[davidg]

I'm building a small fountain for a client. It's basically an overflowing pot that spills onto stones that cover a reservoir. You know the type. Anyway, the client wants me to use a shallow saucer instead of a typical pot. The saucer is glazed ceramic; it's actually a catch-saucer for a pot.

Just wondering what kind of drill bit I should use to go through the ceramic. I really don't want to break the saucer.

[sandim]

Hi David,

We do that exact same thing...mason bit should do the job. Here's whatcha do...

Get a mason bit that is the size of the tubing. Also get a washer that allows the diameter of the bit to fit inside without being too tight or too lose.
Place a piece of masking tape in the center of the right-side-up saucer, then tape the washer in the center. The tape helps prevent cracking/chipping, and the washer will keep your bit where it needs to be. Fill the saucer with a little bit of water and drill slow and steady. This keeps the saucer cool and helps prevent cracking. You should be fine. Maybe try practicing first. Pick up even a small ceramic saucer and drill a few holes in it. That way you'll feel comfortable when you do it for the client. Your hole may not be perfect as it is in pots, but one thing we do is fill the saucer with stones.

If the client is looking for this to be a bird bath...granted birds are attracted to running water, and I love birds, but everything I have ever read says birds will not land on a smooth glazed surface like that as it's too slippery. Just FYI. Maybe a few stones in the bottom would eliminate the slippery surface and cover any minor flaws...which would be just that, minor. Not so many as to take up the entire saucer, just to cover the bottom.

good luck!

Let me know how you make out!

[Nathaniel Carr]

What you want to do is get a big rock and drill a 12 in hole in it with a core drill. then you go in there with your angle grinders and carve a depresssion then you plumb a pipe into it and then you have something nice. I'd try to sell your clients on that. Theyd love it, unless the hubby really likes his idea and he'd never consider any thing else.

[Ston Wurks]

Ceramic is cool if you add the stones as suggested above. The other thing to remember is depth for the birds-it needs to be pretty shallow for the birds to really spend a lot of time their. Good luck with the drilling, good advice by Sandim.