Drilling tanks

[my way]

I finally got up the nerve to drill my first tank. This is not any new news, but it took reading a few posts on here about people successfully doing it to convince me to give it a try. So I thought one more post might convince someone else to give it a try. I like many others used a Ceramic Tile Bit for a Dremel. It worked well at the highest speed on the tool, I cut a hole for a 1" bulkead in about 4 minutes. So if you were thinking about giving it a try, do it, you will be happy you did.

 

[peter1215]

what kind of tank do you have? the tank i have did not come drilled and it had a tag on the bottm that said "tempered glass , do not drill". does this apply to the back glass? I think the tank is aga or perfecto.

 

[acrylic51]

Peter1215 you should be able to drill the back and sides just not the bottom....

 

[thanson]

I got a diamond hole saw bit off ---- for about $7 and drilled a 1-3/4" hole for bulkhead fitting in wall of 20gal I was setting up as a refugium. Worked great - fraction of cost of taking to glass shop.

 

[peter1215]

Originally Posted by acrylic51
Peter1215 you should be able to drill the back and sides just not the bottom....
acrylic , i know this sounds dumb, but what if my tank is already populated? can the tank still be drilled by lowering the water level? I have no experience whatsoever in cutting glass so forgive the ignorance. thanks

 

[40 galons]

iv read many post about drilling holes in the sides of tanks. in my experience, i had a 30 gallon tank that i wanted to drill a hole in the side of . on the bottom of the tank it said it was tempered, but after reading post people say it is just the bottom , well i tried to drill the hole ........... almost had it threw the glass when my arm got tired, i rubbed the hole i had going and BAM!!!!!! souded like a freaking gun went off in the kitchen shattered the whole freaking side of the tank in a million pieces, so i figured that tank was a solid piece of tempered glass ?

 

[coachklm]

tempered glass will shatter before you get a hole going.... your best bet is always to keep the glass cool or as steady a temperature as possible as its the temperature and pressure that "pops" the glass.

 

[acrylic51]

Originally Posted by peter1215
acrylic , i know this sounds dumb, but what if my tank is already populated? can the tank still be drilled by lowering the water level? I have no experience whatsoever in cutting glass so forgive the ignorance. thanks
Yes you can still drill the tank while it's full, but like you said you'll have to take the water level below the area your drilling....You'll also want to make some type of dam to catch any debris that might fall into the tank as you work your way through the glass......
I don't however recommend a Ceramic tile bit though......Dremel does have specific bits that can be bought at Lowes and HD to drill glass and they say that on the pack.....If you have a Harbor Freight you can get cheap bits there as well.....I don't like and the drill or dremel shouldn't be run at full speed or close to it when drilling.......I don't look at the dial on the tool. I us a Rotozip which will outrun a dremel hands down, but I go more by the sound of the tool.....You don't want to force the bit into the work, let the bit do the work though.....Keep the area your drilling cool and wet.....it's alot easier to have an extra set of hands when your drilling there to take the spray bottle and keep the area misted at all times....Even if you have to stop and refill the bottle do it......

 

[peter1215]

thanks for all the info acrylic.

 

[my way]

Originally Posted by acrylic51
Yes you can still drill the tank while it's full, but like you said you'll have to take the water level below the area your drilling....You'll also want to make some type of dam to catch any debris that might fall into the tank as you work your way through the glass......
I don't however recommend a Ceramic tile bit though......Dremel does have specific bits that can be bought at Lowes and HD to drill glass and they say that on the pack.....If you have a Harbor Freight you can get cheap bits there as well.....I don't like and the drill or dremel shouldn't be run at full speed or close to it when drilling.......I don't look at the dial on the tool. I us a Rotozip which will outrun a dremel hands down, but I go more by the sound of the tool.....You don't want to force the bit into the work, let the bit do the work though.....Keep the area your drilling cool and wet.....it's alot easier to have an extra set of hands when your drilling there to take the spray bottle and keep the area misted at all times....Even if you have to stop and refill the bottle do it......
I know you give a lot of good advise on these boards, but I respectively ask you not to contradict proven advice. You say not to use a Ceramic Tile Bit, which has proven to work very well by numerous sources, many on this board. You also say not to use it on high speed. This was the speed that cut the best, which by the way is about 1/2 the speed of a Roto-Zip. I also think your advise of drilling a tank full of water is a very BAD idea. I have read a couple of horror stories of tanks breaking while doing so. There is ALWAYS a chance of breaking the glass while drilling it, why take this chance with your livestock, your flooring and most importantly your life should SW and electricity mix.

 

[acrylic51]

Originally Posted by My Way
I know you give a lot of good advise on these boards, but I respectively ask you not to contradict proven advice. You say not to use a Ceramic Tile Bit, which has proven to work very well by numerous sources, many on this board. You also say not to use it on high speed. This was the speed that cut the best, which by the way is about 1/2 the speed of a Roto-Zip. I also think your advise of drilling a tank full of water is a very BAD idea. I have read a couple of horror stories of tanks breaking while doing so. There is ALWAYS a chance of breaking the glass while drilling it, why take this chance with your livestock, your flooring and most importantly your life should SW and electricity mix.
I've probably drilled more tanks than you've set up.....So my informations isn't contradictory......You'll always read horror stories on every aspect of this hobby, so you point is pointless....The fact is ceramic is different than glass and when they make glass bits, why not use the "CORRECT" bit for the prescribed job???? :notsure: You can use whatever you want, I'm just stating the correct bits are available, and should be used if you can obtain them......
Your point about mixing SW and electricity is pointless as well.....all around your tank you have electricity.....Again as I've stated if you drain the tank down where is the drill going to mix with the water??? The drill is outside the tank, and the water level below it.....Again this is exactly why I suggested using the "CORRECT" bit for the job......

To be exact the bit doesn't cut the glass you grind the glass away.......

 

[acrylic51]

I guess you doubt Dogstars knowledge on drilling a setup tank as well????
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/show...drilling+glass

 

[my way]

Sorry but when you say not to use a bit that has proven to work by many people, it's a contradiction. As for drilling a tank full of water, what happens if it breaks and water pours out all over everything? You now have the entire contents of your tank on the floor, which very likely will have you standing in a pool of water and a very good chance of the water getting to an electrical circuit. You have a lot of pressure against the glass while the tank is full. The only pressure on the tank empty, is what you are applying while drilling. You can be doing everything right and still have a tank break while drilling it, why do you think no one will guarantee it not to break while doing so? So at a safety standpoint I think drilling a tank full of water is a very bad idea.
Yes you may have drilled a million holes to my one, that does'nt mean I don't know what I am doing. I have never met Dogstar or know anything about this person, why do you bring him up?
I tried to be as polite as possible in answering your post, but obviously it seems to have pissed you off, that was not my purpose. My purpose was to show that there is more than just one way to do something.

 

[acrylic51]

I'm not pissed by any means, just that you start a thread asking about how to drill a tank, and then you want to be technical about issues.....I'm just saying that the diamond bits are the "prescribed" bits to drill the glass regardless of what others have done in the past......That just like people rebuilding engines and some use AJAX to seat pistons.....It works, but not prescribed means to do things......
As far as drilling a tank while full, it's not uncommon and just like I stated you could find horror stories about everything done in the hobby......If you lower the water level down below where your drilling your safe.....I wouldn't advise someone to try something I either "personally" wouldn't do or haven't done....I've done it and so have many others, and again the key is using the prescribed diamond bit, keep the area highly cooled and nice easy gently action and not forcing the bit.....Slowly grind your hole and then slowly enlarge the opening till your at your prescribed hole size......

 

[my way]

Originally Posted by acrylic51
I'm not pissed by any means, just that you start a thread asking about how to drill a tank, and then you want to be technical about issues.....I'm just saying that the diamond bits are the "prescribed" bits to drill the glass regardless of what others have done in the past......That just like people rebuilding engines and some use AJAX to seat pistons.....It works, but not prescribed means to do things......
As far as drilling a tank while full, it's not uncommon and just like I stated you could find horror stories about everything done in the hobby......If you lower the water level down below where your drilling your safe.....I wouldn't advise someone to try something I either "personally" wouldn't do or haven't done....I've done it and so have many others, and again the key is using the prescribed diamond bit, keep the area highly cooled and nice easy gently action and not forcing the bit.....Slowly grind your hole and then slowly enlarge the opening till your at your prescribed hole size......

Where in this post did I ask about how to drill a tank? And where am I being technical about anything?
I simply was showing people on the board another success story so someone who might be afraid to try it, might give it a try themselves.

 

[acrylic51]

Congrats on your success....

 

[fender]

I have drilled holes successfully with the diamond coated dremel bits. IIRC I got them in one of those black and decker bit kits for less than $10. I did mine empty however and had water running on the bit as I was cutting.
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