Possible Aggressive Tank Build.....Need advice

acrylic51

Active Member
NO.....That's the 1 thing I don't own....Usually I'm the local rental tool place......
I was at Lowes before we talked this past weekend and I did look at them.....The bad thing is even with an angle drill I still don't have enough clearance to come in from the top.....I have to scrap the idea of using bulkheads in those areas.....A standard bulkhead is roughly 3", and it sticks up to much to get the plumbing into it......Haven't had any luck finding and "shorty" bulkheads as well.....They seem to be out of stock as well......
 

al&burke

Active Member
Shawn I new you were up to something - remember a while back I talked about drilling my tank with everything in the tank with the water drained below where the holes would be. I was going to make a box to hold the diamond bit - the shaft would have to go through the box, I was thinking if you could get a rubber bushing for the shaft to go through and seal even while it was turning (or something else to seal it) - now you are going to use a hole saw for acrylic with a center drill bit, usually 1/4". So all you have to do is make an open ended box that you could clamp to the underside of your eurobracing, have it filled with water before you clamp it, then drill away with the water cooling the hole saw. ANother thing you could try is drilling a 3/8" hole off center in the eurobracing where the final hole would be, which could be used to fill the box for cooling as you are drilling away. Just a thought I think it would work. A while back I also told you of one of our model makers using bees wax on his hole saw when drilling acrylic, the holes were as smooth as glass. Just a few ideas buddy, if I had my work computer here I would draw it up - what size hole saw were you thinking, I will draw something up for you tomorrow.
 

acrylic51

Active Member
Al the idea looks good. I slept on it last night and I see an issue though. There isn't enough "throw" on the shaft of the hole saw bit. The hole saw bits I'm using are generally 2"-3" in height, then take into account the length of the shaft on the hole saw, I'd never be able to cut through the panel!!!!
 

al&burke

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/388442/possible-aggressive-tank-build-need-advice/20#post_3425921
Al the idea looks good. I slept on it last night and I see an issue though. There isn't enough "throw" on the shaft of the hole saw bit. The hole saw bits I'm using are generally 2"-3" in height, then take into account the length of the shaft on the hole saw, I'd never be able to cut through the panel!!!!
Can you weld an extension on the hole saw or buy one that has a longer shaft. I would try the bees wax Shawn on a scrap piece. What about an angle drill.
 

acrylic51

Active Member
Angle drill will probably be course of action??? Not sure about welding an exstension. You'd want the bit to run true!!! Being off just a bit would cause a wobble effect and poor hole I'd think. I haven't seen any hole saw bits with a long extension on. Either the cheap bits from Harbor Freight, which I don't like the lock mechanism on. I've been using the Lennox bits, and from what I've seen you have to use certain spindles dependent on saw size. Any ideas???
 

al&burke

Active Member
And the shafts are hex shaped - I know in our work shop they have extensions for the hex shafts that have a set screw to lock it together. I will have a look when I am there tomorrow.
 

al&burke

Active Member
What about something like this shawn, the original picture had a hole saw on it as well but it didn't paste. Luvmyreef sorry we are kinda taking over your thread here.
 

luvmyreef

Active Member
No, but I happen to have a 20g setting around. However, I might go with the bigger 30, whichever will end up fitting the best. Oh and Acrylic, should I drill 1" holes? Would that be the way to go? Also guys I watched the video of the overflow kit, is it normally that high up on the tank? It seemed like it was noisy, and kinda getting air maybe? Shouldn't it be a little lower? And it makes sense to me to put it in the center rather than the corner. What size pumps should I be looking for? Can you tell I am making a list LOL.
 

luvmyreef

Active Member
This guy at my not so local pet store told me to drill 1 and 3/4 holes. He just recently got in new tanks and drilled like 96 holes in total. Said that it was his first time drilling and it was easy. Also, he said that the local glass shops will drill it for me but at my own risk. LOL.
 

2quills

Well-Known Member
A 1" bulkhead will require a 1-3/4" hole. If a Tee is installed on the back of the bulkhead and caped off you can drill a hole in the top of it and insert a piece of air tubing. This will allow air that gets trapped in the drain line to vent. That way you don't get that gurgling noise that you saw in the video. But as mentioned, if you order the kit, you get the bulkhead and the proper sized drill bit to do the job with the kit.
 

acrylic51

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Al&Burke http:///t/388442/possible-aggressive-tank-build-need-advice/20#post_3425940

Sorry Al.....I just got here....I'll have to check out Lowes or HD tomorrow for something like that.....I got a little impatient today, since feeling like crap and climbed inside the tank, and drilled 2 of the 4 holes without constant water supply.....Actually wasn't to bad....I'd cut for a bit, and dunk the bit into a bucket of water for a bit, and drill again. Actually the holes where smoother than using the dish soap/water mix of 50/50.......Thanks Buddy!!!!!!
 

acrylic51

Active Member
Using my 6' tall ladder all the way to the top and over.......Not really that bad.....Have an idea of building a removable scaffolding around the perimeter of the stand in the fish room, that during maintenance if needed I can be at the very top and work on what I need.......
 
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