Newbie012000 February 19, 2018 Share February 19, 2018 Hello everyone. I have a large pice of Tonga Rock that weighs about 30 lbs. I am considering drilling the base/stem of the rock but am a little worried about cracking it even if I drill slow and deliberate. I’m just not certain about the structural intergrity of the stem withstanding any drilling. I would like to drill it so that I can install a rod to adhere it to another rock. I have attached some pics. Please provide your thoughts and and experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 20, 2018 Share February 20, 2018 Try putting a little vinegar on it. If it bubbles, it's likely calcium carbonate and should be soft enough that you can drill it without cracking. Just take it slow and let the drill do the work for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbie012000 February 20, 2018 Author Share February 20, 2018 Thx for the tip . I was not aware of that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John February 20, 2018 Share February 20, 2018 Seems fairly flat, but place it on a towel / foam / cardboard to support it in its entirety when drilling. Use a drill press if you have access to one. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom39 February 20, 2018 Share February 20, 2018 I have drilled and pinned Tonga many times and never had any issues. The key to a successful outcome is the bit. Get yourself a diamond hole saw and keep it cool and free of debris with a small stream of water. The bits can be bought at most any hardware stores. Here is a pic of a piece I glued and pinned together. If I remember correctly, it was 4 pieces when I started. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbie012000 February 20, 2018 Author Share February 20, 2018 Great. Thx Tom for the info and also providing a pic. Heading to Home Depot this evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstContact February 20, 2018 Share February 20, 2018 I put the rock I’m drilling in a container with the surface of the rock at or just below the waterline. I’ve drilled pukani, fiji, and tonga rock. I use a hammer drill with 1/4” and 1/2” diamond coated twist drill bits. I got the drill bits on line from Hong Kong/China. thk.hk is the website. Ten and fifteen dollars for a set of 5 1/4” and 3 1/2”. They also sell the diamond coated hole saws for drilling glass that everybody likes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbie012000 February 21, 2018 Author Share February 21, 2018 Thx guys. I purchased a diamond hole saw today. I kept the bit cool with water and initially I was making a lot of progress, then I hit a hard spot that literally took about 10 minutes to start making progress again, but I took my time and eventually got through. It took about 20 minutes which in my opinion was too long. I must have been doing something wrong, but in the end it worked perfectly and did not crack. Thx for all of the input. I am now just about done aqauscaping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom39 February 27, 2018 Share February 27, 2018 CONGRATS on your success! Please don't forget to share your outcome with a few pics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbie012000 February 27, 2018 Author Share February 27, 2018 Good point Tom. Thx is the best I can do at the moment because after I placed an acrylic rod in to determine the stability, the rocks were thrown into the cooking process. Thx again for all the tips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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