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Drainage holes in stoneware pot.

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Drainage holes in stoneware pot.

Postby Joanbunting » Thu Apr 18, 2013 4:00 pm

I have an ancient and thick stoneware bread crock that I want to pension off as a garden container.

Try as we might we can't find a drill bit to penetrate. Masonary drills useless. Any suggestions??

Should add that neither of us are any great shakes at DIY though I'm OK on woodwork.

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Re: Drainage holes in stoneware pot.

Postby jeral » Thu Apr 18, 2013 4:31 pm

If it is indeed basic stoneware and not coated, then a masonry bit should go through although two things. First, it's better to start with a small bit which will go through easier than starting with a big one, then use that as a guide hole to enlarge it with a bigger gauge drill bit. Second, a bog standard or battery operated drill almost certainly won't do it as need a hammer drill, which pulses a bit like a blender does.

If that still fails, if it's some sort of stoneware that doesn't absorb moisture (so doesn't evaporate moisture through it), you could alternatively put a hammock of heavy cotton in it that dangles fully over the sides so that the water leaches up through that and drips off the dangly bits.

Or, pebbles in the bottom, an inner pot that you can lift out and tip out excess water as and when (goes without saying really). All I can think of, but drilling should work.

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Re: Drainage holes in stoneware pot.

Postby jeral » Thu Apr 18, 2013 4:37 pm

PS With power tools, I'd normally say let the tool do the work but if drilling through masonry it does take a bit of "steady force"(?) to make the bit go through. Easiest if the crock is upturned so can use downward pressure. Also, masonry bits blunt very quickly - another reason for starting off with a smaller bit, so you could find that the bits cost more than the pot's worth.

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Re: Drainage holes in stoneware pot.

Postby Stokey Sue » Thu Apr 18, 2013 5:51 pm

Tile bit not masonry bit I think? The arrow shaped ones

Should be much the same stuff as a tile after all

There's a real risk of cracking it though - I have cracked tiles with a tile bit despite using it carefully (i,e, slowly), and drilling through a piece of masking tape

You might be better advised. as jeral says, to put a layer of pebbles and charcoal in the bottom & grow something that doesn't worry too much about a soggy bottom - as one does with winter flowering bulbs? Or use it as a cache pot with a plastic pot inside.

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Re: Drainage holes in stoneware pot.

Postby jeral » Thu Apr 18, 2013 6:35 pm

To be honest, I don't drill through modern tiles mainly because they're likely to be as thin as a fingernail plus afixed with stripes of cement (so unstable vibration-wise even if the tile itself would take the stress) so I drill through the grout into the wall, or not at all.

Arrow, flat auger bits(?) I'd be surprised if they'd touch masonry but as ever I'll happily stand corrected.

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Re: Drainage holes in stoneware pot.

Postby Happy Violas » Thu Apr 18, 2013 8:57 pm

If you're not successful with holes how about growing plants such as Sarracenia? They're carnivorous plants and need to be growing in rain water. Young children seem to like the yuk factor of dead flies in the pitchers :lol: :lol: :lol:

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Re: Drainage holes in stoneware pot.

Postby Joanbunting » Fri Apr 19, 2013 1:37 pm

Thanks for the thoughts folks.

We do have a hammer action drill and M borrowed an arrow shaped bit from his friend. Still didn't touch it! So now we have a crock with a pitted bottom but no drainage holes!

I tried the pebble method last year, but the plant just drowned because when it rains here it rains and if you are away it can' be tipped out quickly enough. I am now wondering about a papyrus plant??

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Re: Drainage holes in stoneware pot.

Postby Stokey Sue » Fri Apr 19, 2013 2:09 pm

jeral wrote:Arrow, flat auger bits(?) I'd be surprised if they'd touch masonry but as ever I'll happily stand corrected.



No, not an auger bit, diamond or carbide tipped special tile bits - intended for glazed ceramic

http://imagehost.vendio.com/a/28304091/aview/ceramic_faithfull_tile_drill_bit.jpg

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Re: Drainage holes in stoneware pot.

Postby jeral » Fri Apr 19, 2013 2:48 pm

Thanks Stokey Sue for the pic - haven't seen one of those arrow bits.

@ Joanbunting: My BIL has a fish pond with reeds but that has a pump etc so the water doesn't stagnate, so wondering if it would stagnate in a pot even if planted... I guess you could try a papyrus and if it looks like it's rotting whip it out quick to go elsewhere.

Could put the crock on its side, put some soil in a mesh (e.g. top end of a pair of tights) to stop it falling out, then plant a trailing petunia or begonia.

Another use could be to turn it upside down and use it as a plinth to raise up a central feature plant. I utilised some spare bricks to make a sort of staircase so that pots could be on different levels.

I've always fancied growing an ornamental grass ball, like a Mr Potato Head, where the grass falls all around. Something like that could be stood on a plinth.

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Re: Drainage holes in stoneware pot.

Postby Joanbunting » Fri Apr 19, 2013 3:35 pm

Hi Jeral

If you knew the size of our garden - minute you would realise that anything on its side would prevent us from having a barbecue and/or a table! I quite like the idea of using it as a plinth though.

Sue, M says he'll pop round to his friends - who is an electrician specialising in cental heating/air con and see what he has got.

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Re: Drainage holes in stoneware pot.

Postby jeral » Fri Apr 19, 2013 4:00 pm

I forgot to mention another thought: Buy a small child's umbrella, remove enough central fabric at the apex to poke plant through and let the brolly run the rainwater off. Nothing if not a novelty talking point - if it works that is.

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