# Drilling lava rock



## beachtan (Sep 25, 2008)

About drilling tunnels thru the lava rock... I'm really worried about splitting the rock - am I concerned for nothing?

Can I use regular drill bits (I know they may get wrecked)... and what size is best to start with?

Should the rock be wet?


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## Benice (Jan 6, 2010)

I would use a bit made for stone or concrete.


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## nick a (Apr 9, 2004)

Yes, masonry bits are what you want--not bits designed for wood or metal. It is always good if you're doing a lot of this kind of drilling to have a small stream of water running on the site you're drilling. This will help keep the drill bit cooler (and keeps dust down :thumb: ) and will help your bits stay sharper (and drill easier) longer.


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## pistolpete (Dec 28, 2009)

You are right that you may split the rock. You will probably find something like 1 in 4 will fall apart. The best way to go is with a diamond coated coring bit designed for drilling through tile. You can only go about 1.5 inches deep and then you have to chip out the core before continuing.


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## beachtan (Sep 25, 2008)

ok, drilling lava rock is WAY more work than I expected!!! it seems like I was drilling thru pieces of metal mixed thru the rock! Took FOREVER!!! Now I see why the pre-drilled lava rock is so expensive! I hope the holes I drilled arent too small...

It took about 30-40 min for me to drill each hole. So plan on plenty of time!


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## Cento (Mar 30, 2005)

Also, may be worth mentioning (or may be redundant), whatever drill you use, make sure it's a "hammer drill" and its running on the "hammer" function... :thumb:


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