Step-by-Step: Drilling Holes in Your Glass Tank for Bulkheads - Page 23

JustOneMoreTank · 11/28/2006, 10:19 AM

I want to try the Sch 80 BHs next tank I make for myself. A lot of people on the RC Boards (and elsewhere on the www) seem to really like them more than the regular duty BHs. Only drawback is the larger size doesnt always fit in tight spaces like some overflow boxes etc. And yes as you (unfortunately) figured out they require larger holes in the tank to fit similar size plumbing.

swedish steel · 11/28/2006, 05:14 PM

The chart on plumbingsupply.com shows a 1 1/2 inch sch 80 bulkhead requires a 2 9/16 hole so 2.5625 x 25.4mm = 65.0875mm hole. Thats why I used a 70mm hole saw. If lau had one closer to 66mm, I would have used that.

Reefn00b · 11/30/2006, 01:38 PM

Questions for u experts... did anyof you actually drill a 3 inch hole to accomodate a 2 inch bulk head. Im looking to purchase the 75mm diamond hole saw from lau i was just hoping someone who had already doen this could point me to the best place to buy the bulkhead.....

Im gonna use this to feed the water to my ocean motions four way in a closed loop

Reefn00b · 11/30/2006, 01:38 PM

Questions for u experts... did anyof you actually drill a 3 inch hole to accomodate a 2 inch bulk head. Im looking to purchase the 75mm diamond hole saw from lau i was just hoping someone who had already doen this could point me to the best place to buy the bulkhead.....

Im gonna use this to feed the water to my ocean motions four way in a closed loop

dtaranath · 11/30/2006, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Reefn00b
Questions for u experts... did anyof you actually drill a 3 inch hole to accomodate a 2 inch bulk head. Im looking to purchase the 75mm diamond hole saw from lau i was just hoping someone who had already doen this could point me to the best place to buy the bulkhead.....

Im gonna use this to feed the water to my ocean motions four way in a closed loop

What kind of pump are you using? Does your pump have a 2" intake?

One of the things you could do is cut out holes for two 1.5" bulkheads. Have them connected with a 1.5-1.5-2.0 inch wye which you can send down to your pump. Having two intakes from the tank can help to reduce the amount of suction within the tank itself.

Reefn00b · 11/30/2006, 07:37 PM

For the meantime I will be using my mag 18 or possibly my 24.... I hope to switch out to a dart though.

JustOneMoreTank · 11/30/2006, 09:18 PM

I have two 1.5" BHs the serve as the intake for my Dart CL pump. They both step up and combine at a 2" PVC T and head down to the Dart. The water then leaves the Dart and goes thru my OM 4 Way. It works really well.
You could try that.

Steve 926 · 11/30/2006, 09:19 PM

I would like to thank "Just One More Tank" and every one else on this thread for their advice & experience. I have decided to start it up again ( This obsession with SW) after a long rest.
I have purchased a drill guide & some 45 & 40mm diamond hole saws from Lau, & will be burning the midnight oil in the garage & pondering what to do next to make it a better system this time.
Being retired I now have the time & patience to devote to a lifestyle of just enjoying my reef & shareing it with all. Once again thanks for the time you take to help others, & RC is without a doubt the Best!!

Steve926

swedish steel · 11/30/2006, 09:31 PM

reefnOOb - I drilled four bulkhead holes 3 3/16 inch for a 2 inch bulkhead. 3.1875 x 25.4mm = 80.96mm I bought 85mm hole saws from lau and they worked great. These are for two darts each feeding an om 4way on the 300 and one dart for an om 4way on the 130. This way there are two inch drains feeding a two inch input. I did not try to get all these on one hole saw due to the glass thichness.

Reefn00b · 12/01/2006, 08:02 AM

So you think if I drill 2 holes to feed the water into the pump i would be better off? I guess that would minimize the suction in the tank so that there would be less of a chance of my fish getting sucked to the guard... speak of which what are you guys using as your strainers, does anyone have anything that doesnt stick out very far?

medic29 · 12/01/2006, 09:15 AM

I initially cut some egg crate and put it in my bulkhead, then after having a shrimp take a ride down to my sump I went out and got some gutter guard and cut it to fit and placed it in the bulkhead on top of the egg crate. Works great! Nothing had gotten through and it doesn't cut down the return and it doesn't stick out of the bulkhead!!!

Reefn00b · 12/01/2006, 02:41 PM

Thats not a bad idea... Anyone else with cool strainers and a place to get em?

JustOneMoreTank · 12/01/2006, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Steve 926
I would like to thank "Just One More Tank" and every one else on this thread for their advice & experience. I have decided to start it up again ( This obsession with SW) after a long rest.
I have purchased a drill guide & some 45 & 40mm diamond hole saws from Lau, & will be burning the midnight oil in the garage & pondering what to do next to make it a better system this time.
Being retired I now have the time & patience to devote to a lifestyle of just enjoying my reef & shareing it with all. Once again thanks for the time you take to help others, & RC is without a doubt the Best!!

Steve926

Hey no problem. Glad that everyone is finding this thread useful.

Glad to have you back in the reefing community.

JustOneMoreTank · 12/01/2006, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Reefn00b
Thats not a bad idea... Anyone else with cool strainers and a place to get em?

These are just the standard strainers that I used.
They look different when you start getting larger diameters instead of the smaller diameter units that look long and skinny.

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewIt...product=FT8577

You could also try here:
http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/...ories/ssid/344

Kayadad · 12/21/2006, 12:29 AM

Just bought a 60mm from Lau. Will be drilling my first reef tank, a 40 breeder. Want to thank in advance JustOneMoreTank for this thread. I will definitely read up before I drill.

jdircksen · 12/23/2006, 11:26 AM

I bought a 45mm drill bit from Richon Tools...the shaft is a hair too big to fit in my 3/8" drill chuck. Anyone else have this problem? What was your fix?

Fish'InMN · 12/23/2006, 09:22 PM

Just drilled a 45mm hole for a 1" bulkhead in my "new" 20Long, using a hole saw from lau on eBay. After reading nearly this whole thread, I sat down and *carefully* drilled the whole out over about 30 minutes (Much to the enjoyment of my family

). I hooked a hose up to the faucet in our largest bathtub and had a steady, fast stream of cold water running across the area the whole time.

Only problem I ran into was starting the hole as it would not sit still in the same place. My only solution was to drill faster, and that paid the bill! So for the drilling newbies out there: Do the math on 500rpm, its a little more than 8 revolutions per SECOND!

Good luck all,
Marty

jdircksen · 12/23/2006, 10:21 PM

Did your bit fit in a 3/8" chuck or 1/2"?

Fish'InMN · 12/23/2006, 10:49 PM

I used a cordless Makita which has a 3/8" chuck. It was close, but it fit.

dtaranath · 12/23/2006, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Fish'InMN

Only problem I ran into was starting the hole as it would not sit still in the same place. My only solution was to drill faster, and that paid the bill! So for the drilling newbies out there: Do the math on 500rpm, its a little more than 8 revolutions per SECOND!

Good luck all,
Marty

It's easiest if you start the hole at an angle. Sounds like you held the drill 90 degrees to the tank.

Fish'InMN · 12/23/2006, 11:35 PM

Incorrect. I started at 15 degrees off normal, which at the time produced a little arc no more than an inch long.

The key part was not the angle, it was the speed. I started at, by my best SWAG, about 120rpm. Way too slow.

spmedi · 01/05/2007, 04:26 PM

Thought the thread deserved a bump.

Tank #2 and hole #3 w/ the bit from lau.

JustOneMoreTank · 01/05/2007, 07:41 PM

That'll work spmedi !

dtaranath · 01/05/2007, 08:00 PM

nice job.

spmedi · 01/05/2007, 08:43 PM

Thanks. The first two I did I used a hole saw and cut a "guide" hole for the diamond bit. I used duck tape and a clamp to hold the guide w/ a thin sheet of glass and another 1x4 on the through side.

That was ~6mths ago....

Then =

Now =

...I turned the tank on it's side, slapped some duck tape on the interior, dumped some bottled water I was drinking on the tank and drilled. I'm almost ashamed.

The drill did jump a bit as you can see but that is covered by the bulkhead.

On a different note: favorite "The Office" moment:
Jim's fax to Dwight from his future self:

At approx 8am someone poisons the coffee. DO NOT DRINK THE COFFEE. More instructions will follow.

Cordially,
Future Dwight

11/30/2006, 09:19 PM	#558
Steve 926 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: NJ. Posts: 555	I would like to thank "Just One More Tank" and every one else on this thread for their advice & experience. I have decided to start it up again ( This obsession with SW) after a long rest. I have purchased a drill guide & some 45 & 40mm diamond hole saws from Lau, & will be burning the midnight oil in the garage & pondering what to do next to make it a better system this time. Being retired I now have the time & patience to devote to a lifestyle of just enjoying my reef & shareing it with all. Once again thanks for the time you take to help others, & RC is without a doubt the Best!! Steve926 __________________ Experience is something you don't get, until just after you need it . Current Tank Info: Small in nature (50gal. Reef) Large in Heart. Re-occurring dream of a 300 gal.

12/01/2006, 09:15 AM	#561
medic29 Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Pesotum, IL Posts: 2,478	I initially cut some egg crate and put it in my bulkhead, then after having a shrimp take a ride down to my sump I went out and got some gutter guard and cut it to fit and placed it in the bulkhead on top of the egg crate. Works great! Nothing had gotten through and it doesn't cut down the return and it doesn't stick out of the bulkhead!!! __________________ Rick Current Tank Info: 20 gal display w/10 gal sump.

12/21/2006, 12:29 AM	#565
Kayadad Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: State of Jefferson Posts: 345	Just bought a 60mm from Lau. Will be drilling my first reef tank, a 40 breeder. Want to thank in advance JustOneMoreTank for this thread. I will definitely read up before I drill. __________________ 120 FOWLR. Equip: 80gal Plywood/pondliner basement sump, Ebay LED light fixture, Euroreef 5-3, mag 18 return (looking at making this a backup), 2 tunze 6100 with multi-controller

01/05/2007, 08:00 PM	#574
dtaranath Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Reading, PA Posts: 542	nice job. __________________ ______________________ 220g mixed reef

11/28/2006, 10:19 AM	#551
JustOneMoreTank Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 967	I want to try the Sch 80 BHs next tank I make for myself. A lot of people on the RC Boards (and elsewhere on the www) seem to really like them more than the regular duty BHs. Only drawback is the larger size doesnt always fit in tight spaces like some overflow boxes etc. And yes as you (unfortunately) figured out they require larger holes in the tank to fit similar size plumbing.

11/28/2006, 05:14 PM	#552
swedish steel Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 102	The chart on plumbingsupply.com shows a 1 1/2 inch sch 80 bulkhead requires a 2 9/16 hole so 2.5625 x 25.4mm = 65.0875mm hole. Thats why I used a 70mm hole saw. If lau had one closer to 66mm, I would have used that.

11/30/2006, 01:38 PM	#553
Reefn00b Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Myrtle Beach, SC Posts: 524 Blog Entries: 1	Questions for u experts... did anyof you actually drill a 3 inch hole to accomodate a 2 inch bulk head. Im looking to purchase the 75mm diamond hole saw from lau i was just hoping someone who had already doen this could point me to the best place to buy the bulkhead..... Im gonna use this to feed the water to my ocean motions four way in a closed loop

11/30/2006, 01:38 PM	#554
Reefn00b Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Myrtle Beach, SC Posts: 524 Blog Entries: 1	Questions for u experts... did anyof you actually drill a 3 inch hole to accomodate a 2 inch bulk head. Im looking to purchase the 75mm diamond hole saw from lau i was just hoping someone who had already doen this could point me to the best place to buy the bulkhead..... Im gonna use this to feed the water to my ocean motions four way in a closed loop

11/30/2006, 07:37 PM	#556
Reefn00b Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Myrtle Beach, SC Posts: 524 Blog Entries: 1	For the meantime I will be using my mag 18 or possibly my 24.... I hope to switch out to a dart though.

11/30/2006, 09:18 PM	#557
JustOneMoreTank Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 967	I have two 1.5" BHs the serve as the intake for my Dart CL pump. They both step up and combine at a 2" PVC T and head down to the Dart. The water then leaves the Dart and goes thru my OM 4 Way. It works really well. You could try that.

11/30/2006, 09:31 PM	#559
swedish steel Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 102	reefnOOb - I drilled four bulkhead holes 3 3/16 inch for a 2 inch bulkhead. 3.1875 x 25.4mm = 80.96mm I bought 85mm hole saws from lau and they worked great. These are for two darts each feeding an om 4way on the 300 and one dart for an om 4way on the 130. This way there are two inch drains feeding a two inch input. I did not try to get all these on one hole saw due to the glass thichness.

12/01/2006, 08:02 AM	#560
Reefn00b Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Myrtle Beach, SC Posts: 524 Blog Entries: 1	So you think if I drill 2 holes to feed the water into the pump i would be better off? I guess that would minimize the suction in the tank so that there would be less of a chance of my fish getting sucked to the guard... speak of which what are you guys using as your strainers, does anyone have anything that doesnt stick out very far?

12/01/2006, 02:41 PM	#562
Reefn00b Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Myrtle Beach, SC Posts: 524 Blog Entries: 1	Thats not a bad idea... Anyone else with cool strainers and a place to get em?

12/23/2006, 11:26 AM	#566
jdircksen Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: 43081 Posts: 659	I bought a 45mm drill bit from Richon Tools...the shaft is a hair too big to fit in my 3/8" drill chuck. Anyone else have this problem? What was your fix?

12/23/2006, 09:22 PM	#567
Fish'InMN Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: MN Posts: 398	Just drilled a 45mm hole for a 1" bulkhead in my "new" 20Long, using a hole saw from lau on eBay. After reading nearly this whole thread, I sat down and carefully drilled the whole out over about 30 minutes (Much to the enjoyment of my family ). I hooked a hose up to the faucet in our largest bathtub and had a steady, fast stream of cold water running across the area the whole time. Only problem I ran into was starting the hole as it would not sit still in the same place. My only solution was to drill faster, and that paid the bill! So for the drilling newbies out there: Do the math on 500rpm, its a little more than 8 revolutions per SECOND! Good luck all, Marty

12/23/2006, 10:21 PM	#568
jdircksen Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: 43081 Posts: 659	Did your bit fit in a 3/8" chuck or 1/2"?

12/23/2006, 10:49 PM	#569
Fish'InMN Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: MN Posts: 398	I used a cordless Makita which has a 3/8" chuck. It was close, but it fit.

12/23/2006, 11:35 PM	#571
Fish'InMN Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: MN Posts: 398	Incorrect. I started at 15 degrees off normal, which at the time produced a little arc no more than an inch long. The key part was not the angle, it was the speed. I started at, by my best SWAG, about 120rpm. Way too slow.

01/05/2007, 04:26 PM	#572
spmedi Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 285	Thought the thread deserved a bump. Tank #2 and hole #3 w/ the bit from lau.

01/05/2007, 07:41 PM	#573
JustOneMoreTank Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 967	That'll work spmedi !

01/05/2007, 08:43 PM	#575
spmedi Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 285	Thanks. The first two I did I used a hole saw and cut a "guide" hole for the diamond bit. I used duck tape and a clamp to hold the guide w/ a thin sheet of glass and another 1x4 on the through side. That was ~6mths ago.... Then = Now = ...I turned the tank on it's side, slapped some duck tape on the interior, dumped some bottled water I was drinking on the tank and drilled. I'm almost ashamed. The drill did jump a bit as you can see but that is covered by the bulkhead. On a different note: favorite "The Office" moment: Jim's fax to Dwight from his future self: At approx 8am someone poisons the coffee. DO NOT DRINK THE COFFEE. More instructions will follow. Cordially, Future Dwight