At the Bench
Securing curved stones for easy drilling
By Helen I. Driggs
I use recycled ceramic china, beach pebbles, sea and river glass, and pottery shards in many of my cold connected pieces, which means I need to drill holes—a lot of holes. Very often, pebbles, glass, and ceramic shards are curved, making it a challenge to securely hold them and drill a straight hole without cracking them. Here is a quick method for securing hard materials during drilling under water. In addition to helping you avoid cracking the stone, it can prevent hand fatigue, slipping, and broken drill bits.