Drilling holes in my kitchen sink

I have a pretty basic 2 basin, 3 faucet hole sink, nothing special. Anyway, seeing how it's almost impossible to find a modern faucet that doesn't have an aerator attachment, I figure what the heck.

Assuming it's even a good idea, how would I do that. It's a basic enameled metal sink, ample room on sink shelf for the aerator attachment. Just so we're clear, there is NO room on the counter for the aerator - the sink fills the space.

Again, assuming its a good idea, what size drill bit would I need for the hole, and what kind of bit would I need? What possible gotcha's should I look out for and how close to the faucet holes should I make the aerator hole?

Reply to
Eigenvector
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Eigenvector, I just did this recently on my sink which was cast iron with a porcelain enamel. I needed to drill two extra holes and here is what I did. I went to my local DIY store (Home Depot, Lowes, etc) and asked an associate where the carbide drill bits were. They only had a couple of various sizes. I remember getting the biggest hole size they had which was only 1 inch I believe. The bit is like a hole saw except the middle prong has a globule/grit look to it along with a grit look on the rim of the hole part. Kind of hard to explain until you see it. Well, the bit worked perfectly although it took me about two batteries in my DeWalt 14.4V drill before I got all the way through the sink. Cast iron is some tough stuff. Here is a link to the type of bit I am talking about:

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Mike

Reply to
mikeytag

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How big do you think the hole for the aerator is though - 1 1/2"??

Reply to
Eigenvector

You mean a pull out separately mounted sprayer I assume? An aerator is the screw on bit at the end of the faucet spout that adds air to the water stream.

If you don't want the separate sprayer you have two easy options that do not involve drilling holes in the sink, which on an enameled one is asking for trouble.

Option 1: Just leave the remote sprayer connected to the new faucet under the sink. You can ignore it there if you want, and it's still available should you want to fill a bucket for washing the floor.

Option 2: Buy a faucet with the spout mounted pull out head. They're a bit more expensive, but give you normal functionality and pull out sprayer without an extra mounting hole.

Pete C.

Reply to
Pete C.

You're correct, I did mean sprayer, not the aerator. I'm glad the first posted knew what I meant.

I have the faucet already.

I guess I didn't think of just leaving it under the sink, it would make a handy method of filling buckets and the like if you need hot water. For some reason maybe I thought that if I left it down there it would burst or leak - but on thinking about it it wouldn't do anything laying on the cabinet floor that it wouldn't do propped on the sink counter.

I'll have to think about this.

Reply to
Eigenvector

Shit, that was so obvious even I should have thought of it.

End of problem, I just put a plastic dirty dish pan under the cabinet, attached the sprayer and set it down in the pan in case there are leaks. Not that there will be, cause with the faucet off the sprayer doesn't have water in it. It also reached over the cabinet door and into the sink in case I do need to use it there.

Thank man.

Reply to
Eigenvector

Exactly, I've done than on one sink when I wanted to use the hole for a soap dispenser. The sprayer hose hangs down under the sink 99.999% of the time in the normal installation anyway.

Pete C.

Reply to
Pete C.

Yep, sometimes the solution is just staring at you.

Pete C.

Reply to
Pete C.

Nice solution. An addition. Why not attach some sort of hook to the handset and hang it from something under there? Wouldn't use up valuable cabinet floor space just laying there. Could make a hook out of heavy wire if nothing else.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

Reply to
bamboo

I've used carbide hole saws with success, but would suggest you use a diamond hole saw like the one below. The price is not very different. Make sure to keep it well lubricated and don't force the bit. Cracking is mostly due to uneven heating of the porcelain as you drill. If you keep the area wet and cool you will minimize or eliminate cracking of the porcelain.

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B

Eigenvector wrote:

Reply to
boden

That's not a bad option, the bits aren't outrageous in cost either.

Does anyone know the size the hole needs to be? I still haven't seen that published, although I guess I could get off my lazy butt and measure the insert that goes in the hole.

Still, keeping the sprayer in the undercabinet is a very cool suggestion.

Reply to
Eigenvector

Jason B had written this in response to

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I'm also about to do this. It's a Porcelain enamel over cast iron. Any other tips???

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Reply to
Jason B

Jason B had written this in response to

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------------------------------------- mikeytag wrote:

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I'm planning on drilling a hole in my porcelain/cast iron kitchen sink to put in a soap dispenser. Any other tips? Is this the type of bit I want to use? I'm scared and don't want it to crack.

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(Qep Tile Tools 1-1/2" Heavy Duty Carbide Hole Saw

  • Cuts a 1-1/2" hole in wall tile for most faucet and shower pipes
  • Comes complete with 1/4" carbide pilot drill-bit
  • Fits standard 3/8" or larger drills )

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Reply to
Jason B

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check the size... I think most kitchen sink stuff is designed for a

1-1/4" hole and may fit through a smaller one but may not cover a larger one. or just refer to the install sheet for your soap dispenser

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

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