# cutting terra cotta flower pots



## Guest (Feb 5, 2011)

ok how do i cut these things in half and to make a little "doorway" i got 2 that are kinda small figured id cut one in half and the other make a little doorwa then get 2 bigger pots and do the same thing... what should i use to cut them


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## hsd (Jul 26, 2010)

I just scored it and then cracked it in half. To make holes a dremel works well. Read somewhere soaking it in water will make it easier to do, so I did that as well.


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## Guest (Feb 5, 2011)

cool i have 2 dremels.. what attachment did you use on it? the one that looks like a drill bit or one of those brown cutting wheels that always break off into a million pieces before you are done cutting whatever you wanna cut thru? lol


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Cutting the pots really killed our dremel attachments...we bought and went through several diamond drill bits but it worked. I did not soak either, maybe that would have made a difference.

After all that I found my fish are just as happy with an intact flower pot laying on it's side and dug into the substrate so it is partially filled. I don't cut them at all anymore.

We do have both a U cut open to the bottom and a oval cut in the side. Fish use them occasionally but not a favorite.


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## sjnovakovich (Sep 13, 2010)

I just use pliers and break out pieces.


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## Guest (Feb 6, 2011)

> I just use pliers and break out pieces.


thats the best plan *** heard yet.. should i soak them in water first.. to be honest the dremel kinda irritates me... the first one i bought was a battery operated one its a piece of **** its always dead and even at full charge it dies really quickly so i bought the black and decker one that plugs in... wow its so much better than the dremel.. has optional speeds and all the dremel attachments fit in it


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## hsd (Jul 26, 2010)

m1ke715m said:


> cool i have 2 dremels.. what attachment did you use on it? the one that looks like a drill bit or one of those brown cutting wheels that always break off into a million pieces before you are done cutting whatever you wanna cut thru? lol


Those brown cutting wheels suck, I've break them every time. I had a metal cutting bit from something else I used. Pliers work well too. Important to just score it first.


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## sjnovakovich (Sep 13, 2010)

I've never soaked mine, but it does take some OOOMPH to break it. I've noticed that the pots I've used from Lowe's have some sort of core that is made of a black, gritty material.


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## Guest (Feb 6, 2011)

i used a metal cutting wheel i had and it jus ground all the teeth down on it.. the brown cutting wheels worked fine it took a lil bit the bigger one worked better than the smaller ones.. and i kept running it under some water... took a lil while but it worked ok... def worked better with the black and decker one cuz its alot faster than the dremel


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## The Novice (Jan 27, 2011)

I frequently need to drill holes in terra cotta for plants, and reptiles. I soak the pots for a day or two, and use a variable speed drill with a long shafted spade (wood) bit. I drill under water at low speed. It cuts nicely.

* * * W A R N I N G * * *

If you do it this way, keep in mind you are using ac power in close proximity to water. Use a grounded drill, wear rubber soles, and obviously, the drill bit only enters the water. And I don't do it with kids around.


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## Guest (Feb 7, 2011)

lol that made me chuckle... i soaked it but only for a few hours in hot water.. i jus scored it almost all the way thru with the dremel... i didnt run water over it constantly cuz the bit was tossing water up at us.. and i didnt want to fry my rotary tool or myself (allthough theres a gfi there so i doubt id get electrocuted) and then broke it with the pliers.. then used a sanding round bit thing to smooth the rough edges...


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## Chubbs the Jellybean (Jun 16, 2009)

To be honest, since they're so cheap by me, I buy a few, take a hammer to the side, I end up with a little cave opening usually 2/3 times. It's less complicated, and if you break one, you can beat it to a pulp with the hammer afterwards :lol:


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## Guest (Feb 7, 2011)

> To be honest, since they're so cheap by me, I buy a few, take a hammer to the side, I end up with a little cave opening usually 2/3 times. It's less complicated, and if you break one, you can beat it to a pulp with the hammer afterwards


 lol thats the best advice *** heard yet... lol idk what you mean.. since they are so cheap by you.... arent they cheap everywhere? i think i paid a buck for them maybe $1.50 i didnt get really big ones cuz they went in a 55 galloni stacked a few.. only thing is breaking them with a hammer probly leaves really sharp edges... could cut the fish...


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## iwishihadmorefish (Jan 3, 2011)

i just took a screw driver and a hammer found the middle of the pot on the side and hit the screw driver with the hammer and now i have 2 half pieces rather then one whole pot


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