GoldStripe
New member
Good point. I have never dealt with a 55 and I always forget about that. Oh well, if it breaks there is your excuse to go get a 75!! LOL
Step-by-Step: Drilling Holes in Your Glass Tank for Bulkheads
- Thread starter JustOneMoreTank
- Start date
Good point. I have never dealt with a 55 and I always forget about that. Oh well, if it breaks there is your excuse to go get a 75!! LOL
GoldStripe
New member
Now I'm confused. Let's see if I can straighten this out. I talk overflow and sump return first. The returns from your sump IMO should be aimed at the overflow from the front of the tank. This will provide surface agitation and ensure that the "junk" is being pushed into your overflow.
For the closed loop outlets I will probably drill 2 holes in the bottom of my overflow trough to keep those outlets as far to the back of the tank as i can. Loc-line will come out of the downward facing bulkhead and be aimed towards the front (probably). My other 2 outlets for the closed loop are very low in the tank as you can see from the picture. These will blow against and through the rockwork.
Does this make sense?
For the closed loop outlets I will probably drill 2 holes in the bottom of my overflow trough to keep those outlets as far to the back of the tank as i can. Loc-line will come out of the downward facing bulkhead and be aimed towards the front (probably). My other 2 outlets for the closed loop are very low in the tank as you can see from the picture. These will blow against and through the rockwork.
Does this make sense?
vanceny
New member
I think I get it. For the sump and the return you'll run the pipe to the front of the glass and pointed back towards the overflow.
For the closed loop are you going over the top and then down through the overflow or are you going to drill the back of the tank behind the overflow and then drill again through the bottom of the overflow?
I'm using an open top design and don't want any of the plumbing above the tank line.
For the closed loop are you going over the top and then down through the overflow or are you going to drill the back of the tank behind the overflow and then drill again through the bottom of the overflow?
I'm using an open top design and don't want any of the plumbing above the tank line.
GoldStripe
New member
You got it vanceny. I come over the top and down into the trough of the overflow. No sense drilling the extra holes, to me at least.
In your situation, with the open top, I would drill the extra holes. I will have a canopy so everything will be hidden.
In your situation, with the open top, I would drill the extra holes. I will have a canopy so everything will be hidden.
vanceny
New member
Goldstripe,
Do you think I should bother drilling in the back and on the bottom of the overflow or just drilling below the overflow on the bank of the tank?
Here's a pic of what I was thinking:
Also I was going to join the CL drains with pvc cut with slots, sort if like a spraybar so I dont need individual strainers and this would help draw water from the length of the pipe.
Do you think I should bother drilling in the back and on the bottom of the overflow or just drilling below the overflow on the bank of the tank?
Here's a pic of what I was thinking:
Also I was going to join the CL drains with pvc cut with slots, sort if like a spraybar so I dont need individual strainers and this would help draw water from the length of the pipe.
GoldStripe
New member
It's obviously less work to do it under the overflow and you'd probably be fine with that. Because the overflow isn't structural you got drill the back of the tank RIGHT up under overflow to keep it fairly high.
Another really easy way of cooling the bit is to make a little dam out of plumber's putty ($0.97 at Home Depot). Make it about 1 or 2 cm high, and fill it with water. Just regular water will keep it cool for the entire cut. I drilled six holes this way with the dam, and I regularly checked the temp of the bit throughout each cut. Not once did it ever go beyond cool. Not once was the bit ever warm to touch. I don't think you'll need antifreeze. You'll only need a small amount of water since it will stay within the confines of your dam. You won't need "the wife" for this one.
Here are some pics which may help:
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7220899#post7220899 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by vanceny
Goldstripe,
Do you think I should bother drilling in the back and on the bottom of the overflow or just drilling below the overflow on the bank of the tank?
Here's a pic of what I was thinking:
Also I was going to join the CL drains with pvc cut with slots, sort if like a spraybar so I dont need individual strainers and this would help draw water from the length of the pipe.
If you're going to drill the holes in the back of the tank just under the overflow, make sure you take into account the length of the flange on your bulkhead. You don't want that lip to get in the way of your overflow. There should be enough space between the bottom edge of the overflow intake bulkheads and the top edge of the closed loop return bulkheads, so that the base of the overflow will fit without a problem.
vanceny
New member
question: only a tempered tank will shatter into a million pieces, right? This will be my second attempt drilling. The first time I shattered the whole side. It was a perfecto that I got used and when I spoke to customer service they claimed that there tanks were only bottom tempered. Its possible that they were referring to their current tanks. This was a much older tank. I ddin't specify how old the tank was.
I just want to make sure that it wasn't something that I was doing wrong. Non-tempered glass would just crack and not shatter into the tiny squares. Is this correct?
I just want to make sure that it wasn't something that I was doing wrong. Non-tempered glass would just crack and not shatter into the tiny squares. Is this correct?
Drilling inside and outside would be the best way, if you could be accurate about both cuts. That's too impossible for me. Clamped scrap glass would probably work the next best, if you had a clamp long enough.
That being said, I know I can't be accurate to match the inside cut exactly with the outside cut, and I didn't have a long enough clamp or scrap glass to clamp to the inside of the tank. I ended up using duct tape. All my holes splintered, but not terribly. The gasket on the bulkheads cover them completely. Just slow down when you start nearing the other side. You'll know you're almost there when there is a more pronounced grinding noise (probably because you're hitting a splinter you just made.
That being said, I know I can't be accurate to match the inside cut exactly with the outside cut, and I didn't have a long enough clamp or scrap glass to clamp to the inside of the tank. I ended up using duct tape. All my holes splintered, but not terribly. The gasket on the bulkheads cover them completely. Just slow down when you start nearing the other side. You'll know you're almost there when there is a more pronounced grinding noise (probably because you're hitting a splinter you just made.
GoldStripe
New member
What he said I don't know if the speed is as much of a factor as the pressure at the endpoint. The splinter usually occurs during the last 32nd of an inch and I found thru the 6 I drilled that if I keep the weight of the drill off the glass, the splinter was smaller. It's gonna happen but you can minimize it by being cautious at the end.
There's no way I could be accurate enough to drill from the inside. If you could make template with plywood and use reversable clamps (spreaders) it could be done. The only way I'd attempt it is systematically.
I don't know if the speed is as much of a factor as the pressure at the endpoint. The splinter usually occurs during the last 32nd of an inch and I found thru the 6 I drilled that if I keep the weight of the drill off the glass, the splinter was smaller. It's gonna happen but you can minimize it by being cautious at the end.There's no way I could be accurate enough to drill from the inside. If you could make template with plywood and use reversable clamps (spreaders) it could be done. The only way I'd attempt it is systematically.
What he said times two.
I'm a big fan of the scrap glass method. I don't have much luck using just duct tape to hold the scrap because I usually have some water that finds its way underneath. I add a piece of wood that goes across the inside of the tank and supports the scrap glass. A benefit of this is you can worry slightly less about the pressure you're applying with the drill mid-span because instead of trying to bend the glass, much of it is being transmitted through the wood, the other side of the tank and then into the floor or workbench.
Dan
I'm a big fan of the scrap glass method. I don't have much luck using just duct tape to hold the scrap because I usually have some water that finds its way underneath. I add a piece of wood that goes across the inside of the tank and supports the scrap glass. A benefit of this is you can worry slightly less about the pressure you're applying with the drill mid-span because instead of trying to bend the glass, much of it is being transmitted through the wood, the other side of the tank and then into the floor or workbench.
Dan
swedish steel
Member
I agree about pressure causing more spintering at the hole exit. I try to just let the drill and hole saw do the cutting at the end with very little pressure. I use a squirt bottle to lubricate the hole saw as I am drilling a 300 and 130 and drilling with the tank in an upright position. My wife or one of my children give the hole saw a squirt about every 3 seconds. By holding the drill firmly with both hands and elbow brace to a leg, I attempt to keep the saw drilling evenly for the exit. I worked for Boeing on the 777 & 737 for three years and if a ding happened to the alluminum, engineering had us grind it out to a prescribed dimention to prevent stress cracks. I bought a dremel tool and am grinding all splinters to a smooth touch. This may be going too far, but I did it with preventative measures in mind. I have 16 holes and 8 left to drill on the two tanks for overflow and closed loop systems.
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