The Best Glass Drill Bits for Crafting and DIY Projects
The Best Glass Drill Bits for Crafting and DIY Projects
Creating a hole in a piece of glass might seem difficult, but with a power drill and glass drill bit, it’s actually pretty easy to accomplish. Unlike typical drill bits that can easily crack or shatter your workpiece, glass drill bits are designed with extremely hard tips. They're made with either tungsten carbide or a diamond coating to create uniform holes in glass, as well as in other brittle materials like ceramic, stone, or tile. Glass drill bits require a little more finesse to use than wood or masonry drill bits (having a good cordless drill helps) but with a little practice you’ll be prepared to tackle a wide variety of craft and home DIY projects.
The Best Glass Drill Bits
What to Consider
The first thing to consider when choosing a glass drill bit is the size of the hole you’re making. Pro tip: In addition to the correct size bit, buy one that's slightly smaller to drill a pilot hole. As a rule of thumb, 1/8-inch is a good pilot hole size for smaller tasks. If you’re planning on drilling especially large holes, you might need to use a hole saw. These are tube-shaped saws that actually remove a circular section of glass, instead of drilling it away.
You should also think about what type of glass drill bit is best for you and your project. There are standard tungsten carbide glass drill bits with spear-shaped tips and diamond-coated glass drill bits are more durable, but typically more expensive. If you plan on doing a lot of glass drilling and don’t want to worry about wearing out your bit, go with a diamond option.
How We Selected
We’ve used several types of glass drill bits for stained glass projects and to create outlet holes in glass work desks, and have come to understand what makes them so valuable. Our experience and comprehensive knowledge of drill bits in general informed our selection. We did our best to choose brands that we have come to know and trust over the years, like Milwaukee and Bosch, and exclude any that we have had quality control issues with in the past. We also made sure to include a good variety of types, sizes, and prices, so hopefully you’ll be able to find the one that best suits your needs.
For more great drilling tools, check out our top picks for the best masonry drill bits, cordless drills, and impact drivers.
Glass drill bits allow anyone to create perfect holes in glass, without cracking or shattering your workpiece. Here are our recommendations for the best ones.
