Panther® Diamond Coated Drill Bits
Swiss-made medium-fine grit twist drills are the ultimate for drilling stones, pearls, glass, or ceramics. Use with standard handpieces and a small amount of water as lubricant. Diamond drill bits with 3/32 Inch diameter shanks Diamond coated twist drills will drill through stone, ceramic, glass and other hard non-metallic materials, as well as fiberglass, hard plastic, graphite and carbon. They are not generally a good choice for granite. Diamond coated drill bits are coated with one layer of fine diamond particles. Because of the nature of the diamond coating process and the random positions the diamonds sit in, the drill diameters may vary. Test some scrap material before drilling anything expensive. When using a diamond coated drill you are grinding, not cutting. Use very light pressure and run between 5,000 and 20,000 RPM. Best results will be obtained when used with a flex shaft drill press that is capable of achieving the recommended RPM’s, with a rigid set-up. Hand-held drills are not generally recommended. Beeswax or a little bur lube may be useful in some materials. Diamond coated drills work best when your part and the tip of the drill are completely submerged in water. For adequate chip removal you will need to bring the drill up out of the hole often, and clear it of swarf and debris. Remember, you are grinding and there’s no place for the grit to go. Come up for air often! Use a fine wire brush to gently clear debris from the surface of the diamond drill. If clogged with plastic remove the melted plastic by soaking in acetone or MEK overnight (outdoors, NEVER indoors) and then brush it clean with a fine wire wheel when the plastic has melted away.
