JustOneMoreTank
New member
Well I figured that I would show people how I drilled a couple holes in my glass tanks. First I would like to say that I am not an expert nor any more qualified than any other "do it yourselfer", however I have done this several times and never had any problems getting a near perfect hole in a glass tank.
#1 Use common sense and keep safety at the top of the list. Always wear eye protection and work slowly trying to think ahead. Be very careful with plugged in power tools around saltwater.
#2 Do not try and drill Tempered Glass! It will shatter for sure. Tempered Glass usually has a warning sticker indicating it as such and is usually the bottom pane of glass in a glass tank.
#3 Try to have the tank empty if possible.
#4 The correct tools make the job so much easier. I have drilled tanks with Dremel tools and tiny diamond bits. What a pain and it took forever. The hole I had was less than impressive... however it was functional and ended up fine. I would recommend a diamond coated hole saw. Google search and you can find them. They are pretty pricey however. A seller on Ebay called Richon_Tools sells them pretty cheap. However they ship from Hong Kong and sometimes it seems like he takes his time. He has a very good rating.
#5 Keep the bit and glass cool. I use a little dam around the hole I am cutting that is the top of a plastic cup. I have it duct taped to the glass and this keeps the water about half an inch deep. Others suggest using Antifreeze automobile coolant however I never have used it. Water works just fine for me. Also is easy and not deadly so I dont worry about cleaning it up perfectly.
#6 Move slowly and never force the drill bit into the glass. Pressing the bit into the glass may result in "chatter" or the bit to bite and end up cracking the glass.
#7 I use a very high speed setting with the drill (not sure of the RPMs) with a feather-light touch on the glass tank.
#8 Start the hole in the tank with the diamond bit angled somewhat from 90 degrees to the tank. If you try to start drilling with the entire face of the bit on the glass it will want to slide around and result in an ugly scratchy mess before it starts making the hole.
#9 Once the hole is started you will have a "curved slice" that is maybe 1/4 of the circle that you are cutting. Once this is started some you can remove the bit and begin cutting again at 90 degrees to the tank wall and shouldn't have the skipping/sliding around problem.
#10 Don't forget to have a towel or something on the other side to catch the perfect round glass disc and water once you cut through!
I hope that I didn't forget anything. I will post a few pictures that I took the other day. Hope this helps somebody!
#1 Use common sense and keep safety at the top of the list. Always wear eye protection and work slowly trying to think ahead. Be very careful with plugged in power tools around saltwater.
#2 Do not try and drill Tempered Glass! It will shatter for sure. Tempered Glass usually has a warning sticker indicating it as such and is usually the bottom pane of glass in a glass tank.
#3 Try to have the tank empty if possible.
#4 The correct tools make the job so much easier. I have drilled tanks with Dremel tools and tiny diamond bits. What a pain and it took forever. The hole I had was less than impressive... however it was functional and ended up fine. I would recommend a diamond coated hole saw. Google search and you can find them. They are pretty pricey however. A seller on Ebay called Richon_Tools sells them pretty cheap. However they ship from Hong Kong and sometimes it seems like he takes his time. He has a very good rating.
#5 Keep the bit and glass cool. I use a little dam around the hole I am cutting that is the top of a plastic cup. I have it duct taped to the glass and this keeps the water about half an inch deep. Others suggest using Antifreeze automobile coolant however I never have used it. Water works just fine for me. Also is easy and not deadly so I dont worry about cleaning it up perfectly.
#6 Move slowly and never force the drill bit into the glass. Pressing the bit into the glass may result in "chatter" or the bit to bite and end up cracking the glass.
#7 I use a very high speed setting with the drill (not sure of the RPMs) with a feather-light touch on the glass tank.
#8 Start the hole in the tank with the diamond bit angled somewhat from 90 degrees to the tank. If you try to start drilling with the entire face of the bit on the glass it will want to slide around and result in an ugly scratchy mess before it starts making the hole.
#9 Once the hole is started you will have a "curved slice" that is maybe 1/4 of the circle that you are cutting. Once this is started some you can remove the bit and begin cutting again at 90 degrees to the tank wall and shouldn't have the skipping/sliding around problem.
#10 Don't forget to have a towel or something on the other side to catch the perfect round glass disc and water once you cut through!
I hope that I didn't forget anything. I will post a few pictures that I took the other day. Hope this helps somebody!
