Semi-OT Tool Question: Rock Driller? Luanne? Others?

[neith]

Shoot, I'm at that groggy state where my mind won't stop reeling in order to let me try to sleep, but it's not quite functioning and the only reason I logged back on after my two LONG rambles was to ask if any of you have used this product or have alternate recomendations

http://www.amazon.com/Science-Tech-EDU- ... 677&sr=8-1

This is the "Rock Driller" by Science Tech (do they even have a website???) for 8+ from Michaels and I think the color of mine may be silvers/greys/black and not this bold primary color combo... It comes with an assortment of tumbled stones (I think quartz is in there) and SEASHELLS, plus other things like findings, etc. It has a protective closed or mostly closed dome that needs to be closed to operate and I'd guess protects your kids from both flying sharp particles and from drilling through their hands.

I have NEVER drilled rocks or shells because I'm a wimp and a klutz and think that I will drill through my hand or embed tons of tiny particles in my body and anyone who passes by my drilling location for the next 20 years... yeah I'm a total scaredy cat! I'm sure my little dremel could do some.... I know it can drill monopoly pieces (Thank you Luanne!) but I don't to shell out big bucks for an adult style protective set up or machine.

Does anyone know if this thing works well? Does it last? Can I drill sea glass if I can drill rocks or should I get out my son's old hardness scales and test the glass vs the rocks from within the kit?

FYI, I bought ours at Michaels... sucks because they had the kids project kits on sale 20 or 25% off so I couldn't use my 50% coupon, but the original price was $29.95/29.99 so it wasn't too bad and since the Michaels aren't that close and my closer store is so much smaller, I was worried that I'd not be able to find one later...

If they are terrible then I'll return it to the store without using it But if not, you all may seriously want one! My son desperately wants me to make him jewelry with rocks and shells that he's found (and seaglass) but doesn't want wire wrapping, etc and I couldn't think of a way for us to do it until now! So if there's a better set up for $30 or under I will get that instead! Or wait if it's just a horrible product and get him a trial subscription to these science kits (dropping my jr shipment I think and will GHM them here and there to ship with another kit, but save all that shipping!) http://www.theyoungscientistsclub.com/index.html

[azemigh]

I bought this Rock Driller from Michaels just last week. I was able to use my half off coupon so It only cost me $15. It goes through shell like butter. I haven't tried glass, but I have tried petrified wood and I gave up after about 30 minutes of drilling and only getting a dimple. However, petrified wood has broken many a diamond drill bit in my DH's drill press so I'm not blaming this little machine. I haven't tried the rocks it came with yet, but I'm assuming it will do fine with them and am looking forward to trying it out again when I have some time. You do need to be very patient and go slowly when you're drilling something hard. I think it would be very easy to burn the motor out if you're not patient. I would say it's probably worth it with the coupon, but probably not at the full price.

[neith]

YAY!!! I don't own a regular drill press at all... too intimidated by "heavy" machinery (my non-clumsy uncle hacked off the tip of his finger in a table saw with no little kids around to distract him and wide awake, mormon so no drinking or anything like that... and I think that's when I got scared to death of power tools as a kid.... trying to get past my fear because pinewood derby is a beast without them!)

do you think that between hubby and you, you could help me figure out if it's safe to use on sea glass? we have a ton that i can't really use any other way than sticking in jars and gluing the flatter ones into scrapbooks the kids and I gather it a lot and even gather eensie weensie ones if they are green or a neat shade beyond standard beer bottle brown and white/clear. he has begged so many times for me to find a way to make holes in them for him to wear as a necklace! But he also begs for it with rocks and shells... so either way he'll love it...

I figured that it was something like $22 with today's sale price (no signage anywhere telling me it was on sale so I was ready with my coupon and at the register got shot down, they wouldn't mark it full price so i could use my coupon, etc). And I was too worried that it would be gone when I came back, so I ate the $7 difference and instead Uatchet went back to the scrapping area with my coupon to buy me a christmas gift (I had gotten really excited about 2 particular projects that I loved and didn't know existed and she was psyched about another products with a monkey on it but she told me she wished she could buy it for me, but knew her dad wouldn't take her back in time before Christmas.) And I needed one bigger gift for him to help balance with his sisters... he's so hard to shop for lately unless I want to cave and buy all bionicles all the time... at this point I want to purge his sets and trim them down, but he might kill me in my sleep if I tried! eventually some charity will appeal to him enough to sell some sets and donate the money, until then I can't reduce without him turning very very bitter and angry.

[mpizzazz]

Neith,
I have corresponded with a woman in Canada about sea glass. She drills it to make jewelry and she does it underwater to keep the drill bit from burning out. Sounds scary doesn't it? She has a video on youtube showing how to do it. If you search on drilling seaglass it will probably turn up. Her website is amaritimegirl.ca She is very nice and will probably answer any questions you have.

[Ruth Ann Landry]

Neith, I have glass drill bits that fit in my hand drill...I use it to drill holes in bottles to make lamps...and YES, I have to do it with water...but the drill in battery operated! For the lamps, I use cool wine bottles and such and drill a hole near the bottom, then thread a string of clear christmas lights inside, gather 8-10 at the opening at the top and electic tape together to make a brighter light at the top, then buy one of the chendelier lampshades at Michaels to put on the top of the bottle. I have adhered grasses and dried flowers to the outside of the bottle with gesso and such...they are so cool and I use them as bathroom nightlights. So....back to your question, if you did have a hand drill (not so threatening as they make holes, not cut off fingers...) you can get glass bits.

[azemigh]

I will set it up today and drill some sea glass for you and let you know how it goes. This rock driller is really cool btw. It is all contained under a plastic bell jar and it does have a reservoir for water and if your water is too low it will not turn on; which is great for kids. I would say that it is very kid safe although I wouldn't let the kids have at it alone. Nothing can come flying off and hit you. I'll let you know how it goes!

[neith]

thanks, guys!

thank you especially for running some tests! you guys are so much more gutsy! besides, i can't play with it since it has to be new for christmas! but i told uatchet about your little review and she's all excited!

i finally fell asleep around 5:30 am and am beat, beat, beat! we have drills but i only use the hand cranked hand drill usually... did i mention that i'm a huge klutz? somehow i've managed to only get stiches for childbirth (although I think a few gashes that I ignored or treated on my own should have involved stitches) and never have had to have broken bones treated (I have a little chip in the front of my front tooth from tripping into a concrete step as a kid... and had a rusty old needle 1 inch into my heel but couldn't think of a way for my husband to get me to the car without smashing it into everything, so I had him pull it out with pliers while we waited for the dr to call back... my shots were up to date, so it never got infected since i removed it and cleaned it right away, but they ran tons of biopsies since i was nursing the girls at the top, even before picking some mild antibiotics they couldn't get anything to grow on the petri dishes but i couldn't walk for months since they kept reopening my heel to check it out and be sure i didn't need meds while nursing (yes, i'd rather be cut up than take meds and my dr knew this and respected it, he's the one that proposed testing to avoid having to stop nursing) and it was a total freak accident as our new vacuum had pulled up the needle from under the carpet, left there by previous home owners!

[azemigh]

I tried a piece of glass today and I can say I made progress, but I'm not through yet. I probably spent about 40 minutes drilling. It's a very slow process. You hold drill pressure for a count of 3-5 then let up for a count of 2 then back down. I take many breaks usually after every 10 minutes. I would say if you're doing this with kids you need some instant gratification objects like shells or clay. They will drill through in about 5 minutes. Then you can have something to play with and take turns trying to drill through glass. And of course, the thinner your sea glass the quicker it will drill. The piece I'm trying to get through is about 1/8 of an inch thick.

I'll give it another go tomorrow and will let you know how it goes. Don't know if this machine is going to do what I would like it to, but I'm not disappointed yet. If I can't get it to work for what I want I may use the housing with a hand drill and see if that works. It is very nice that it has a water reservoir and a very good clamp for the object you're trying to drill.