how do I drill holes in my plexi glass tank?

[fishman73]

Hi have had this tank for a while (18 mos) and I want to add some power heads in the tank to keep flow going better. The tank is "clear for life" brand and made out of acryllic - NOT glass.
I want to drill a 1/4" hole on the top piece of plexi to run the electric wire through... do I need a special drill bit?
Or, since the plexi is soft, will a regular bit work? I sure dont want 125gallons to spill out if it breaks!!!
any suggestions?
Thank you!

 

[reefforbrains]

Any bit will work. Make sure you go slow and smooth.
It will be much easier than you think to drill plexi. Just go slowly

 

[niskyvaulter]

i'm not sure if its logical thinking but my (dad's) table saw thats designed for wood can cut plexiglass, so bits designed for wood might be able to cut plexiglass.

 

[brandan]

Originally Posted by ReefForBrains
http:///forum/post/2580380
Any bit will work. Make sure you go slow and smooth.
It will be much easier than you think to drill plexi. Just go slowly
X2, if you go to fast, you will chip the edge very easily.

 

[perfectdark]

Actually a high speed drill moved slowly is IMO what works best. And a steady hand, if you vary the angle at which you start drilling you can also crack it easily.

 

[srfisher17]

There are some PHs (VorTech) on the market that transfer power while being held by a magnet, no cord in the tank or heat transfer. Quite pricey, but I'll bet others follow and the price comes down. There might be others now, I just haven't seen them.

 

[scsinet]

Standard twist drill bits have a tendency to crack acrylic of you aren't very, very careful. Very light pressure and high speed work best.
A far more tedious, yet more surefire way to drill is to work your way up for about a 1/32'" bit to a 1/4. It's a pain in the but but by increasing about 1/32 at a time, you won't chip or crack it.

 

[srfisher17]

Originally Posted by SCSInet
http:///forum/post/2581729
Standard twist drill bits have a tendency to crack acrylic of you aren't very, very careful. Very light pressure and high speed work best.
A far more tedious, yet more surefire way to drill is to work your way up for about a 1/32'" bit to a 1/4. It's a pain in the but but by increasing about 1/32 at a time, you won't chip or crack it.
I'm no great handyman, but I learned to do the gradually-increasing hole thing when I tried to drill a hole in the nose of a ceramic pig. ( No, it wasn't tank decor for *****...don't ask) I shattered the 1st one, then did it Quint's way..perfect!

 

[bruner54]

yea i jus drilled holes the other day in plexi glass any bit will do jus go slow or u will crack it

 

[augustwest]

Call me crazy but wouldn't you need more that 1/4" to pass the actual plug on the end of the power cord through?

 

[srfisher17]

Originally Posted by AugustWest
http:///forum/post/2582938
Call me crazy but wouldn't you need more that 1/4" to pass the actual plug on the end of the power cord through?

Sounds like something I would say. Just a hunch, but I'll bet he cuts the cord, passes it thru the hole & puts a new plug on. If he's not doing it that way, its good that he isn't planning on passing the PH thru the tank wall.