weeble wrote:Yeeeeaaaaah, it is unfortunately a lot harder to drill ceramics than metal. Also, a lot of the time the 'hairline cracks' are incredibly hard to see so finding the end of the crack can be darn near inpossible. To even try it you'd probably want a masonry bit, and they just don't come tiny. In other words, it might be possible, its just not practical.

You can drill as long as it's not glazed, I do it all the time.

keep it green,
Harry

You can drill glazed as well. Find a shallow basin. Take some pool filter sand and moisten it. Fill the basin with an inch or two of the sand. Fill the container you wish to drill with the sand and compress it. Turn the container upside down on the sand in the basin and wiggle it in a bit (no air gaps between the sand in the basin, the sand in the container, and the inside surface of the container). *LIGHTLY* tap a nail where you want your hole to be. All you want is a small dimple to hold the point of a carbide or diamond-dusted drillbit. Using a *VERY SMALL* (1/32-1/16") carbide or diamond-dusted drill bit and a goodly amount of water (preferably streamed at the drill bit so it cools the bit, cools the drilling point on the container, and lubricates things slightly), let the bit do ALL of the work and drill through the container. After the hole is complete, use a conical carbide or diamond-dusted bit and again with plenty of water, enlarge the hole to the point where you're happy. Bigger is better, but don't push your luck, either. A 1/2" hole is pretty reasonable to accomplish. Pretty much any home improvement store carries the bits you'll need and they're not likely to run you broke, either.

Using the above, I've put holes in everything from dinner bowls to soy sauce trays. It really does open up the spectrum of containers! If the container you're drilling is glazed inside, I'd heartily recommend roughing the glazed surface with either a Dremel or drill attachment like a wire brush. It'll keep the roots much happier.

Enjoy!
-d