Drilling aquarium, how hard is it?
- Thread starter Tylerdg
- Start date
EvenFurther
New member
Leak test the new tank beforehand, and thoroughly inspect the tank seams, trim, construction before taking delivery. Once you drill it, the warranty is generally void.
There's a plethora of instructions, tips, tricks on the web. Use a template, and place a towel where the glass hole will fall. Take your time planning and designing the hole locations, measurements must be accurate.
The actual drilling is easy using the right tools.
There's a plethora of instructions, tips, tricks on the web. Use a template, and place a towel where the glass hole will fall. Take your time planning and designing the hole locations, measurements must be accurate.
The actual drilling is easy using the right tools.
cryptic_grower
New member
Mock everything up before you make a single cut, I used cardboard. Like previously stated there is a plethora of info out there for you. Keep your holes atleast a holes distance between. Use a template. The cheap diamondbit saws work just fine, think I'm at 7 cuts with mine and no chipping until this last hole.
Raoul5Duke
Active member
The hardest part is how slow it goes, but take your time and let the drill do all the work, don't put pressure on it (or very much).
Jay_R
New member
My 2 cents;
Don't run your finger around the new hole you created, otherwise things will get colourful. You'l be surprised how tempting it is to see how smooth your edges are!
And make sure you think about that piece of glass that you cut out, you don't want it dropping and cracking your tank
Just use the weight of the drill to create enough pressure to grind out the hole. Definitely easier drilling vertically also.
Good luck.
Don't run your finger around the new hole you created, otherwise things will get colourful. You'l be surprised how tempting it is to see how smooth your edges are!
And make sure you think about that piece of glass that you cut out, you don't want it dropping and cracking your tank
Just use the weight of the drill to create enough pressure to grind out the hole. Definitely easier drilling vertically also.
Good luck.
Darth_Tater
Member
I also made my tank colorful! It was from a sliver though, not the hole itself.
I drilled my 40 breeder and it was super easy. The hardest part was cleaning all the sand the grinding makes out from between the plastic tank frame and the glass. I rushed it and ended up with a lot of "flaking" on the inside of the tank. Luckily bulkhead gaskets are pretty wide.
If I was to do it again I'd try to find a way to put a little pressure (clamp a piece of wood or something) on the back of the glass. I'd also try to drill a guide for the bit in some plywood instead of free-handing it. And of course go much slower like everyone else suggests.
cryptic_grower
New member
Opposite the horizon 
Put your tank face down
Put your tank face down
cryptic_grower
New member
Drill from the top down, which would be the back of the tank. The front of aquarium will be parallel to the ground.
Kyuss
Megistered Rember
+1 to whats being said here.
Would just like to add that using a piece of wood with a hole as a fixture clamped down on the glass really helps to start the hole on the glass.
The diamond bit will want to walk all over the until you get a groove started in the glass. This makes it much easier to keep steady until it gets started.
Would just like to add that using a piece of wood with a hole as a fixture clamped down on the glass really helps to start the hole on the glass.
The diamond bit will want to walk all over the until you get a groove started in the glass. This makes it much easier to keep steady until it gets started.
EvenFurther
New member
A piece of wood on the back side also helps to minimize edge chips, at the end of the cut. Also go very slow and light at the end, again to minimize edge chips.
rickztahone
New member
I drilled a 1/4" of acrylic for bulkheads for my overflow a few days ago and it was super easy. I take it the OP is talking about glass since it hasn't been corrected so far, but acrylic is very easy to work with as well. The only thing I am thinking, is to drill from the inside of the tank out, because although there were hardly any chips, the chips that were there tended to happen on the back end of the drilling.
tennesseebob
New member
It is easy, especially on thicker glass like your tank...the MOST important time to watch your speed and pressure is the last bit, by that time your arms are tired, so you may be putting more pressure on than you realize. so as soon as you see your cooling water dripping through your cut, start minding the pressure you are applying even moreso.
Lots of great videos, some ppl say it only takes 2-3 min...maybe, but i have never taken less than 10 minutes, call me paranoid...but that last little bit will chip to hades and back if you are putting any pressure on the drill when you break through.
Lots of great videos, some ppl say it only takes 2-3 min...maybe, but i have never taken less than 10 minutes, call me paranoid...but that last little bit will chip to hades and back if you are putting any pressure on the drill when you break through.
sleepydoc
Team RC
That hole is too close to the edge - I hope it's a practice cut!A piece of wood on the back side also helps to minimize edge chips, at the end of the cut. Also go very slow and light at the end, again to minimize edge chips.
Not sure if its too late to mention.. when you drill don't have the cutting edge of the drill bit flush on the glass. Angle the bit to start the cut off, then ease it flat when things start moving to prevent it jumping about
If you are not using a template start on edge. I made a template out of ¼" hardboard to hold the bit in place until enough of a groove formed, then removed the template, made a berm of plumber's putty around the hole and filled it with water to cool the bit for the remainder of the cut.
