Pierce the shell of a conch can be a complex operation, regardless of how you will use it (making a necklace or a wind chime). Using an electric drill can be dangerous and difficult, and the risk is to break the shell making it unusable. This tutorial shows you how to pierce the shell of a seashell in a simple and safe way.
Steps
Step 1. Select your shell
Keep the following values in mind:
- Thickness: A thin shell breaks much easier, but obviously a thicker shell is more difficult to pierce and takes longer.
- Size: A large shell is easier to work with but may not fit your project.
- Layers: Some shells are made up of multiple layers. Removing the top layer can reveal an even more beautiful and shiny one underneath.
Step 2. Choose where to make the hole
Make sure you have enough space to get the desired size hole. Remember that the closer the hole is to the edge of the shell, the more likely it is to break.
Step 3. Mark the position of the hole by making a small dot with a marker
Step 4. Take a pair of scissors or a small knife and use them to scrape the surface of the shell in the chosen location, creating a trace 1-2 millimeters deep
Be very careful in this step.
Step 5. Place the sharp side of the tool used in the deepest point of the newly created trace
Step 6. Now rotate the tool slowly, exerting light pressure on the shell
Keep rotating it until you reach the other side of the shell, then continue the rotation for another 5 seconds and then stop.
Step 7. Blow on the hole created to remove machining debris
Now evaluate the size of the created hole. If necessary, rotate the sharp part of your tool again inside the hole until it reaches the desired size.
Step 8. When finished, wash the shell with clean running water
Clean the tools used and tidy up the workplace.
