Drilling a hole ?

If you think a punch will crack the item, why do you think the drill will not crack it?

Most men drill holes with their penis !!!!! :)

Drill the dimple square to the surface, then change the angle to what you want.

Bob

Perhaps because drilling is a slow, steady pressure process as opposed to the sharp blow from a hammer and a chisel.

Let's see, if I wanted to drill through a piece of tile, which method would I choose? Hmmmm, I wonder.

How thick is this brass material that it would make a difference wether you drill in square to the surface or straight down ? depending on the thickness and the angle I might drill in square with a slightly smaller drill and then straight down with the full size.

Who said anything about a sharp blow or a chisel?

Well, I've certainly used a punch and very gentle tap with a hammer to mark the spot before drilling tile. Done it many times -- to avoid the bid skidding off the glaze. It's not the only way to break through the glaze and prevent skid but it does work and very well.

Making a dimple in a very soft metal like brass won't take much force at all. Drilling a hole in it will require a lot more energy.

If you can't make a tiny dimple without cracking the thing, I very much doubt the item will survive drilling.