Tank drilling horror stories....Should I do this myself?

joem1cha3l · 09/23/2008, 07:07 PM

Well guys I want to drill my 30g tank myself for my bulkhead but im just not sure if I can bring myself to do it. Has anyone attempted this without success? I cant afford to break my tank guys. Also does anyone want to lend/sell a 1 3/4" hole saw?

vito is hooked · 09/23/2008, 07:40 PM

Practice makes perfect!

spider86 · 09/23/2008, 07:54 PM

You can buy them cheap off ebay. It helps to make a wood guide and clamp it to the tank so the bit does not jump around when starting. Also, some tape on the other side to catch the cut-out. Take your time, use water to cool and dont press down on the drill. Practice on some scrap glass first. Good luck.

jarrett · 09/23/2008, 08:26 PM

where i live theres a glass place in town that sells windows and stuff they charge $25 to drill a hole if you can bring the glass to them. id look into that if your that concerned. call around and maybe youll find somebody to drill it that will take the responsibility. also it might save you some money on a saw that you might only use once.

fiveplusfive · 09/23/2008, 08:40 PM

http://www.glass-holes.com/product.s...7&productId=19

$12 with shipping.

Also check out video on page showing a tank being drilled.

reefergeorge · 09/23/2008, 08:54 PM

I did it first time. No problems. Go for it.

808-340 · 09/24/2008, 01:11 AM

I've done many. Relatively simple and easy. Just don't rush it or push down on the bit and make sure the drill bit is well lubricated w/ water.

Lemeshianos · 09/24/2008, 04:01 AM

I' just drilled my 80 gallons tank last Sunday.
It's much easier than what I expected.

Materials:
Clay for making a clay damp.
Water.
Duct tape.
Ball diamond drill bit.
Conical diamond drill bit.
Dremel for the drill bits above.
Diamond hole saw with pilot(bought off ebay for $20)
Non diamond coated pilot to replace the one on the hole saw.
A really good and steady drill for the hole saw.(rent one if you have a cheap crappy one like me)
Iced coffee.
Chocolate cake.

This is the procedure I used:

Clay dam. The pieces of grinded glass could cause the drill bit to bite and crack the glass. Make sure to add water as wou drill because your drill bit will spill some out.

I used a ball drill bit, a conical and a hole saw with a pilot.
The hole saw had a diamond pilot but i replaced it with a normal pilot. I was too worried that the diamond pilot might bite and crack the glass.

Ball diamond drill bit & dremel. Opened a small hole through the glass. Takes about 30 minutes to go through 8-9 mm of glass.

Conical diamond drill bit. Widened the hole for the pilot to go through easily. Less than 5 minutes to widen each hole.

Hole saw. Made a start on the inside of the tank and then drilled from the outside all the way through. Took only 5 minutes for each hole.
The reason I made a start on the inside is for not cracking the edge of the glass as I go through. You leave the weight of the drill to do the work so when I am almost through the weight could crack the 1-2 millimeters that were left and weaken the strength of the glass on that area.

Duct tape is going to be used to mark the spot where you will start drilling with the ball drill bit.
And to keep pieces of glass falling in the inside of the tank.
Also when you drill with the hole saw keep in mind that a big chunk of glass will fall when you are done. So put something inside the tank so that piece won't fall on the glass.
The last thing you want is that piece falling on the bottom glass cracking it as you drill the last hole.

And also use safety glasses. I forgot to use them and was worried all Sunday that something could have gone into my eye.
I feel fine now except some blurry vision.

sjm817 · 09/24/2008, 06:12 AM

I've drilled a few. I do it outside.
Cordless drill
diamond hole saw
garden hose
duct tape

I mark the hole, put some duct tape on the back side to keep the piece from falling out when I go through. Tape a garden hose to the tank so that water trickles over the drilling area. Start the hole at an angle with a decent speed to get it to bite. Straighten the drill out and go straight in. Use only the weight of the drill to slowly drill through the glass. When you get to the end, increase the rpm to go through nice and clean.
Very easy to do.

kzickovich · 09/24/2008, 06:17 AM

my lfs does it $15 a hole they build custom setups all the time

Chago09 · 09/24/2008, 06:41 AM

well first off a 30 gallon is like $30, so if you break it its not gonna make you go bankrupt LOL

although drilling a smaller tank is harder then a bigger one. I have drilled every tank size from 29 to 240 gallons. The larger ones you literally just go balls to the wall with the drill and wait for it to be done, there is no way you'll break it. The smaller tanks you need to be more delicate and not push so hard, let the drill do the work. Use lots of water and let the bit out of the hole every few seconds so it doesn't over heat. After your done you will be surprised how easy it was. Kinda like a child using the toilet the first time LOL

jayco5 · 09/24/2008, 07:25 AM

Thanks for the info. I've been considering drilling my 90 gallon, but I haven't worked up the courage.

Hornet · 09/24/2008, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jayco5
Thanks for the info. I've been considering drilling my 90 gallon, but I haven't worked up the courage.

I purchased my bits, measured where I wanted holes about 10 times, and watched drilling videos on youtube. After weeks of being scared to do it I finally drank 1 beer and commenced to drilling.

After you finish that first hole you be surprised how easy it is. I've since drilled about 10 holes and I no longer need a drink before drilling

Lemeshianos · 09/24/2008, 07:52 AM

Quote:

I've since drilled about 10 holes and I no longer need a drink before drilling

[/B]

C'mon. Beer and drilling go together!
Drilling without a beer is like a fish without a bicycle...

Hornet · 09/24/2008, 07:57 AM

LOL,

I said I don't "need" one. Didn't say I did not want/drink one

Pulp Fishin · 09/24/2008, 07:58 AM

I was very aprehensive about drilling my tank the first time too.
I think from the day I purchased my drill bit to when I drilled my tank was no less then 2 monthe, thats just preping myself but so far I'm 2 for 2 in drilling tanks.

If your tank is 30gal them most likly its not tempered on the sides so your best bet is to try there.

Cheers!

firebirdude · 09/24/2008, 08:05 AM

Wasn't sure if my tank was tempered or not. Bought it cheap used so decided to chance it...... I now have a big empty spot where my tank used it be.

Pulp Fishin · 09/24/2008, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by firebirdude
Wasn't sure if my tank was tempered or not. Bought it cheap used so decided to chance it...... I now have a big empty spot where my tank used it be.

Yes that reminds me of a very important step!
Check out the tank makers webpage, they will usually tell you if its tempered or not. If your not willing to risk it, call the help desk and ask.

spacepirate · 09/24/2008, 10:42 AM

If you are in doubt if the tank is tempered, then don't drill!

I did a google search, tempered glass will leave square stress patterns when you look at it through a polarizer. I'm wondering if you take polarized sunglasses and move the glasses around to a 90% angle if you would see it.

HappySkittles · 09/24/2008, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Chago09
well first off a 30 gallon is like $30, so if you break it its not gonna make you go bankrupt LOL

i want to live where you live D: there is only one place that charges $1 a gallon on tanks and they only do it once a year for a couple days

spacepirate · 09/24/2008, 10:44 AM

found this online too:

The process of testing for tempered glass isn't hard to do. A car or truck windshield out in the sun and a set of polaroid sunglasses are all that you need.
Start by putting the car in a location where you can get a nice glancing reflection of the sun off of the windshield. This makes the sunlight very polarized so you have the lightsource of polarized light.
Next grab the sunglasses and verify that they do change the brightness of the reflection off of the windshield when the sunglasses are rotated about to do the polarization dimming trick. If so then you can then put the glass between and look at the amount of dimming that the glass does to the light. Try to get one area to dim fully and see if the rest also dims to match at the same angle. We're interested in the angle at which the max. dimming occurs, not that actual amount of dimming as different parts of the glass will be seeing different things behind the glass.
You will probably see polka dots or lines in the glass as you go through the dimming and those features will have a different angle at which they go to max. dimmness.
If you don't see any difrerence then the glass is well annealed and you can use it for making mirrors with no troubles.

09/23/2008, 07:07 PM	#1
joem1cha3l Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,158	Tank drilling horror stories....Should I do this myself? Well guys I want to drill my 30g tank myself for my bulkhead but im just not sure if I can bring myself to do it. Has anyone attempted this without success? I cant afford to break my tank guys. Also does anyone want to lend/sell a 1 3/4" hole saw?

09/23/2008, 07:40 PM	#2
vito is hooked Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Port Charlotte FL Posts: 845	Practice makes perfect! __________________ IT'S THE SAME THING-ONLY DIFFERENT Current Tank Info: 300gal with 180gal Ref/Sump M/H lighting 2-175 watt 10.000 K 3 150watt 15.000 K 8 blue actinics 4 Purple OCTOPUS Extreme-X200 Skimmer Max Flow 4200gph Return

09/23/2008, 07:54 PM	#3
spider86 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 306	You can buy them cheap off ebay. It helps to make a wood guide and clamp it to the tank so the bit does not jump around when starting. Also, some tape on the other side to catch the cut-out. Take your time, use water to cool and dont press down on the drill. Practice on some scrap glass first. Good luck. __________________ Zach Current Tank Info: 37g reef, 25g sump, OR 2500, Octo-150, Calfo overflow, 150w HQI Pheonix 14k, T5 retro, w/ closed loop, Little Giant 3-MDQX-SC, UV, PhosReactor, CarbonReactor, 1/10 Prime chiller

09/23/2008, 08:26 PM	#4
jarrett Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 231	where i live theres a glass place in town that sells windows and stuff they charge $25 to drill a hole if you can bring the glass to them. id look into that if your that concerned. call around and maybe youll find somebody to drill it that will take the responsibility. also it might save you some money on a saw that you might only use once. __________________ we cant stop here this is bat country!! Current Tank Info: 90g mixed reef. 45g sump

09/23/2008, 08:54 PM	#6
reefergeorge Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: St Louis MO Posts: 4,222	I did it first time. No problems. Go for it. __________________ $35-50 for a <1" frag of some stupid named thing that came from a colony you bought for $40-60 wholesale and chopped into 20-40 pieces? No thanks. "JasonH" Current Tank Info: 125 aggressive reef, DIY led lighting, swc cone skimmer, 33 gallon sump, posiden Ps3 return.

09/23/2008, 08:40 PM	#5
fiveplusfive Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 44	http://www.glass-holes.com/product.s...7&productId=19 $12 with shipping. Also check out video on page showing a tank being drilled.

09/24/2008, 01:11 AM	#7
808-340 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Far Away... Posts: 108	I've done many. Relatively simple and easy. Just don't rush it or push down on the bit and make sure the drill bit is well lubricated w/ water.

09/24/2008, 04:01 AM	#8
Lemeshianos Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Limassol, Cyprus Posts: 468	I' just drilled my 80 gallons tank last Sunday. It's much easier than what I expected. Materials: Clay for making a clay damp. Water. Duct tape. Ball diamond drill bit. Conical diamond drill bit. Dremel for the drill bits above. Diamond hole saw with pilot(bought off ebay for $20) Non diamond coated pilot to replace the one on the hole saw. A really good and steady drill for the hole saw.(rent one if you have a cheap crappy one like me) Iced coffee. Chocolate cake. This is the procedure I used: Clay dam. The pieces of grinded glass could cause the drill bit to bite and crack the glass. Make sure to add water as wou drill because your drill bit will spill some out. I used a ball drill bit, a conical and a hole saw with a pilot. The hole saw had a diamond pilot but i replaced it with a normal pilot. I was too worried that the diamond pilot might bite and crack the glass. Ball diamond drill bit & dremel. Opened a small hole through the glass. Takes about 30 minutes to go through 8-9 mm of glass. Conical diamond drill bit. Widened the hole for the pilot to go through easily. Less than 5 minutes to widen each hole. Hole saw. Made a start on the inside of the tank and then drilled from the outside all the way through. Took only 5 minutes for each hole. The reason I made a start on the inside is for not cracking the edge of the glass as I go through. You leave the weight of the drill to do the work so when I am almost through the weight could crack the 1-2 millimeters that were left and weaken the strength of the glass on that area. Duct tape is going to be used to mark the spot where you will start drilling with the ball drill bit. And to keep pieces of glass falling in the inside of the tank. Also when you drill with the hole saw keep in mind that a big chunk of glass will fall when you are done. So put something inside the tank so that piece won't fall on the glass. The last thing you want is that piece falling on the bottom glass cracking it as you drill the last hole. And also use safety glasses. I forgot to use them and was worried all Sunday that something could have gone into my eye. I feel fine now except some blurry vision.

09/24/2008, 06:12 AM	#9
sjm817 On Yer left! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Northern VA Posts: 18,777	I've drilled a few. I do it outside. Cordless drill diamond hole saw garden hose duct tape I mark the hole, put some duct tape on the back side to keep the piece from falling out when I go through. Tape a garden hose to the tank so that water trickles over the drilling area. Start the hole at an angle with a decent speed to get it to bite. Straighten the drill out and go straight in. Use only the weight of the drill to slowly drill through the glass. When you get to the end, increase the rpm to go through nice and clean. Very easy to do. __________________ - Scott

09/24/2008, 06:17 AM	#10
kzickovich Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Zion Il Posts: 959	my lfs does it $15 a hole they build custom setups all the time __________________ Ken Current Tank Info: 90 Gal mixed reef 55 Gallon basement pump up Sump 25 Gal fuge 2 Mp40 DIY led light fixture Bubble King Mini 200 Gen2 skimmer BRS Duel reactor

09/24/2008, 06:41 AM	#11
Chago09 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Georgetown Posts: 1,132	well first off a 30 gallon is like $30, so if you break it its not gonna make you go bankrupt LOL although drilling a smaller tank is harder then a bigger one. I have drilled every tank size from 29 to 240 gallons. The larger ones you literally just go balls to the wall with the drill and wait for it to be done, there is no way you'll break it. The smaller tanks you need to be more delicate and not push so hard, let the drill do the work. Use lots of water and let the bit out of the hole every few seconds so it doesn't over heat. After your done you will be surprised how easy it was. Kinda like a child using the toilet the first time LOL __________________ Currently no tank!

09/24/2008, 07:25 AM	#12
jayco5 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 74	Thanks for the info. I've been considering drilling my 90 gallon, but I haven't worked up the courage.

09/24/2008, 07:57 AM	#15
Hornet Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Hampton Roads, VA Posts: 145	LOL, I said I don't "need" one. Didn't say I did not want/drink one __________________ 150 gal, 40g sump, Constellation T5 Light Fixture, Octo Ext. 200, ACIII, OM-4way Current Tank Info: 150 gal, 40g sump, Constellation T5 Light Fixture, Octo Ext. 200, ACIII, OM-4way

09/24/2008, 07:58 AM	#16
Pulp Fishin Were all mad here. Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: London Ontario Canada Posts: 608	I was very aprehensive about drilling my tank the first time too. I think from the day I purchased my drill bit to when I drilled my tank was no less then 2 monthe, thats just preping myself but so far I'm 2 for 2 in drilling tanks. If your tank is 30gal them most likly its not tempered on the sides so your best bet is to try there. Cheers! __________________ Reef Central Corner Club Aquarium Dumpster Diver Extraordinaire Money talks, mine says "Good-Bye" Current Tank Info: RIP:60g Pentagon Reef 100lbs LR 20g Sump Deltec Mce 600 Mag 750 250W Metal Halide & 2x39W T5's Phosban ReactorX2 5gal refugium 36xTO RIP:135G FOWLER /Agressive

09/24/2008, 08:05 AM	#17
firebirdude User and Abuser Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 1,836	Wasn't sure if my tank was tempered or not. Bought it cheap used so decided to chance it...... I now have a big empty spot where my tank used it be.

09/24/2008, 10:42 AM	#19
spacepirate Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: austin tx Posts: 26	If you are in doubt if the tank is tempered, then don't drill! I did a google search, tempered glass will leave square stress patterns when you look at it through a polarizer. I'm wondering if you take polarized sunglasses and move the glasses around to a 90% angle if you would see it.

09/24/2008, 10:44 AM	#21
spacepirate Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: austin tx Posts: 26	found this online too: The process of testing for tempered glass isn't hard to do. A car or truck windshield out in the sun and a set of polaroid sunglasses are all that you need. Start by putting the car in a location where you can get a nice glancing reflection of the sun off of the windshield. This makes the sunlight very polarized so you have the lightsource of polarized light. Next grab the sunglasses and verify that they do change the brightness of the reflection off of the windshield when the sunglasses are rotated about to do the polarization dimming trick. If so then you can then put the glass between and look at the amount of dimming that the glass does to the light. Try to get one area to dim fully and see if the rest also dims to match at the same angle. We're interested in the angle at which the max. dimming occurs, not that actual amount of dimming as different parts of the glass will be seeing different things behind the glass. You will probably see polka dots or lines in the glass as you go through the dimming and those features will have a different angle at which they go to max. dimmness. If you don't see any difrerence then the glass is well annealed and you can use it for making mirrors with no troubles.