Drilling the back of a nanocube

dempseyjosh

dempseyjosh

Member
ok, thanks for the tips guys. i'll be on the search for the 1 1/2" diamond coated hole saw bit tonight. But is something that size going to be for a dremel? that link, like i mentioned, only had small bits up to 1/4", and i imagine the bigger ones would not fit a dremel.
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
The diamond coated hole saws are for a conventional drill, not a dremel.
The diamond coated dremel bits for for dremels.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
You would trace out the outline of the bulkhead and use a dremel with the bits I linked to enlarge the hole to fit your bulkhead. Using a holesaw that size I'd opt to set it up in my drill press. You cam cut any size hole cheaply with the bits link and a dremel. You just use the known bulkhead for size and pattern... Cut through the center of your pattern and then slowly enlarge the hole to the circle pattern you laid out on the tank panel.
 
dempseyjosh

dempseyjosh

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///forum/thread/383044/drilling-the-back-of-a-nanocube/20#post_3349274
You would trace out the outline of the bulkhead and use a dremel with the bits I linked to enlarge the hole to fit your bulkhead. Using a holesaw that size I'd opt to set it up in my drill press. You cam cut any size hole cheaply with the bits link and a dremel. You just use the known bulkhead for size and pattern... Cut through the center of your pattern and then slowly enlarge the hole to the circle pattern you laid out on the tank panel.
if i do it this way should i be keeping it wet? I guess i need to know even if i do it the other way. i need to figure out which of these options are safest vs cost effective. i don't have a dremel tool, but would be willing to buy one if it is going to be safer than ordering the hole saw bit online and going at it with a drill as i don't have a drill press
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Dremel is a decent tool for anyone to own. It's hard for me to give a honest opinion on either way. I've only used holesaw bits drilling tanks in a drill press, and I own a standup floor drill press, so getting the tank into position is a PITA to me. Never did it with a hand drill, but think it could be if you dial the drill down. Using the dremel, just position and mark your hole, tank will lay good whatever position and grind away.....
What tools do you own?
 
dempseyjosh

dempseyjosh

Member
i know a dremel is a good tool to own, which is why I won't hesitate to buy it, i just want to go the safest route, i really don't want to crack the tank. But I also don't want to be grinding away for an hour to get 1 hole with the dremel.
I just bought a house a little less than a year ago, then i started to get some tools as i have a use for them. so i have the typical power tools cordless drill, circular saw, table saw, jig saw, router and palm sander.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Honestly IMHO the dremel/rotozip would be the safest route IMO. Between the 2 tools though, the Rotozip blows the Dremel out of the water.
 
dempseyjosh

dempseyjosh

Member
i havent taken the time to look it up yet. is the rotozip basically the same thing as a dremel, just bigger? can it be dialed down to be used on as many things as the dremel can? i'm probably going to go pick one up tomorrow evening
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
IMHO the dremel can't compare to the Rotozip.....Dremel has/seems more attachments, but when you put 1 in each hand, and fire them up, the dremel is something you let the kid play with where the Rotozip, you can actually feel the torque......Yes the Rotozip can be dialed up and down as well.
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
I've only ever used a hand drill and a hole saw. IMO it's too difficult to ensure that you keep water off the drill press to make it worth it, cast iron too easily rusts.
The problem is guiding the bit, this is a problem the press solves, but not without other issues like the water and positioning.
I've got the guiding problem licked though... here's how...
Take a small piece of acrylic, cut into a square that is large enough to accomodate the hole you want to drill with about 1/2" margin all around... so if the hole you want to drill is 2", cut the acrylic to a 3" square.
Using a regular (non-diamond) hole saw of the same diameter as the hole you want to put in the glass, drill a hole in the center of your acrylic square. Note that it may be easier to do this first, then cut the square out of the main sheet around the hole.
Using a small round rasp, work your way around the hole filing until the diamond bit can pass freely though the hole but without "jiggle".
Tape the piece of acrylic firmly down to the glass where you want to put the hole. I use metal foil HVAC tape for this.
The acrylic will hold the bit and guide it. I always do this outside with a garden hose, but if you use the "dam" method to control your water, build the dam around the entire deal, tape and all and flood the whole works.
Keep the acrylic when you are done. I've got one for every size diamond hole saw I have.
 
dempseyjosh

dempseyjosh

Member
well, i went ahead and did this last night. I went to harbor freight and bought a "electric cutout tool" and a diamond coated bit. I came home tested it out on a spare peice of glass so i knew what to expect, then went at it. The first hole was made without a problem. So i took a break so i wouldn't rush to get the second one done, then i went at the second hole. 20 seconds into the second hole before i really even made much progress, SNAP!, theres a crack! Nothing was shattered, it was one crack, straight through where the second hole was going. So after I was done swearing about it I figured i'd try to finish making the hole without making the crack any worse. I was successful at that, but i still had this crack to worry about. So i looked at the to see what i should do. The crack on the right side of the hole was the worst, this was located in the third chamber, but luckily it was above the water level. the crack in the second chamber was above the waterline on one side, and got lower to just about the waterline on the other side, the crack wasn't very bad, as you could barely catch your finger nail on it. The crack in the first chamber could be seen, but i couldn't feel it at all, and couldn't catch my finger nail on it,but it was under the water line by about 2 inches or so. So what i did was put some acrylic over the crack and put some silicone around it so keep the water from leaking through it. I was also hoping this would help keep it from making the crack worse. I feel like there isn't that much pressure on it, since there is probably only a gallon of water in the back filter part of the nano cube. what do you guys think?
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
I'm not following here... you said you used a test piece of glass but then said some stuff that would indicate otherwise... ???
If it is in an "in use" tank, then personally if it were me I'd replace the tank or the pane. First, silicon does not bond well to acrylic, so the repair you did is not going to have much strength. Second, cracks in the glass will "run" with the slightest bit of pressure. That's just me though, it's really up to you.
 
dempseyjosh

dempseyjosh

Member
i'm not quite sure what i said that would indicate otherwise about testing first, cause I did.
I don't know what i'm going to end up doing with this, but i doubt that i'm going to replace the back pane of glass, this is probably either going to work, or possibly end up with a new tank, or i may end up with a new tank eventually anyways. I'm not sure if i'd feel comfortable replacing the back pane cause its not just the bottom and sides that need to be sealed, i would also have to deal with the compartments in the back.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
That sucks!!!!!! How many bits did you buy? I usually only use the bit 1 time for 1 hole, because they are so cheap. How close were you drilling the holes together?
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
SCSInet, the way I solved the issue with the drill press was covering the table of the press with plastic.
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by dempseyjosh http:///forum/thread/383044/drilling-the-back-of-a-nanocube/20#post_3350018
i'm not quite sure what i said that would indicate otherwise about testing first, cause I did.
Sorry I wasn't clear. What I was saying was that when you started your post, you were talking about a test piece, but further along, you were talking about what sounded like a real tank, so I was confused as to whether you cracked a test piece or the real tank.
However now I realize that when you said this:
I came home tested it out on a spare peice of glass so i knew what to expect, then went at it.
You were saying that you tested on spare glass, then "went at it" with the real tank. That was what I apparently didn't undersand the first go around.
 
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