How to Enlarge a Hole in Porcelain Sink
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Bought a new faucet for your kitchen but it doesn't fit into your previous hole? You must be confused about what to do now. The simplest solution would be to make your faucet hole bigger.
Don't know how to do that? It's okay, we're here to help!
How to make the kitchen faucet hole bigger?
To make your kitchen faucet hole bigger, mark the portion you need to cut. This will be your first job. After that cut the hole using a rotary tool or Dremel, or an angle grinder. This depends on what material your sink is made of.
But whatever material your sink might be made of, we have the solution for them all. This article will guide you step-by-step so that you can fix this in no time.
Without any further ado, let's get started.
- 3 Steps To Make Your Kitchen Faucet Hole Bigger
- Tools You'll Need
- Step 1 of 3: Marking The Area
- Step 2 of 3: Cut The Hole Larger
- For Non-Steel Sinks
- For Stainless Steel Sinks
- Step 3 of 3: Finishing The Edges
- Things To Keep In Mind
- FAQs
- Summing Up
3 Steps To Make Your Kitchen Faucet Hole Bigger
Making your kitchen faucet bigger seems to be quite an easy job. It might not be as easy as it sounds. But we have prepared a step-by-step guide to do it in the easiest way possible.
Tools You'll Need
Unlike extending the faucet line, enlarging your kitchen faucet hole requires a set of tools. That's why we have listed down all the tools you'll need.
- Diamond-coated milling bit
- Angle grinder
Or,
- Titanium coated step drill bit
- Rotary tool kit/Dremel
If your kitchen sink is made of ceramic, porcelain, or marble, you should use a Diamond-coated milling bit and angle grinder. If you have a steel sink, you need to use a Titanium-coated step drill bit with a rotary tool.
Step 1 of 3: Marking The Area
If you haven't removed your previous faucet, get it removed now. Clean the area around your faucet. Remove any wax or dirt stuck on the surface.
After that, place your new faucet into the hole. Mark the boundary with a marker or sign pen. You need to mark it so that while extending the hole, the shape doesn't become non-uniform.
Center the faucet with the previous hole before marking. Also, mark just along the edge of the faucet curvature.
Step 2 of 3: Cut The Hole Larger
For making the faucet hole larger we have different procedures. This is different for stainless steel sinks and ceramic or marble ones. Whichever one you have, we have a solution for all.
For Non-Steel Sinks
For non-steel sinks, we need to use an angle grinder. Take a diamond coat milling bit and grip it into an angle grinder. Choose a bit slightly larger than the previous hole. Place the bit centering the hole. After that, keep grinding to pierce it.
While grinding, use water so that the material you're drilling into is not detonated. This works for ceramics, porcelain, and marble sinks.
After drilling, if the hole is not yet big enough, there's a way to fix it. Position the diamond bit inside the hole and trim up to the mark you had set previously. Trim circling the inner curvature of the hole.
Once you have reached up to the hole, your work is done.
For Stainless Steel Sinks
As usual, clean the sink before you start. Cleaning fake stainless steel is much easier. If you're using a stainless steel sink, the job can't be done with an angle grinder. Stainless steels are more complicated and harder to deal with. You'll need a step drill bit.
Fit the bit in your rotary tool and place it inside the hole. Start drilling the hole softly.
If you see a little smoke, stop drilling and apply light milling oil. For each line of the step drill bit pierced inside, back up the drill a little. Then apply milling oil and start drilling with pressure again.
You might be wondering where to find milling oil. Here's what we have picked up for you:
Product 1 | |
Product 2 |
You can get the best performance from these products.
Step 3 of 3: Finishing The Edges
This step is not applicable for no-steel sinks. The diamond milling bit already finishes them well. In the case of stainless steel sinks, the steel will have some uneven parts left underneath the surface.
To finish up the hole, you need to set a round stone to your Dremel or rotary tool. Gently trim the inside edges of the holes.
These were the steps we have prepared to pull this problem off. It's a small problem but it may have given you a headache. If you've followed through these steps, you should be done pretty easily.
Things To Keep In Mind
While going through the above steps, the following steps can come to great use.
- Place a piece of cloth under the hole so that water doesn't spread.
- Put on gloves, safety goggles, and dust masks to avoid unexpected errors.
- Try to use a sharp and new diamond-coated bit. A dull bit will make your work much lengthier.
- While trimming the edges, don't be too harsh. The machine can do the job well even without too much external force. Applying too much pressure might end up deforming the edges.
These few points can come in quite handy while you're doing the job. So don't forget to keep these tips in mind.
FAQs
Question: Can't I use a bi-metal hole cutting bit?
Answer: No, you can't use a bi-metal hole cutting bit. Because, as we said, the stainless steel is a little tougher than you can expect. You can use it all day and make nothing but a mess. The bit will not be able to grind through the sink metal. But you might end up with a blunt bit.
Question: Can I use a file to expand my faucet hole?
Answer: Well, yes you can expand your faucet hole using a file. But, we don't recommend it. Because it will take too much of your time.
Question: Is a rotary tool the same as a Dremel?
Answer: No, rotary tools and Dremel are similar yet, not the same. Dremel are smaller than rotary tools and their motors are signed to have higher rpm. So, they are faster than rotary tools.
Summing Up
What do you think about this guide? Was it too hard? We don't think so. Now you know how to make a kitchen faucet hole bigger.
We hope our 3 step guide will help you fix your problem. Best of luck!
- Author
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By profession, I've been a Cytogenetic Technologist for about 24 years of my career. For those who don't understand what on earth that is, Cytogenetic technologists, are laboratory specialists who study normal and abnormal chromosomes in cells, and their relationship to disease and human development.
How to Enlarge a Hole in Porcelain Sink
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