Practice Drilling

[Jim_Leyland]

So i thought i would practice drilling on a spare 10g before i went and destroyed my display.. good thing i did this! the 1st hole i drilled i must have went to fast or something because it cracked when the bit went threw.. so i flipped the tank up on its side and tried again this time ALOT slower.. i was probably only doing 1 rotation every 3-4 seconds took about 10-15min. to go threw but with success! should i brace the side im drilling? anyways heres some pics of what i was using, i kinda made a guide so the bit wasn't slipping all over the glass scratching it to hell..

good 'ol drill

Empty Butter Tub / Jig lol

Finished Product

 

[steveh28]

it is good that you did practice before the display! to help calm your nerves, i have drilled many tanks in the past and 10 gal. tanks are very hard to do without cracking or breaking because the glass is so thin. thicker tanks are a little more forgiving. still take your time and use a good lubricant (i have always used mineral oil) and you should have success. make sure you have a towel or somthing to catch the hole so it doesnt hit the other glass and shatter it! looks like thats what you used that dish for, just reminding you (or anyone else) of a simple way to stop an unforseen headache! good luck!

 

[tye_c]

I have drilled many holes but never got one to finish without breaking in a 10g. The 10g was also 20 years old that I was practicing on. 3-4 seconds per turn seems slow. You should be able to do 3-4 turns per second with no issues on a thicker glass tank.

 

[itZme]

I set my drill on the "high" setting and hold the trigger about halfway. I am guessing it runs about 700 rpm while drilling. I agree that the 10g are very fragile. If you are drilling through anything thicker than 1/8" and you go that slow you will be there for ages. I just drill and have one of my kids standing there with a spray bottle full of water and they spray it about every 2-5 seconds to keep the drill lubricated. I have drilled 4 holes in my 3/4" thick 140g tank and the glass wasn't even warm to the touch. I don't think you really need cooling at all. I do think the lubrication you get from whatever you put on there helps a lot though.

There are about a million opinions on tank drilling just as there are different ideas of the "perfect" reef tank.

HTH
-- Kevin

 

[ohclereef01]

i used "plumbers putty"(its like silly putty) to make a circle around where i was going to drill the hole.. i then put water in the "bowl" that i made out of the putty.. keeps water on the bit at all times!

when i drilled my holes (7 holes in 33Long) the inside of the tank was tapped with duct-tape - it reliefs some of the pressure as you are pushing through..

 

[DevilBoy]

What would someone charge to drill 6 holes in my 75g? I need 4 1" bulkheads, and 2 1.5" bulkheads holes drilled. I am too scared to due it myself.

 

[itZme]

Most places will do it for $10-$15 per hole. I believe Salty Critter will do it for you in the store if you bring the tank.

 

[jdircksen]

i too used plumbers putty to make a dam for the water.
it took about 15 minutes to get all the way through. take your time, there is no hurry. let the weight of the drill be the only cause of pressure.
also, i clamped a piece of wood on the other side of the glass. when you get near the end, if you don't have anything to prevent the drilled piece from falling, it will break prematurely and most likely leave you with chiped edges.

 

[offshore]

I will do it for ya if you still need it done.

 

[DevilBoy]

yes i need it done. I wont be moved back to Ohio until the weekend of March 9th. Drop me a PM if you would like