Glass Shattered while drilling

[Mangoh]

Hi everyone. I'm new to this forum. I went to drill my aqueon 55 gallon tank today and the back shattered on me. I checked to make sure it wasn't tempered using a polarized lens and a laptop screen. I also called aqueon this morning but they couldn't tell me and told me to do the polarized lens test.

When I did the test, the laptop screen went complete black just as if the glass wasn't there. There were no dots or discoloration or lines.I tested the polarized lens on the rear window of my car first and it was indeed polarized.

I just wanted to share my experience. If anyone know a brand of tank that is drillable that is 4ft wide please let me know.

 

[Ou8me2]

Did you use a drilling template or just free hand it? Were you to close to the side's or edges? Did you press down on the drill and try to force it?

 

[JonezNReef]

I hate reading stuff like this. I plan on drilling both of my 180g tanks this weekend and this is my biggest fear. I have drilled several smaller tanks like 40gB and smaller. Sorry to hear about that happening. Luckily its not hard to find tanks on CL so if it does happen its not the end of the world. When it comes to glass drilling one most use the teaching of Count Koma...slow and smooth and smooth is fast

 

[EvenFurther]

55 gallon is an oddball tank as far as tempered glass. That size is generally known or likely to be tempered on all panels, if is a current model. Since the glass shattered it was tempered. It would crack if non-tempered. Your likely doing something wrong with the visual polarized lens test. Could be poor quality polarized lens, or could be something else. The good thing is that the other panels on that 55 are likely tempered, and you just need spot out what to look for, with a proper polarized lens. That would help you if try another tank.

Not all tempered glass looks the same under polarized lens with LCD back light. The strain pattern or stress lines can appear very different, depending on how the glass was made, heat treated and air quenched. It can appear cloudy/blotchy, or stripped, or grid pattern or iridescent.

In my experience aquarium tempered glass I have tested appears stripped. But I have a tempered glass shelf that looks different, it has the blotchy effect.

What panel did you try to drill? Aqueon specs call out bottom tempered on the 55. Their specs only call out the bottom, and do not specify the sides.

I had a 75 from Aqeuon that was tempered bottom only, and I tested and drilled the back non-tempered panel.

 

[coryjac0b]

I purchased a 55g aqueon about 2 months ago and drilled it with no problems. It was very nerve racking. I drilled two holes in a front/rear panel. I guess it all depends on what they decide to use at the time.

 

[MarkS]

Shattered as in long shards of glass, or shattered as in millions of tiny cubes of glass?

 

[ThisGuy12]

You could easily replace the single panel of glass with a drillable piece and resilicone it in.

I drilled my 1/2" tank with 2x 3-1/4" holes and 1x 2" hole for my herbie overflow and returns. It was nerve wracking but we used a wood template clamped to the glass and filled the template with water letting the drill do all the work. No chipping or cracking occurred.

It sounds like you drilled a tempered piece of glass, that or the bit moved around, or you put too much pressure on it. The bit needs to do all the work. Each hole took me and my buddy 10 minutes to drill as we went very slow doing it.

 

[Gorgok]

Tempered glass will also keep breaking after blowing up and sound like rice crispies for a bit as the small chunks break further and further.

 

[Mangoh]

It broke into a million pieces. But didn't fall apart. I taped it to keep it from falling all over the floor.

I was drilling the back panel. When I did the polarized test, it went completely black. No lines or dots indicating it was tempered.

I was using a template that came with my eshopps eclipse overflow kit.

I had been drilling for 2-3 minutes when it shattered. It was only about 1/2 way through.

 

[EvenFurther]

Try different polarized glasses? Does your laptop screen have a protector or some sort of filter cover? Try a different LCD light source? The bottom panel is tempered according to the standard Aqueon spec sheet, so you should be able to visually identify it. From your description, it was tempered for sure.

My American Optics sunglasses and old laptop works great with MS paint on white background. I rotate the lens and get to a point where the strain pattern comes out. Are you rotating the lens in a circle?

 

[Mangoh]

I figured out why I was getting a false reading when testing the glass to see if it was tempered or not. The laptop I was using to test the glass was an led back lit screen. I got my hands on an older laptop with a lcd back-lit screen and it worked perfectly in showing the tempered glass stress lines.

 

[a.browning]

Almost all 55s will be tempered on all sides unfortunately. It makes the glass stronger though.

 

[asdfghp]

Always keep in mind that you are "grinding, not not 'drilling' the glass. The longer it takes and the lighter the pressure on the bit ...... the better.
I routinely 'grind' Aqueon 10 gallon tanks with no problem. I use a garden hose to keep everything wet, cool, & clean of debris; and use a large flat surface to provide (ever so slight) back pressure on the glass. I also use a wooden jig during the initial cut to stabilize the bit.

 

[Annap729]

What about DSA 105's?


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[MarkS]

Always keep in mind that you are "grinding, not not 'drilling' the glass. The longer it takes and the lighter the pressure on the bit ...... the better.
I routinely 'grind' Aqueon 10 gallon tanks with no problem. I use a garden hose to keep everything wet, cool, & clean of debris; and use a large flat surface to provide (ever so slight) back pressure on the glass. I also use a wooden jig during the initial cut to stabilize the bit.

While that's true, it is irrelevant if the glass is tempered.

 

[Annap729]

It broke into a million pieces. But didn't fall apart. I taped it to keep it from falling all over the floor.

I was drilling the back panel. When I did the polarized test, it went completely black. No lines or dots indicating it was tempered.

I was using a template that came with my eshopps eclipse overflow kit.

I had been drilling for 2-3 minutes when it shattered. It was only about 1/2 way through.

Did you use water and plumbers putty to keep the glass and bit cool?


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[MarkS]

Did you use water and plumbers putty to keep the glass and bit cool?


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If it broke into a million pieces, it was tempered. There is no way to drill tempered glass. No amount of cooling will keep it from shattering once the internal stresses are released.

 

[CafeReef]

makes me grateful to have a LFS that will drill tanks for $10 per hole. I will always pay extra for experience when the alternative is even more expensive...

 

[asdfghp]

Not to go off topic ..... but, I'm curious ......
Certainly not practical $$, but is it possible to anneal the glass, 'drill' the hole, then re-temper it?

$10 a hole is a well worthwhile investment to have someone else assume the liability! I wish someone local to me offered a deal like that.

 

[JamesHolt]

Not to go off topic ..... but, I'm curious ......
Certainly not practical $$, but is it possible to anneal the glass, 'drill' the hole, then re-temper it?

$10 a hole is a well worthwhile investment to have someone else assume the liability! I wish someone local to me offered a deal like that.

I dont think they are assuming anything, they are just drilling the hole..
My local glass shop will drill them cheap, but they just drill,you have to check for tempering... They have something for you to sign that states you know the glass to be non-tempered and assume all responsibility for breakage...