[PalmMP3]

Hi all,

I'm thinking of adding a soap dispenser to my bathroom sink, a project which will involve drilling a new hole in the faucet deck to accommodate the new addition. All the plumbing books I've read warn me to use the proper drilling technique for whatever material the sink is made of. So I decided to try to find out what my bathroom sink is made of. After some trial and error, I found my sink on the Kohler website. Apparently, it's called the K-2170-8S Lady Vanity™ self-rimming lavatory. Here's what the one on the Kohler website looks like:


According to that page, "This hard-working sink is crafted of vitreous china and finished with our exclusive KOHLER glaze to resist staining, scratching and chipping and maintain its lustrous sheen for years to come." So my questions are:

1) What is the proper technique for drilling a hole in vitreous china without doing anything hideously stupid to the rest of the sink? (Note: I have a Dremel XPR 400, if it helps any.)
2) Should I be worried about the "exclusive KOHLER glaze" - i.e. will it somehow affect the drilling procedure? And will I ruin the glaze surrounding the project area?

Thanks in advance,
Moishe

[dmatos]

You're probably going to want to get a glass (or tile) drill bit to use in a variable speed drill. Use it on a slow speed setting, and use lots of lubricant to keep the bit from overheating.

[speedball1]

Moshie,
While I have put many a hole in stainless steel sinks I have never attempted to drill through a vitreous china lavatory. I would approch this with extreme caution. Having said that drilling China can't be so much different from drilling tile. As Dmatos said, use a masonry bit, slow speed and lots of water.
I would also make very sure that the item I was installing had a plate that was large enough to cover any rough or chipped spots around the hole. You might want to consider drilling the cabinet instead of the lavatory. Good luck. Tom PS. Nice looking lavatory.

[PalmMP3]

You might want to consider drilling the cabinet instead of the lavatory. Good luck. Tom PS. Nice looking lavatory.

Thanks for the compliment. :)

I'm afraid drilling the cabinet is not much of an option: as you can see from the attached picture, there isn't any room between the edge of the sink and the nearby walls.

I think I'm going to put this project on hold indefinitely. :(

Cheers,
Moishe

[ma0641]

They make a lot of nice stand alone dispensers. Easier to fill too. HD, Lowe's, Bed Bath etc have loads of them in all finishes.

[RESSOLUTIONS]

I came across this blog in looking for vitreous china composition make up. As a 30 year remodeling contractor, I offer the following comments.
1st Vitreous china while like tile can not be treated like tile. 4" glazed ceramic. Any hole penetration in 4" tile can only be successful if tile is on a solid backer prior to install like 3/4 plywood or mounted on a plaster base wall. Mastic install has voids behind the tile and subject to cracking with any type of point pressure. Carboloy bits are designed for concrete and are a NO-NO for any tile type of penetration, ceramic, porcelain, travertine. Stone , etc. The exception may be a pointed tile spade bit for a 1/16th hole on a drill only, no hammer drill. Use only diamond hole saws for any hole penetration larger than 1/16th. Dry hole cutting less than 1/4 " on 4" ceramic is OK, any larger hole use a sprayer with water. If only 2-3 small use a spray bottle, bet to have someone spray while you operate the drill. USE ONLY A BATTERY DRILL ON HIGH RPM NOT A CORDED DRILL. Use blue painters tape over the hole area, mark the center if small, draw a full hole diameter for a large hole. Hole the diamond bit at a 45 degree angle and start on the circumference line, as the bit gets a good bite, rotate the drill up slowly as the bit sinks deeper into the material. Hold straight with enough pressure to penetrate the thickness. Do not excessive force or you maY blow out the plug causing a large fracture on the backside that may compromise the tile or vitreous appliance.

I HAVE USED THIS DIAMOND HOLE SAW WITH WATER CUTTING PROCESS SUCCESSFUL MANY TIMES. KEEP IN MIND THERE IS ALWAYS A RISK FACTOR ASSOCIATED WITH ANY PENETRATION, PRIMARILY ASSOCIATED WITH OVERPRESSURE BY OPERATOR AND UNSEEN VOIDS IN THE OR BEHIND THE TILE. VITREOUS CHINA HAS LESS VOID RISK. IN DRILLING SINKS, I RECOMMEND FIND AN OLD COMMODE TANK COVER AND MAKE A PRACTICE RUN HOLE.

[speedball1]

Thank you for the detailed information. Very helpful. Tom