Shell jewelry making
This article will describe some tips and recommendations on how to pierce seashells when making seashell jewelry. Drilling seashell holes is quite difficult and must be done very carefully. The shells are usually quite fragile. Be very careful when drilling holes in them and also try to pick up shells that are not chipping or chipping at the edges. There are some precautions that we must know and take to prevent the seashells from cracking and damaging.
1 – Drill bits
Use a Dremel. A Dremel tool also works well because it is faster than your regular drill. Especially good for delicate shells; use a little. It was not possible to use a very fast speed because the hardness of the hull caused the bit to slip and mark the surface. Once the hole is started, continue slow because even then the drill would overheat from the stress. We had to stop every 5 minutes and let the drill cool down for about 20 minutes to half an hour. He also suggested using diamond bits for drilling.
2 – Water
When drilling with diamond bits, always use water to cool the bits or they will fail quickly. This also keeps dust low, but use a good quality filter mask or use a vacuum to catch the dust / spray. Shell powder is toxic, and I don’t mean a little toxic. You can actually hurt yourself if you inhale it, if it comes into contact with your eyes, if you cut or injure yourself, or if you swallow it. Sometimes the particles are so small that you don’t even realize they are in the air around you. When you inhale this powder, it embeds itself in your lungs and will not come out. It will literally be there forever and it is toxic. Obviously, don’t put your drill in the water, just the tip of the bit that you are drilling.
3 – Start drilling
Make sure the bit is sharp and that you are using a high speed drill. Use the smallest bit that fits the chain or whatever you are driving into the shell. Secure the shell firmly in a vis or other arrangement to make sure it cannot be moved during piercing.If the shell is thin, I suggest that you put duct tape over the place where you are piercing to help prevent the shell from chipping or splintering. crack. the shell with the top up so that if chipping occurs when the bit reaches the other side, any chipping will occur at the bottom (back) of the shell.
If you are not comfortable using a drill, practice with some scrap shells first before drilling the ones you want to use.
Now when you start drilling, you’ll do it like this: keep the drill in a straight up and down position so that the hole is straight. Hold the drill firmly so that the bit does not slide across the surface of the stone. (Now you know why you need practice pieces.) You are going to touch the bit semi-firmly, as you mean it, but then pull the bit out of the hole so that the water collects inside. Repeat. You can also do it pretty fast. Landing, lifting, landing, lifting, etc. However, when you are almost all the way, stop. Flip your stone over and start drilling from the other side. This will prevent a “pop” or breaking of the stone or glass where the hole should be. It takes practice to do this, so don’t be hard on yourself. Glass and stone will pierce pretty much the same. Anything else can be unpredictable, so a practice piece is necessary.
Shell jewelry making
