Drilling Holes in live Rock
- Thread starter rykna
- Start date
fishgeek01
Active Member
I have heard of people drilling through their rocks and inserting an acrylic rod, or acrylic 1x1. for stability. I saw a neat rock formation that was a wall in a 125 that had been done this way. The side was a wall and the back kind of went down from it, meaning the highest point in th eback scaping was at the side where the rock wall had been put, and the "slope went away from it, finally ending in a single rock at the end. It was neat. It just requires that your holes line up and you have enough of an anchor to keep them together.
fishgeek01
Active Member
I just read that and its kind of confusing so let me know if you need help figuring out my jiberish
chipmaker
Active Member
Yes live rock is very easy to drill and no special masonary bit is needed. The thing is if yu can buy a masonary bit, often times they are longer overall than most metal cutting HSS drillbits so that may help plus masonary drill bits are dirt cheap. Before y drill yur holes, find out what yur going to use to pin them together with. Yu can find acrylic or styrene or PVC rod in hobby shops etc or just lllk around in Wal MArt for long plastic shapes that would work. I like the PVC or ABS 1/8" diam welding rods, whichare available from Harbor Freight or any place that sells plastic welding materials (some regular weldings shops sell the plastic rods as well) Stack some rock and drill through as many pieces a drill bit will allow, pull drilled rock to the side and finish drilling. Keep on stacking and building and drilling and pinning with plastic rod. They are very stabil when pinned as such You can make overhangs and outcroppings that would other wise be prone to falling down if unpinned. If yu ever change your mind they are easy to dissassemble and rearrange, as that little hole is going to cover up and be unseen in short order.
chipmaker
Active Member
Just use a larger or bigger heavier rocks on the bottom and spread em out somewhat. How to do it all depends on the desired finished shape of what your stacking up. Sort of wider at bottom with larger rock. and then work it in smaller and then use lighter flater or wider pieces pieces to stickout and form overhangs etc. no realneed to make an additional base out of acrylic etc.
rykna
Active Member
Originally Posted by Fishgeek01
I just read that and its kind of confusing so let me know if you need help figuring out my jiberish
Yep sure did! I have a book on coral propagation and it has detailed drawings of using pcv or pvc??....plastic plumbing pipe stuff...to connect rocks....looks pretty straight forward, just wondering about the kind of drill to use.
I just read that and its kind of confusing so let me know if you need help figuring out my jiberish
Yep sure did! I have a book on coral propagation and it has detailed drawings of using pcv or pvc??....plastic plumbing pipe stuff...to connect rocks....looks pretty straight forward, just wondering about the kind of drill to use.
rykna
Active Member
Originally Posted by chipmaker
Yes live rock is very easy to drill and no special masonary bit is needed. The thing is if yu can buy a masonary bit, often times they are longer overall than most metal cutting HSS drillbits so that may help plus masonary drill bits are dirt cheap. Before y drill yur holes, find out what yur going to use to pin them together with. Yu can find acrylic or styrene or PVC rod in hobby shops etc or just lllk around in Wal MArt for long plastic shapes that would work. I like the PVC or ABS 1/8" diam welding rods, whichare available from Harbor Freight or any place that sells plastic welding materials (some regular weldings shops sell the plastic rods as well) Stack some rock and drill through as many pieces a drill bit will allow, pull drilled rock to the side and finish drilling. Keep on stacking and building and drilling and pinning with plastic rod. They are very stabil when pinned as such You can make overhangs and outcroppings that would other wise be prone to falling down if unpinned. If yu ever change your mind they are easy to dissassemble and rearrange, as that little hole is going to cover up and be unseen in short order.
AWESOME!!!!! :happyfish
Yes live rock is very easy to drill and no special masonary bit is needed. The thing is if yu can buy a masonary bit, often times they are longer overall than most metal cutting HSS drillbits so that may help plus masonary drill bits are dirt cheap. Before y drill yur holes, find out what yur going to use to pin them together with. Yu can find acrylic or styrene or PVC rod in hobby shops etc or just lllk around in Wal MArt for long plastic shapes that would work. I like the PVC or ABS 1/8" diam welding rods, whichare available from Harbor Freight or any place that sells plastic welding materials (some regular weldings shops sell the plastic rods as well) Stack some rock and drill through as many pieces a drill bit will allow, pull drilled rock to the side and finish drilling. Keep on stacking and building and drilling and pinning with plastic rod. They are very stabil when pinned as such You can make overhangs and outcroppings that would other wise be prone to falling down if unpinned. If yu ever change your mind they are easy to dissassemble and rearrange, as that little hole is going to cover up and be unseen in short order.
AWESOME!!!!! :happyfish
rykna
Active Member
Originally Posted by chipmaker
Just use a larger or bigger heavier rocks on the bottom and spread em out somewhat. How to do it all depends on the desired finished shape of what your stacking up. Sort of wider at bottom with larger rock. and then work it in smaller and then use lighter flater or wider pieces pieces to stickout and form overhangs etc. no realneed to make an additional base out of acrylic etc.
The book I have suggested using a bigger pcv pipe and filling it with sand and burying it beneath the substrate to use as the main anchor. I think I am going to a one of those masonary drill bits.
Just use a larger or bigger heavier rocks on the bottom and spread em out somewhat. How to do it all depends on the desired finished shape of what your stacking up. Sort of wider at bottom with larger rock. and then work it in smaller and then use lighter flater or wider pieces pieces to stickout and form overhangs etc. no realneed to make an additional base out of acrylic etc.
The book I have suggested using a bigger pcv pipe and filling it with sand and burying it beneath the substrate to use as the main anchor. I think I am going to a one of those masonary drill bits.