A method of machining includes mounting a component in a drilling machine. The component has a target region where the hole is to be drilled. The component and a jet head are situated relative to each other in a drilling arrangement in which the target region is at a first position that is vertically equal to or vertically above a second position at which the jet head is located. A liquid stream is jetted from the jet head and contains either abrasive particles or a laser beam. The stream impinges the target region, and the abrasive particles or the laser beam cause removal of material from the component to form the hole. The liquid stream rebounds off of the component as back-splash. The drilling arrangement causes gravitational draining of the back-splash from the target region to reduce interference between the back-splash and the liquid stream.