drilling a number plate.

Can anyone tell me the correct method for drilling a number plate because I have just cracked the front of mine trying to put new holes in it.

Gutted.

use a very small drill bit & work your way up to the right size, to stop the bit slipping, a bit of maskin tape

[rictus01]

Like most of the brittle plastics "breakout" (where the drill comes through) will cause cracking, the simplest method is a sacrificial backing bit of wood, or drill part way from both sides.

Of course a sharp drill bit and a clamped work piece always help.

Cheers Mark.

when i did mine i was also careful not to drill too fast, just take it slow cos it's not as if the plastic is so hard you'll spend hours - it goes through relatively quickly even when going slowly. I also put a backing piece of wood, as mentioned, because otherwise once the tip of the drill goes through, the pressure being put on the drill means it just breaks right through - simple physics!

i find drilling number plates in this weather when the plastic is cold makes them very brittle, take the plate indoors and warm it on a rad or something first then as above, nice sharp drill bit and dont press on, drill through into a piece of wood.

When I did mine, it was on the floor outside (grass/mud, not tarmac!). Sharp drill bit, cordless variable speed drill. Slow & steady, using the weight of the drill to push the bit down, and nothing more.

Took a few mins to do both holes, but better than having to fork out for a new one IMO.