Drilling Holes?

Q: How do you do this with a drill? Do you use a drill you hold in your hands, or do you have your drill on some kind of apparatus that drops the drill bit down on the bead, and how do you hold the bead in place? With your fingers? If so, do you have any fingers left?

A: You didn't say what type of bead you were interested in drilling, so I thought I'd share my experience with 'Lavendar Jade' 8mm rounds. I ran around our little island with a handful of undrilled 'Lavendar Jade' rounds, and I was told that they would have to be sent off-island to be drilled. Only a couple of jewelers would even entertain sending them off. One wanted to send them off-island just to get an estimate. I was told it required a special drilling set-up. The only one that would give me an estimate wanted $12 a bead... I hope this only pertains to Jade...and that it's only a "paradise tax" for living on our island paradise. I drill pieces of fused glass using my 'Dremel' in it's little drill press and a diamond coated drill bit, under a very shallow layer of water. I also, have often wanted to be able to enlarge the holes in very small beads... 4mm beads often have really teeny holes... but have not figured out how to hang on to the bead safely while drilling? Any suggestions??? I tried to use my drill press, but the instructions for drilling holes say to start at a 45 degree angle and I didn't see how to do that with the press... do you just go for the 90 degree angle from the get go? Another person posted about drilling beads, but I can't see that post now that I've read it... she mentioned some sort of vice grip to hold onto round beads. She uses a flex shaft... which I have too, but really don't need for drilling my flat glass.

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