Knocking hole in ceramic sink?

[mattylad]

Hi folks, I managed to get a ceramic sink in the focus sale however it needs the hole for the tap making in it.

I can manage SS sinks easily - I have a punch for that but I have never had a ceramic sink and I'm very concerned at making a complete mess trying to make the hole in this.

It says use a punch to knock the hole out?

How do I go about making this hole? should I drill one all the way through first? (I have a 3/8" tile bit somewhere)?

WHat do do and what happens when you chip away at it? does it fracture all over or just where you tap it?

Cheers - matty

 

[ServiceNumpty]

Normally on the underside you can see the knockout, allways squeaky bum time knocking them out.

 

[Mark Br]

Rather than using a punch, I always use a diamond tipped bit

 

[mattylad]

I have looked on youtube but there dont seem to be nay detailed videos on knocking it out.

And the diamond bits look extremely expensive for one hole.

 

[muggles]

You need to attack it from the top, but work out where the knockout is from the underside first. Measure and mark the centre, get yourself a decent-weight hammer (I prefer a lump hammer) and a punch, size the job up then go and have a cup of tea. Wander around worrying about it for a bit, check and re-check your measurements, then when you've plucked up the courage place the punch on the mark and give it a firm clout. If your luck is in, it'll break out cleanly, if it isn't you'll end up with two halves of a sink. I've done a few and touch wood never split one yet, the key is to not to fanny around with it though, when you hit it do so firmly with a little follow-through on the hammer, wussy taps increase the risk of breakage, or so I've been told.

Hold the lump hammer near the head, it gives you more control, and make sure that follow-through isn't too long or you'll hit the sink and break it anyway.

 

[mattylad]

Thank's Muggles - sounds about how I'll do it lol.

The punch, should it be something like a nail punch with flat head or centre punch pointed?

Cheers,
Matty

 

[namsag]

Use a good size nail if you have not got a punch i found that a better way, they dont usually come out in a oner and you just tap away with nail or small flat bladed driver till its all out .
Last one i done was the rustic sink from focus ,no prob at all

 

[mattylad]

The sink looks like this one but its a Carron Pheonix Rustica 150 - likely made just for Focus as I cant find it anywhere else.


I'm thinking of getting taps like these can you suggest a good supplier on the web?

TapsUK seems to be reasonably priced - can you suggest makes of taps to avoid?

Cheers - Matt

 

[gasbanni]

Wouldnt hit it directly with the hammer too risky !!

Cut a bit off an old sweeping brush handle 4" long centre it over the cut out from above as explained earlier a good whack no problem. you can clean up the hole with a tile file.

 

[mattylad]

Well, after searching around the house from top to bottom I have eventually found my punches,

It was relativity easy to do, as long as I did not try and punch out large bits - take it slow & easy.

Turns out that the big red paper dots that were stuck on the sink to indicate "hole here" were slightly off centre to the actual hole - so I used my judgement to get it right.

Now thats done I just need to wait for my son to get his lazy ass out of bed to help me lift the thing to fit in its new hole.

 

[mattylad]

Unfortunately when he did, we managed to make a small chip on the front right corner


Have hidden it with sealant, might have to paint it gloss white - cant do much else.

Also got these taps, but the picture shows them with both taps turned fully on - which is not what they look like when turned off so they look daft.

The makers say that I can take the valves out and swap them around so that the off position is as shown in the picture. Question is - which direction is the common unscrewing direction?

 

[seco services]

Question is - which direction is the common unscrewing direction?

Anticlockwise.