the hole is needed. If what you are working on is flat, lay it on top of a piece of wood. You need four hands, two to hold the tile down and two to drill. Use an ordinary electric drill to make the hole, the indent will stop the drill from slipping and sliding. Start by using a very narrow drill bit, then change it to the next size and enlarge the hole; go on doing this until it is the right size. Having the wood underneath gives a soft support and allows the drill to go right through, which decreases the pressure and the possibility of the tile breaking. On a hard surface the vibration when the drill touches it could break the tile.
Drilling holes, the best way: when decorating with colors or a glaze-base and the decoration is finished but not fired, take a small instrument like a tooth-pick and make a small space in the glaze-base at the point where you want to drill a hole. When fired, the indent will keep the drill in place. This we do when making sun clocks; the hole is to hold the metal arm that reflects the shade that tells the time.
Plate holes are difficult because the size of the footing is usually narrow and this makes the probability of breaking bigger. It is much better to do it while it is still in the clay state, using a salt and pepper piercers if not follow the instruction above for tiles.
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