CD or DVD - drilling holes ?

[Sharon Mehl]

Has anyone drilled in a CD or DVD before?  Wondering what you used ... and did you use a fast or slow speed?   I was thinking I might make a hybrid album of the PPPRS season ... and I have a ton of used CDs and DVDs that I could use for it ... and I could use my Silhouette to cut out the pages.

Thanks

Sharon

[Jesse Hawks]

I've only ever used a small regular wood drill bit, on a drill press for use on costumes as reflectors. I don't know the speed I've never seen a setting to change the speed.

Hope that helps.

> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CCCKC" group.
> To post to this group, send email to cc...@googlegroups.com.
> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to ccckc+un...@googlegroups.com.
> For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/ccckc?hl=en.
>

[James Costello]

I've never drilled a hole in a CD or DVD but on other fragile materials I have use a piece of masking tape to drill through. It works on formica countertops and could ne worth a shot on a CD

On Aug 1, 2011 11:37 AM, "Sharon Mehl" <sharon...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Rob Giseburt]

CDs and DVDs should be drilled slowly. A fast cutting — wood — bit would be ideal.

They’re made of a thermoplastic that will liquify of it gets too hot. That’s why you want a fast-cutting bit moving slowly. Clean out the shavings often, since they will turn to goop and you’ll have a solid-plastic rod instead of a drill bit pretty quickly.

-Rob

[Dave C Dalton]

I second the tape suggestion.

Or you can melt a hole with a soldering tip...

( one that you keep for plastic melting done outside etc etc....)

Sent from my iPhone

[Chris Meyer]

CD's are polycarbonate, depending on the size of the hole you're going for you'll likely want a fairly high speed*** to prevent the bit from taking too big of a cut and chipping out the plastic, but that's not as much of a concern with polycarbonate as it is with acrylic. 

***Echoing Rob though, he's absolutely correct in avoiding heating up and liquifying the plastic, I'm recommending a high speed to prevent taking big chips and breaking the CD but don't use high speeds with thicker pieces, you'll get too much heat into the bit and start melting the plastic even more.

In addition to using tape to hold it down, it's a good idea to use a flat chunk of wood to drill into as a backing material, keeps the CD from flexing and getting grabbed by the drill bit.  Also prevents blow-out on the backside when you do get through, that's more common with acrylic though.

TL:DNR:
Thin material, use decent speed to avoid grabbing and ripping the CD apart (smaller the bit the higher the speed - this is always true)
Tape it to a block of wood, both for finger safety and to prevent the CD from flexing and grabbing on the bit

Wow, that got long, sorry

Chris
Sector67
PS: Welcome to machining, for every rule there's an exception when you're doing _____

[Andrew Scott Beals]

Specifically, it's Lexan or a clone thereof. If you can drill it in a water bath, so much the better, but you'll need to find the right combination of speed and downward pressure for the drill bits that you have.

[Sharon Mehl]

Thanks to everyone!!  ...so was it decided to use a wood bit???

Thanks for the info ... I didn't know all the information everyone supplied ... and I appreciate knowing the WHY ...and what if ... and tips!

LOL on the PS ...

Hmmm Sector 67 on this egroup?  guess I better not spill on here our team's "next season strategy ideas" ... thanks for revealing yourself before disclosure ...

Sharon

[Chris Meyer]

Yes, I'm on a number of hackerspaces lists, anyone is welcome to join ours or our IRC channel if you're interested :-)

http://groups.google.com/group/sector67


Chris