Cut a 3/4 inch hole in 1cm tempered glass?

[simon43]

In Thai Watsadu, there is a bathroom basin unit that consists of a round glass basin that is recessed into a tempered, coloured glass top, which is about 1cm thick.

 

I think this top is glass, not plastic, since it sounds like glass when I tap it.

 

This glass top already has a 3/4 inch hole for a basin tap fitting.  But I need to drill an other 3/4 inch hole for a second tap fitting.

 

How can I/someone safely drill a round, 3/4 inch hole in 1cm tempered glass?  Is it something that I can do at home, or do I need to take the glass top to a specialist?  And if the latter, what type of business could do this work for me?

 

I'm in Phuket, but general advice that isn't specific to any one shop is welcome.

[Crossy]

You cannot cut tempered glass

 

All holes and shaping must be done before the tempering process.

 

Are you certain it is actually tempered?

 

[p_brownstone]

Why do you need a "second tap fitting"?

 

You no longer need a separate hole for a "hot" and "cold" water supply to the sink, a single "mixer" tap fitting is easily available with hot and cold water inlets below the sink which the "mixer" tap can be adjusted to combine and provide the required water temperature.

 

Patrick

 

 

[ClutchClark]

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

You cannot cut tempered glass

 

All holes and shaping must be done before the tempering process.

 

Are you certain it is actually tempered?

 

 

Exactly.

[simon43]

Quote

 

Are you certain it is actually tempered?
 

 

 

Actually, I have no idea.  How can I tell?

 

The horizontal glass top extends to the front to form a vertical wall, which made me think that it is some type of pre-formed plastic.

Edited September 4, 2016 by simon43

[Crossy]

1 minute ago, simon43 said:

Actually, I have no idea.  How can I tell?

 

Try to cut it, if you end up with an extremely complex jigsaw puzzle it was tempered.

 

Seriously, I don't think you can easily unless it is marked

[Don Mega]

you can waterjet cut tempered glass but it is a gamble. 50% chance  you will end up with a jigsaw puzzle.

[p_brownstone]

30 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

Try to cut it, if you end up with an extremely complex jigsaw puzzle it was tempered.

 

Seriously, I don't think you can easily unless it is marked

 

Plus, if it's a mass-manufactured sink top with one aesthetically designed "hole" (pre-formed plastic or tempered glass), even if you do manage to somehow cut a second hole it's going to be off-centre and look f-ugly!

 

Patrick

Edited September 4, 2016 by p_brownstone

[Crossy]

17 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

you can waterjet cut tempered glass but it is a gamble. 50% chance  you will end up with a jigsaw puzzle.

 

I did read that you can laser-cut tempered, but finding an outfit in Thailand that can do 10mm tempered ...

 

 

[Don Mega]

2 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

I did read that you can laser-cut tempered, but finding an outfit in Thailand that can do 10mm tempered ...

 

 

laser cut glass, intersting

 

 

with water if you come in from an edge it will cut ok. if you try to pierce and then cut = jigsaw puzzle.

[simon43]

Sounds a good idea to ... er ... abandon this idea

[Don Mega]

1 minute ago, simon43 said:

Sounds a good idea to ... er ... abandon this idea

 

I think you need to confirm the material.

 

my bet is it is acrylic, not glass.

Edited September 4, 2016 by Don Mega

[Anythingleft?]

4 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Sounds a good idea to ... er ... abandon this idea

Use a mixer tap, or, as suggested above -  then have a relaxing beer while that needless problem fades away from memory

[KittenKong]

On 04/09/2016 at 2:50 PM, simon43 said:

I think this top is glass, not plastic, since it sounds like glass when I tap it.

 

I always understood that (at room temperatures) glass feels cold to the touch but plastic feels warm. It may be apocryphal but it definitely seems to apply in my bathroom.

[BKKdreaming]

maybe waterjet cut , which is high pressure water and garnet etc that does the cutting , but jigsaw puzzle ????

 

but I wonder why something that thick needs to be tempered , if it broke it would be in pretty large pieces , 

 

I assume you could get to an edge with a sharp knife to "test" if its plastic or glass

 

I was told by a glass guy you could "un temper" glass , cut your holes and re-temper ,  not worth the trouble on flat glass !

[ClutchClark]

1 hour ago, BKKdreaming said:

 

 

I was told by a glass guy you could "un temper" glass , cut your holes and re-temper ,  not worth the trouble on flat glass !

 

I am fairly certain you cannot untemper glass. It is a process during the manufacture which actually creates a tension in the glass by changing the density  of particles on the surface compared to the inside. 

 

I am curious what he is talking about.