drilling acrylic??

[floundering]

i need to drill a hole in the top of my 135 acrylic large enough to pass a power cord through. TANK IS FULL. wondering if it is ok to drill while tank is filled. blue tape in photo is the proposed locale for the hole. spade bit or hole saw; which is better? i will be catching debris in a cup on the inside of tank. slow speed or fast when drilling? for some reason i can't upload photos. hole will be about 5 in from the back wall of the tank.

 

[jackri]

Please practice on a scrap piece of acrylic first. I would use a hole saw with fast speed and LIGHT pressure and take your time. The less your bit "grabs" while it cuts the less chance you have of cracking imo. Not saying that my tips will avoid catastrophe but I would highly recommend practicing on a scrap piece first. I wouldn't do it full but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[gmann1139]

Forget the hole saw or spade bit.
Cut the end off the power cord, so you only have to drill a 1/2" hole, instead of a 1", and then rewire the plug afterwards. Reduces the stress on the glass considerably.
Ditto to the practice piece first, high speed, and not pressing on the drill. I would do this with a brand new drill bit, as well.

 

[floundering]

Originally Posted by gmann1139
http:///forum/post/2907015
Forget the hole saw or spade bit.
Cut the end off the power cord, so you only have to drill a 1/2" hole, instead of a 1", and then rewire the plug afterwards. Reduces the stress on the glass considerably.
Ditto to the practice piece first, high speed, and not pressing on the drill. I would do this with a brand new drill bit, as well.
why didn't i think of that

so small hole should be ok in tank full of water?
thanks guys for the info

 

[jackri]

Umm you still know water is going to leak out of the small hole as well right?

 

[floundering]

Originally Posted by jackri
http:///forum/post/2907108
Umm you still know water is going to leak out of the small hole as well right?

acryilc tank with acrylic top for structural support. i'm am looking to drill on the horizontal acrylic top of the tank. not the canopy but the "lid" of the tank. (so in less water has figured a way to defy gravity up here in chilly michigan i should have no puddles...)

so i dont want to cause any damage to the top (lid) of the tank that in essence holds the entire thing together. thanks for your input jackri

 

[jackri]

lol ok that makes a little bit more sense to me... was kinda wondering but makes A LOT more sense to me now. Good luck with your project!

 

[gmann1139]

Originally Posted by jackri
http:///forum/post/2907135
lol ok that makes a little bit more sense to me... was kinda wondering but makes A LOT more sense to me now. Good luck with your project!
Yeah I thought he meant the top of the side panel too.
Happy to be of help.

 

[floundering]

sorry for the confusion... now that we are on the same page will i crack the acrylic when i drill the top due to the lateral tension caused by the walls pulling on the top?
thanks again

 

[gmann1139]

Originally Posted by floundering
http:///forum/post/2907176
sorry for the confusion... now that we are on the same page will i crack the acrylic when i drill the top due to the lateral tension caused by the walls pulling on the top?
thanks again
How wide is the acrylic you're talking about, and how thick is it?

 

[floundering]

Originally Posted by gmann1139
http:///forum/post/2907194
How wide is the acrylic you're talking about, and how thick is it?
tank is 18 in deep. it has a central overflow box. the hole i would like to drill will be between the overflow box location and the back of the tank, where the acrylic is approx 7" wide and 1/2 thick.

 

[gmann1139]

Seven inches a lot of space to distribute the extra stress from the hole across. Should be fine, as long as it doesn't crack from the stress of drilling.

 

[mscarpena]

I personally dont reccomend you doing this. I think that is your tank in the pic. I would reccomend you drill the hole or cut a small peice off your canopy to feed the cord through. If you do decide to drill the tank I would do as everyone is saying. Also they make drill bits specifically for drilling acrylic. I would get one.