drilling on glazed pots
 

Okay I remember a while back there was a question about drilling on glazed decorative pot and whether a masonry drill bit would work. Well my experience was they shatter.

But I found a really pretty pot to put my brassovalia(sp?) In that will hold it and will not flip, issue was still trying to drill holes.

I asked at home depot and they suggested a diamond tip drill bit for glass and tile. They said it should work. For glazed pots and not cause them to explode.

Will post pictures once I attempt this to let everyone know. Oh and the drill bit was 5/8 amd 9.00

Submerse the pot in water while you drill.

As long as the decorative pot has drainage, how about growing the Brassavola in something like a net pot, and setting it inside the decorative pot?

I do this with some of my Phals when displaying them. Other plants just get displayed in whatever they are growing in, especially if it is a terra cotta pot.

I have not tried drilling a glazed pot. If you do try, Ray is right, keep what you are drilling submerged. It does not need to be deep, just wet. In part this lubricates what you are working on, but also dissipates heat from friction. Things tend to expand when heated, shrink when cool. Ceramics and similar materials conduct heat poorly, so it is possible to get one place heating & expanding too quickly, next to a place that is not heating or expanding and wham! Shatter. The water dissipates the heat, minimizing expansion & potential for shatter.

They have holes in the bottom with their own trays but am going to add more as well as along the sides. The brassavalia roots are to big around to fit in any of my net pots w out breaking them

Been there, done that, took pictures.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-N...o/CIMG0558.JPG

And if you do a search here, there are other discussions on drilling holes in pots.

Thay is my usual procedure; w a cordless drill as well.

---------- Post added at 01:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:09 PM ----------

Very nice.

Okay got 2 pots done and my orchids put into them the other was to thick and I did not have the patience to drill it. Here is my lady of the night brass. Post trimming, and with new growth everywhere! Put it in smaller plastic pot with lava rock to hold it down. Then placed in the larger white pot

Middle pot is my gramm stapelflorum with lava rock it 2 has some new growth on it and hopefully some new roots coming in.

Last pot is my Dove orchid that got over watered and quote a few roots rotted now they are trimmed and cleaned up w some new growths as well as another new phulb coming in so heres hoping will adjust to the lava rock well.

Plant stand
 

Nice pick-up plant stand!

I always use a masonry bit and just go slow

First time I tried it exploded on me...scared me to death.

Thank you, I love them 6.00 home depot. Pretty and useful.

---------- Post added at 03:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:28 PM ----------

Oh and yes my truck makes an excellent stand and table for drilling.

Oh and if the lava rock ypu get is to big and chunky drop somethimg hard and heavy on it breaks it up and relieves stress

Tailgate as a workbench
 

You make me laugh.....

I've used my tailgate a a makeshift potting bench plenty of times

Thanks I am good for some comedic relief from time to time lol.

I thought that was what a tailgate was for!!! My orchids are all over the property.....If I can get my truck to them, thats where the work gets done!

Yep that way lot less mess as well! Most of mine for now are in my little greenhouse. Others are in the back room. I have been battling with my brassovalia and keeping it upright and its base was to wide to stick in a net pot. Ergo the use of a glazed pot w a few extra holes for air flow with it sitting in a little plastic pot in the glazed pot. Now it cant flip! Finally some success! With this plant!!

Masonary bits work ok but you have to keep them wet and it is a very slow process. But with either a masonary or diamond tip the secret is just like drilling metal. Start small. 5/8ths is a big damn drill. Try 1/8th first. Then go to 5/8ths. Or 3/16ths then larger. If you make a mud coolant it works better too. I've drilled tons of high fired bonsai pots this way.

Well it worked well and I went slow. I thought it was rather large myself. Mine stayed in water and I would drill 30-45seconds then stop then go again