Installing a sink in a countertop takes a lot of time and effort. But if you properly cut a hole in the furniture block and install it, washing dishes won't seem such a burdensome task. Next, we will talk about how to cut a countertop for a sink.

Making and applying a template

The process of installing a sink into a worktop consists of several stages. To do this laborious job correctly, it is necessary to carefully cut a hole in the countertop, while it is advisable to adhere to the instructions below.

• First you need to purchase a blank sheet of cardboard of the required size, from which the template will be cut. This work step will be simplified if the manufacturer, which is often the case, made the template himself and put it in the packaging with the product. It remains only to cut the template along the drawn contour with scissors. If there is no template, you need to take the sink, turn it upside down, attach it to the cardboard, then use a pencil to draw the required outline and cut the template along the finished contour. If there is no packaging with a picture, and there is no necessary sheet of cardboard, the drawing of the inverted sanitary ware is carried out directly on the countertop.
• Next, you need to assess the future location of the furniture block. It is necessary to know in advance where the mixer will be installed, how to make the piping, whether the table top is to be trimmed before the final installation. It is also necessary to look at the structure of the furniture from the inside. This will allow you to determine which elements, if necessary, can still be trimmed, and which cannot be touched - the bearing fragments of the table top must remain intact and intact.

• Once the template is ready, it's time to use it. To mark the countertop, a template must be attached to its surface, while it must be motionless. After this operation, the outline is drawn. The same work is carried out if a factory template is available. Along the outlined line, you can cut immediately. If cardboard is used or an inverted sink is outlined with a pencil on the countertop, additional work remains to be done. The fact is that the drawn line will repeat the edges of the sink, and its bowl will be inserted into the future hole. Therefore, you need to draw one more contour - the inner one. When drawing it, you need to take into account the distance from the edge of the sink to the fixing elements of the plumbing fixture. The result is a new template that focuses on the size of the bowl. It is applied to the surface of the countertop and a new contour is applied along which a hole can be cut.
• There is an option in which a cardboard template is attached to the surface of the tabletop and a hole is sawn along its edges. If you look at such work from a practical point of view, it is inconvenient - it is better to apply the contour with a pencil. When cutting along the drawn line, there is a real possibility of chipping at the inner edges of the tabletop. To avoid scrap, it is recommended to glue masking tape to the surface in the area of ​​the outlined contour, which can be easily removed in the future. In order to start sawing, it is necessary to make a hole in the body of the tabletop with a drill from the inside of the drawn line. A jigsaw file is pulled into the drilled hole, after which it is fixed in the tool. You need to cut carefully and without haste, since when pressed, the blade can go away from the intended contour.
• The resulting cut is cleaned with sandpaper, blown through and thoroughly lubricated with silicone. Thanks to this composition, the destructive effect of moisture on the cut surface is minimized. If any fragments of the furniture block interfere with the installation of the sink bowl, they must be carefully trimmed. Measurements for pruning must be done accurately - it is not recommended to do such work "by eye". You need to know that when using the manufacturer's template, cutting out the internal elements is much easier and easier, since such nuances are also provided for in its manufacture.

Installing a sink in a worktop

• To proceed with the final installation of the sink, it is necessary to do some mandatory work. First you need to try on the pipes and assemble the siphon, then you need to make holes in the internal structure of the countertop for the sewer and water supply. All these works are performed with a jigsaw or a crown. After that, the mixer is installed, if a place has been prepared for it on the countertop. In addition, if necessary, hoses are cut. If the mixer will be installed on the sink itself, a place for the equipment is determined on the plumbing fixture and a hole of the required diameter is drilled.
• Before installing the sink, a sealing tape is put on the sanitary ware - it usually comes with the device. The tape is fixed close to the edge, while leaving a special groove free, into which the silicone will be poured. Then the fasteners are installed in their places, which, when tightened, do not reach out - they will be fixed tightly after the whole structure is finally combined. If the mixer is to be fixed to the sink, it is the turn to install it. The hole is abundantly smeared with silicone, after which the sanitary ware is installed in the hole for the sink. Before mounting, the mount must be bent down. In order for the sink to sit in its place and fit well into the contour of the opening, you need to move the plumbing fixture a little. After that, you need to crawl under the sink and finally tighten the fasteners. While the sealant is in a liquid state, it is wiped off - after a while, the composition will set and harden. If there are gaps somewhere, they also need to be sealed with sealant.

The sink is installed in the countertop. The plumbing fixture can be used.

Video

The correct preparation of the hole in the worktop and the installation technology of the sink are shown in the following video:

Photo

The lack of holes for taps or faucets in modern sinks is not a waste, but a necessity. Installation technologies for such products involve several positions for the sink itself.

The product line offers several basic diameters for plumbing fixtures - try to guess which one is needed here! We will not guess, we will install.

Two types of sinks

The most popular now are two types of kitchen sinks:

• Stainless steel sinks;
• Products from porcelain stoneware.

With both stainless steel and porcelain stoneware, manufacturers are in no hurry to drill holes, leaving these little things at the mercy of sellers.

For your information!
Drilling holes can be arranged in sink shops.
The manipulation price is lifting, indicate the diameter and place, pay and receive the finished product with places for the installation of cranes,.

The problem has been solved, on this you can close the topic under discussion, but there are situations that radically change the original plans. Moreover, the desire to do everything with your own hands, and the pleasure that you get from a job well done is incomparable.

Independent work

Simple things can turn the world upside down. The initial desire to install a faucet on the right side in the corner will be nullified if your spouse is left-handed.

On a note!
In the kitchen, as nowhere else, great importance is attached to beauty, functionality, and also ergonomics.
Left-handed people find it very inconvenient to open the tap on the right with their left hand.
Water gets on the hand.

Our instruction:

1. All work with the product should be carried out before installation in a stationary place, with these simple actions you will prevent deformation of the object and premature damage;
2. Place the sink horizontally on a wooden base. Drill with a metal drill a small hole 5-6 mm enough to define the center of the circle;

Advice!
If you use punches and a hammer, then the above manipulation is not necessary.

1. And then there are three ways to choose from:

• Hammer and punch. Here, you simply pierce everything that is fixed with special nozzles manually, the nozzle is initially selected for the diameter of the hole in the sink for a mixer or tap;
• Special design punch. It is a mechanical toy that uses the extrusion method. Such a punch consists of a threaded pin and two nozzles, a tap and a pressing washer with a wrench head. Having installed the pin into the hole from the outside, screwing on the washer with the head, you perform a tightening-pressing with a key. The result of this manipulation is a hole in the stainless steel sink for the mixer;
• The third way is a special drill called a carrot. The name stuck so well that even on the original packaging of the product, it is not called other than a drill-carrot. The drill is represented by a cone, with a cutting edge diameter from 6 to 32 and even 38 mm. We will not describe the principle of using the drill, everything is clear.

In the piggy bank!
Sometimes the choice of the consumer stops at mixers with large diameter glasses.
A sink siphon with a large opening requires a large seat.
Then there are several exits: the first is to order a hole in the store, the second is to drill several holes of a smaller diameter around the circumference.
Then simply connect them together by removing the inner circle with a chisel.
True, accuracy and precision of movements will be required.

How to drill a hole in a stainless steel sink - we have disassembled it, move on to stones.

Stone and stone

Much more interesting is the topic of drilling planting nests in stone sinks.

What are we doing?

• At the site of the proposed hole, we make a mark and drill;

Note!
Simple manipulation - working with a drill - is not very simple in practice.
A drill with a victorious insert is contraindicated for this work, it does not so much drill as it cleaves and peels the material.
A drill for metal has shown itself well, but low revolutions of the drill itself are required (ideally, it is better to use a hand drill).
At high speeds, the edges are melted.

• During the drilling process, the material can heat up quickly, but this is difficult to control. Drilling a hole in an artificial stone sink is best done with a thin drill. We work around the perimeter of the entire future nest;
• It is recommended to "pass" the partitions between the holes in two ways:
• We cut the strokes with an electric soldering iron, followed by knocking out the plug with a hammer;
• The material is cut well with a jigsaw. Although this process is longer, the edge is the smoothest;
• Grinding of the hole circumference is performed with a round abrasive nozzle for the entire circumference. If there is none on the farm, use a regular round file.

You will need

• - gas cutting equipment;
• - welding machine;
• - angle grinder;
• - electric drill with a set of drills;
• - grinder;
• - manual lever scissors;
• - core;
• - a marking compass.

Instructions

Place the center of the circle on the steel sheet so that it is spaced from the edges of the sheet at a distance slightly greater than the radius of the circle. Place the leg of the scoring compass in the line from the core and draw on the circle of the required diameter.

The most widespread and technologically advanced method is cutting metal using a gas cutting machine. To make the circle clearly visible, trace the outline drawn by the compass with a marker or chalk. Light the torch, adjust the flame, and cut the metal in the circle indicated. Theoretically, the thickness of the metal that can be cut with a gas cutter is 250–300 mm. In practice, such thicknesses are extremely rare to encounter.

You can cut a circle out of steel sheet with. Light the welding arc at any point on the marked circle and hold the electrode in place until a hole is burned through the sheet. After that, start melting the edge of the hole by running the electrode along the drawn circle. Low-power welding machines operated by private owners can be of relatively small thickness - a maximum of 4-5 mm. The edges from cutting are uneven and melted, and the cut out workpiece has an irregular shape, which must be brought to processing on a lathe or manually on a grinding wheel.

An uncomplicated, but rather laborious operation is the cutting of a circle with a "grinder". Cut lines in the sheet from all sides of the drawn circle that are tangential to it. The greater the number of cutting lines, the closer the shape of the cut shape approaches the circle. But in any case, it will not be a circle, but a polygon, which has to be brought to a circle on a grinding machine.

A circle of metal up to 3-4 mm thick can be cut with hand lever scissors. First, cut a square with a circle inscribed in it, then cut the workpiece from all sides, launching the scissor blades along lines tangent to the circle. The smaller the length of the tangents will ultimately be and the greater the number of them, the less work will be required when turning the workpiece on a grinding machine.

The most time consuming way to cut a circle is to drill holes around its perimeter. But sometimes, in the absence of other possibilities, you have to resort to this method. From the same center from which the original circle was drawn, draw another one with a diameter larger than the diameter available by the amount of the diameter of the drill that will be used for drilling (usually 4-5 mm). Punch along this circle so that the grooves from the core are spaced apart from each other at a distance of the drill diameter. Drill holes in the punched-out areas along the entire perimeter of the circle. Knock out a circle from the sheet with a hammer or a sledgehammer, grind it along the outer diameter on a grinder.

To cut a hole in a ceramic tile of a large diameter, a ballerina drill is very often used, even less often a diamond crown and the like. I want to tell you how to get out of a situation when you have nothing like this at hand, except for a grinder naturally. A grinder or angle grinder is still more common than the tool listed earlier. This is a trick that you may find useful in life.

Cut a round hole in the tile with a grinder

First of all, we mark the center of the circle, which we will cut, and then the full radius of the circle. And all this needs to be done from two sides.
On the front side:

On the reverse:

Now we take a grinder and make cuts inside the circle as close as possible to the edges of the circle.

So we do one plane of the whole circle.

Now rotate the tile 90 degrees.

And we make exactly the same cuts with a grinder.

Pieces in the center start to break - this is normal.

When you get to the end of the side of the circle, all the partitions will break and you will already have something that looks like a circle.

Next, we grind the edges of the circle, passing along them carefully with the grinder's disc.

It turns out an almost flat circle, but with an angle in thickness.

We turn the tile over to the inside.

We also grind the edges.

Then, in order to bring the circle back to normal, and remove the sharp formed angle, we chop it off with pliers. Carefully bite it off along the entire diameter.

For finishing, we go through a file.

That's all. With a few simple steps, you have a perfect circle in the tile.
During all work, do not forget about protective equipment - goggles and gloves. When working with angle grinders, be extremely careful and careful.
Undoubtedly, the method I proposed is noticeably more laborious than the classical methods, but I just suggest you get out of a difficult situation.

Watch the video

For more information on dimensioning, cutting and machining a hole in a tile, see the video.

There are situations when you need to make a hole in the glass. You can turn to specialists for help - they know how to carefully drill glass without breaking it, but many home craftsmen prefer to do it themselves.

Drilling methods differ from each other by the type of tool used, consumables, drilling technology and other points.

Glass characteristics and production features

Before you drill a hole in the glass, you should understand the features of this material. Its production process is rather complicated, as it provides use of special tools:

1. The main stage of production involves the creation of a melt, which includes certain components. This requires exposure to temperatures of about 2,500 degrees Celsius.
2. To create a strong structure, the molten composition is rapidly cooled. Due to this, the hardened alloy crystallizes.

It is the chemical composition of the alloy used that determines the main performance characteristics, as well as the likelihood that the structure will not crack during machining.

Depending on the chemical composition, they are isolated the following glasses:

1. Sulfide.
2. Oxide.
3. Fluoride.

Different glass products must have different performance characteristics.

There are glasses:

1. Optical. There are various optical devices, the main part of which is a combination of prisms and lenses. For their manufacture, special glass is used.
2. Quartz. By melting quartzite, glass can be obtained, which is used in the manufacture of various dishes and decorative elements.
3. Highly resistant to chemical attack. Some types of glass can withstand exposure to petroleum products and other chemicals. They are used in the manufacture of containers and protective structures.
4. For industrial purposes. This group is widespread in industry and everyday life.
5. Hardened material with higher strength. Glass can be tempered in various ways.

According to the field of application, there are the following materials:

1. For the manufacture of containers.
2. For glazing window frames.
3. Reducing radiation levels.
4. In the production of fiberglass.
5. Screen protectors for mobile and other devices.
6. For the manufacture of dishes.
7. For the manufacture of medical devices.
8. Protecting the surface of the oven and fireplace screens.
9. For the manufacture of various light sources.
10. For the manufacture of various optical devices.

It should be borne in mind that some glasses cannot be machined. This is due to the fact that their structure has a high fragility index. You can cut a round hole in a jar, on a glass plate and many other products.

What tools are needed

Various tools can be used to drill a hole in the glass. Correct selection of the tool eliminates the possibility of material damage during processing. The most common varieties are considered:

The diameter of the cutting tool must match the diameter of the hole that you want to get in the product.

Glass blank preparation

It is possible to make the correct hole in the material provided that the workpiece is carefully prepared. The instruction looks like this:

1. Surface treatment with alcohol or turpentine. Then clean the surface with a clean cloth.
2. The workpiece must be located on the base so that during processing it does not change its position.
3. The base on which the workpiece will be laid must be larger. The edges of the glass must not be allowed to extend beyond the base, as carelessness can damage it.
4. Masking tape is glued to the surface in the place where the hole is drilled. This will prevent the tool from slipping at the start of machining.
5. The center of the hole can be marked with a marker.
6. If this is the first time you are working, you can make a test hole on unnecessary glass.
7. When performing drilling work, you should be as careful as possible. Haste can cause serious defects.
8. When working with glass or ceramics, you need to ensure that the drill is located strictly perpendicular to the surface - so the hole will be of high quality.
9. It is not recommended to carry out processing in one pass. This is due to the fact that glass is considered difficult to machine; with prolonged drilling, the cutting edge may heat up. When the tool is heated, some of the heat is transferred to the material, impairing its performance.
10. When the through hole is almost obtained, you should stop the process, then turn the product over and continue drilling from the back side. This way you can get a quality hole.
11. You can sand the edges with sandpaper. It is recommended to choose paper that has a fine grain size.

Using a conventional drill

If glass processing does not provide for serial production, then there is no need to purchase a special tool. Its cost is quite high; during long-term operation, the surface of the cutting edge wears out. Here's how to drill a hole in glass with a conventional drilling machine. You will need:

1. A drill for working with metal or ceramics. In their manufacture, a hard alloy is used that can withstand long-term operation.
2. Low RPM drill and drill with adjustable RPM.
3. Plain plasticine.
4. Turpentine.
5. Alcohol solution.

Drilling instruction:

1. The glass is placed on a flat surface. The edges should not go beyond it.
2. The processed area of ​​the glass is degreased.
3. After fixing the tool in the chuck, set the minimum speed. Too high a rotational speed of the drill can deform the workpiece. In addition, the tool runout should be kept low, as alternating loads can lead to cracks.
4. Plasticine is placed on the treated surface, which will eliminate the likelihood of the tool sliding off. A small hole is created in the central part.
5. To reduce the likelihood of cracks, work should be done carefully. Too much force causes various defects to appear. The minimum rotation speed should be 250 rpm. With a high resistance of the material to mechanical stress, an indicator of 1000 rpm is set.

When machining, small chips are formed - when working, use protective goggles.

Benefits of using sand

Surface damage is likely to occur when using a cutting tool. The use of sand will help to avoid this. You will need:

1. Fine sand.
2. Petrol.
3. Gas-burner.
4. A small amount of tin.
5. A vessel made of metal.

Work order:

1. The surface is degreased. To do this, you can use an alcohol solution.
2. In the area where you need to get the required hole, a pile of sand is poured. It is slightly moistened.
3. Use a sharp object to create a small depression.
4. Molten tin is poured into the created depression, after which you need to wait a little.
5. A pile of sand is removed from the surface. After that, the tin is melted with a gas burner.

It should be borne in mind that it is quite difficult to obtain a high-quality hole in this way, therefore, additional machining of the hole with a drill is required.

Even minor mistakes can lead to serious defects in the workpiece. Here are tips on how how to make a hole in the glass and don't damage it:

The same methods are also suitable for those who are going to drill a mirror at home. To make large holes, use a special tool called a glass cutter. The design features make it possible to obtain high-quality holes in the shortest possible time.