Drilled my first tank!

[RogersCG]

Pretty fun! I bought 1.5" Hayward Bulkheads from Two Part for my 110 Extra High. Very heavy duty!

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s65/RogersCG/Tank%20Build/DrillingTank1.jpg

Installed... I'm doing a horizontal overflow about 20" wide.

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s65/RogersCG/Tank%20Build/DrillingTank2.jpg

[Chad Vossen]

congrats! i drilled my 65G just like that. i also drilled the bottom of my 20 L.

i was very scared when i was drilling my 65 gal, i thought for sure it was going to break!

[hamdogg08]

Nice job. I assume that you're going to need some pepto and rogaine for your ulcer & balding induced by drilling a tank. :)

[Zibba]

which diamond bit did you use? did you order that from twopart as well?

[hamdogg08]

I ordered mine off ebay. From some guy in Hong Kong I think. It was about $10 for the bit and shipping combined. It was a hole saw style though, not a dremel style.

[RogersCG]

which diamond bit did you use? did you order that from twopart as well?

I used a 60mm bit I ordered from http://www.richontools.com/

Ordered on Friday 8/31, shipped from Hong Kong on Monday the 3rd and it arrived on Saturday the 8th. Pretty amazing. I got a 48mm and a 84mm also because I wasn't sure at the time what size bulkhead I was going to get at the time. With shipping it came to just a little over 30 dollars for all three. The 84mm is huge!

[RogersCG]

Nice job. I assume that you're going to need some pepto and rogaine for your ulcer & balding induced by drilling a tank. :)

LOL! Not to mention I wasn't 100% sure it wasn't tempered!! I contacted all the big players and none could confirm they built it. Fortunately I didn't pay too much for the tank and it all worked out (so far!)...

[Dhummel]

heres the one i bought from the guy in hongkong as well, the one for 1-3/4 " is this one 45mm
http://cm.ebay.com/cm/ck/1065-29392-2357-0?uid=28794899&site=0&ver=EOIBSA080805&lk=URL&Item=6626550742

[Dhummel]

Pretty fun! I bought 1.5" Hayward Bulkheads from Two Part for my 110 Extra High. Very heavy duty!

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s65/RogersCG/Tank%20Build/DrillingTank1.jpg

Installed... I'm doing a horizontal overflow about 20" wide.

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s65/RogersCG/Tank%20Build/DrillingTank2.jpg
in your image what did you use for the form around the hole, did you use water to cool it ?

[David Grigor]

It's just plumber's putty. Ace, HomeDepot, Menards, ( probably fleet farm too ) carry it.

http://www.wmharvey.com/images/cat4/043105.png


Can use water, coolant, or a combination of both. I do mine outside and just use running water from the garden hose and skip the putty damn and coolant.

[Dhummel]

It's just plumber's putty. Ace, HomeDepot, Menards, ( probably fleet farm too ) carry it.

http://www.wmharvey.com/images/cat4/043105.png


Can use water, coolant, or a combination of both. I do mine outside and just use running water from the garden hose and skip the putty damn and coolant.
great, thanks for thr info, i may skip the putty idea

[RogersCG]

great, thanks for thr info, i may skip the putty idea

You are just trying to keep the bit cool so any way you can get water in the groove and around the bit should work. You don't really need to use coolant, water is fine. You aren't really drilling but grinding through the glass.

Some of the tips I've read are:


Don't put too much pressure on the drill and let the bit do the work.
Lift the drill up every few seconds so water can get to it to cool it down.
Take your time!!
Put something under the hole you are drilling to catch the glass that you cut out. I used a small plastic trash can filled with a little water.
Clamp something to the back of the hole to minimize chipping when you go through (I didn't do this and was fine with the results).


The hardest part is getting started because the bit has a tendency to want to wander over the smooth surface. I bought a had drill press attachment that eliminated this but I would guess you could drill the same size hole in a board and clamp it to the front of the glass as a guide or something like that. Once you have a groove then the bit will stay on track.

Good Luck!!
Chris

[capman]

In addition to all that has been said, I think it is useful to remember that you are actually grinding the glass, not drilling it per-se (not like drilling wood, for example). I think this grinding, not drilling mindset helps.

And as others have said, you need to keep your wits about you and not rush.

Drilling (oops, grinding) my first tanks was pretty scary, but it goes very easily as long as you are careful and don't push too hard. My only problems (so far) have been in trying to drill smaller tanks with thin glass. I successfully drilled one hole in a 10 gallon tank, but in drilling the second hole the bit bound up and put too much strain on the glass at one point and put a big crack across the back of the tank. All of the 40 breeders I have drilled have gone smoothly though.

I cut a V in a small piece of plywood, clamped this to the tank (I was drilling holes near the top of the tank) using spring clamps (not clamps that you screw down to tighten) with another uncut piece of plywood on the other side of the glass. I ran a slow stream of water through the V from a garden hose with the tank on the ground, with the glass surface being drilled horizontal. The V notch helped me to keep the bit in position when the hole was first getting started.

[capman]

oops- double post

[storrisch]

My only problems (so far) have been in trying to drill smaller tanks with thin glass. I successfully drilled one hole in a 10 gallon tank, but in drilling the second hole the bit bound up and put too much strain on the glass at one point and put a big crack across the back of the tank. All of the 40 breeders I have drilled have gone smoothly though.


I prefer to use a dremel to cut holes in small tanks. I have put 3 holes in a single 10g. using a dremel bit. Even on a low torque setting a drill can still crack a 10 pretty easy.

[capman]

Good suggestion. Thanks.



I prefer to use a dremel to cut holes in small tanks. I have put 3 holes in a single 10g. using a dremel bit. Even on a low torque setting a drill can still crack a 10 pretty easy.