dremel tips for small tanks

[Kogo]

ive got the dremel, got the diamond bits, got several tanks.... dont got he nerve (lol).

im ready to drill some tanks, anyone have any helpfull tips.

please share your experiance.

[Carl_in_Florida]

lots of water. If you can do it with a hose running over the glass that helps. I always used play dough as a dam and kept pouring water into it to keep it wet.
When i do the drilling, i kind of go up and down with the dremel while going around.
cut a hole in a piece of paper the size of you bulkhead and make sure it is the right size then use that to make the impression on your tank. If you try to trace the bulkhead onto the glass and cut the hole, it is a hard to make the hole bigger and you run the risk of cracking the glass.

This glass is extremely thin so do not overtighten the bulkhead or you will crack the glass. Trust me on this.

and remember, the tanks are cheap


CArl

[Agu]

Kogo,


Here you go,

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=534878

[brainiac]

heres my tip JUST DO IT !!!!!! thats what i had to tell myself the first time i did it. Its really not hard at all.

[Carl_in_Florida]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6430583#post6430583 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by brainiac
heres my tip JUST DO IT !!!!!! thats what i had to tell myself the first time i did it. Its really not hard at all.

OK Kogo, high school kids are taunting you now.

Carl

[charlesgage]

how do i tell if my glass is tempered? I am seriously gonna drill this 20 long i have. Also, can you get the diamond bits at lowes and home depot?

[Carl_in_Florida]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6430608#post6430608 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by charlesgage
how do i tell if my glass is tempered? I am seriously gonna drill this 20 long i have. Also, can you get the diamond bits at lowes and home depot?

I found them the cheapest at Walmart.

If your tank does this

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y8/carl_in_florida/tank%20rebuild/PICT0815.jpg



Its tempered

CArl

[charlesgage]

Thanks Carl! Any particular tanks that are not tempered?

[cj_basser]

I use my right hand to hold the dremel, and my left to brace it...and to squirt wate ron the hole with a turkey baster. Also, when drilling, go up and down and in a circle. As of now, I am 3-0 with drilling holes....1 in a 20g long, 2 in a nano-cube.

[Carl_in_Florida]

I don't think AGA tanks are tempered. this one was a 10 from walmart. I wouldn't think a 20L is tempered. Maybe the bottom but I don't know. Tempered glass is supposed to have a sticker on it when you buy it.

carl

[charlesgage]

Rawsome! How much were the bits?

[Kogo]

2 for like $6 or $8 at walmart (dremel brand).

i also picked up a digital thermometer with submersable probe for $8.00 min / max memory w/ inside and outside readings on screen simultaniously.

[Agu]

Kogo,

The digital thermometers are awesome. The memory part is convenient. However check the calibration of the outside probe. I returned two to Target that were off by more than five degrees.

fwiw,

[surfnvb7]

i'm undertaking my first drilled tank this week also. i also got the 2 bits at walmart (very good deal compared to lowes!)

from what i've heard, all walmart tanks are tempered...could be wrong though..

and i thought with AGA's, the bottom is tempered, but the sides arent.

quick question on when to use what bit....i know you start with the round bit first.......do you only go halfway through the glass with that bit? or do you go all the way through the glass with it, and then use the tapered bit to start cutting away at the glass from the side once through...?

[Agu]

The ball is to make a large enough hole for the tapered bit.

[kaserpick]

I was told at a LFS that most bottoms are tempered and most sides are not, but.....it was a LFS soooo.....he's probably wrong!:)

[surfnvb7]

anyone have any experience with getting those diamond bit sets off ebay (the ones for the dremel, not hong kong hole saws)

for $5, for a 20piece set...........it almost sounds too good to be true considering at lowes one tapered bit is $9

[ZC]

Don't waste your time with the ones from ebay that are like 5 for a 20 pc set. It will take the entire set of 20 bits to get half a hole done! hardly any diamond on them!!!!! IMO stay with the dremel or craftsman brands they are the best by far!

[surfnvb7]

thats what i figured, too good to be true.....thanks

[Carl_in_Florida]

Wally world bits are what works well. Do a little search on nr (their search engine works) there are several threads there about it.

CArl

[surfnvb7]

yeah, i've done a couple of searches here actually.

the only dremel diamond bits that my local walmart carried, was #7150.....which included both a ball bit and a tappered bit for $5.

dremel bit #7134 at lowes ($9)...looks the same to me as the tapered bit that came in the #7150 package at walmart. but it may be slightly different, i couldnt tell...one of you guys prob can tell better than me.

any suggestions?

[surfnvb7]

couldn't find #7150 on the dremel site, but googled it and came up with this... http://www.toolsforless.com/product/4044.html

so its comprised of One Dremel 7103 5/64" Diamond ball point &
One Dremel 7144 3/32" Diamond wheel point

should i still get #7134 for the majority of the cutting?
http://www.toolsforless.com/product/4023.html

i guess they are a bit different judging from the pics.

[Carl_in_Florida]

Is this on hold now that you got the 20?

surfnvb7 - I don't know the answer regarding the numbers. I just used the kit at Wallyworld. Actually i did it twice.

Carl

[Kogo]

the only thing holding back the 5.5g project is UPS. the drilling is mainly for an outdoor FW system in the works to raise fry. i am however considering drilling the 5.5 for a CL to avoid heat problems and to eliminate the box i built to hide the pump. the 20L is already up and stocked with the stuff from my 10g.

current H2O projects.... 210g FW african, 5.5g fw planted, 10g FW nightlight (daughter's room), 29g fw angelfish (for Mother in law) two 20- 29g FW growouts, 5.5g office Nano, 360g pond, and possibly a 4 x 20g outdoor FW growout with central sump.

do they have 12 step for aquaculture? either way, i need to know how to drill glass!!!!

[distantfire]

Buy dremel part 4186 it's a key less chuck and it works like a charm. Costs 10 bucks at walmart and Home depots carry's them to. Also buy a fine point sharpie to trace the inside of your O ring inside your tank. Then find a empty spray bottle and fill it with cold water. Apply duct tape around the area that you want to drill. The duct tape cuts down on the vibrations from the dremel and will hold the glass together in case you have a accident. Put a bath towel in the tank to catch the glass disc. Spray water on the tank and starting with the ball bit follow your O ring pattern. I go about half way thru then switch to the tapered bit. With the tapered bit I found it cut's faster moving it up and down on a slight angle because the diamonds are spread out along the shaft. Spray water as you go, I like the adjustable spray bottle with a thin stream. You can tell when you don't have enough water, because your bit will look like frost. Before you do your tanks practice drilling on some single strength window glass so you can get a feel for it. (Alway's remember to take your time and let your dremel cool off) Also because aga tanks 10 gal.s and less have such thin glass. After you drill your tank buy a sheet of arcylic and drill holes in it to match the ones on your tank. Put your bulk head in your tank and thru the sheet of arcylic then tighten down your bulk head to the arcylic. Bulk heads get heavy and having the extra sheet of arcylic helps distribute there weight. And it's good cheap insurance against accidental breakage. For example: if you bump the back of your tank with a Hang on back filter or a piece of LR falls and hits the back of your tank. I have not had any aga tank crack or shatter on me yet. I just take my time drilling. And yesterday I finished drilling the bottom of a 20H to fit a 3/4" bulk head with external overflow. So I must be doing something right. Good luck

[DAN DEWLAND]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6428945#post6428945 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kogo
ive got the dremel, got the diamond bits, got several tanks.... dont got he nerve (lol).

im ready to drill some tanks, anyone have any helpfull tips.

please share your experiance. HI ; YOU WANT TO KEEP THE VIBRATION LOW AND USE WATER TO COOL AND LUBRICAT THE CUTTING AREA. FORM A MOTE WITH SILLY PUTTY TO HOLD THE WATER IN THE POSITION YOU WANT TO DRILL AND SUPORT THE AREA UNDER THE VASINITY OF THE HOLE TO ABSORB THE VIBRATION.

[Carl_in_Florida]

[welcome]

[Travis Savant]

I didn't come to this board to find out about drilling, but this thread has been realy helpful :)

[spline9]

Most tanks from walmart are manufactured by Perfecto. Some are AGA. Call them if you want to know about which panels are tempered.
Perfecto Customer Service: 800-241-7485
AGA Customer Service: 414-421-9670

[Carl_in_Florida]

my perfecto tank from walmart was tempered

[surfnvb7]

piece of cake! just did a 1inch hole with the dremel in an extra 15g-high i had laying around.

i made my hole about 0.5cm too small. it took me about 30-40min to cut the initial hole...then another 30min just to widen it.

making it too small was a mistake, and a major pain to widen without a diamond grinding wheel. hopefully i'll get it closer tomorrow when i do another 15g (24x12x12).

btw...whats the minimum distance from the edges of the tank you can make the hole??

[distantfire]

surfnvb7 what's minimum for me is keeping the bulkhead away from the edges and side walls the same distance as the size of the bulkhead being used. Example: Using a 1 inch bulkhead I would stay 1 inch away from the edge and side wall. Plus doing it this way allows room for the flange on the bulkhead to fit into the hole. Good luck

[Travis Savant]

Went by Wal*Mart yesterday and I picked up the Dremel Product # 7150 :) Comes with a Dioman point ball and the tapered one.

[distantfire]

Menards sell's a 20 piece set made by tool craft for 7 dollars. I would recommend them to any one needing a few holes or slot's done on tanks 10gals. and under.

[MAreefer1]

dam...the thread starter is one brave dude!

[Kogo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6431019#post6431019 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kogo

i also picked up a digital thermometer with submersable probe for $8.00 min / max memory w/ inside and outside readings on screen simultaniously.

FYI this thermometer is very inacurate - another $8.00 lesson learned - win some loose some i guess.

[Carl_in_Florida]

what does this mean and were did you get it?

Carl

[Kogo]

its about the walmart thermometer i mentioned earlyer. and that AGU said might be poorly calibrated.

Acu Rite is the brand.

by the way... an off topic post (but its my thread anyway)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/kogo/b.jpg

the upgrade from 10g to 20g

[surfnvb7]

Travis Savant- i used those bits from walmart last night on a 15g, plus another type of tapered bit from lowes. it takes a long time b/c the bits are so tiny. i wouldn't use those bits on any thicker glass than whats on a 20g.

any thicker, i would definately use some larger bits (i.e. larger shanks) a guy in my local club has been using these on over 20 tanks, and is still only been using the same 3 bits. so i think i'm gonna get these and save the tiny dremel bits for use on something like a 10g. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=36252

i'd still rather use the dremel rather than a diamond hole saw. a regular price of a diamond hole saw is like $50, those hong kong ones are cheap though. but having a dremel is a good buy, so many different uses for it.

anyone have any suggestions for what type of bit to use when making teeth in the acrylic overflow? and any tricks to stop that "gurgling" sound?

[distantfire]

Dremel part 4301 cut's thru thin acrylic and is easy to handle. But I like the Gyros a lot better because the blade is thin like a cut off disc and it has a lot more teeth. To stop the "gurgling" sound check out the hoffer gurgle buster and durso standpipe.

[Carl_in_Florida]

Kogo, did the lights come with that tank? Looks nice

Carl

[Kogo]

yes they did. 2 x 75 VHO

[Carl_in_Florida]

Man am i jealous!

Did you replace the 10 with the 150w? Or are you just going to set up another tank now?

CArl

[Kreeger1]

ANyone ever cut a hole in a 180 using a dremel bit, My tank is 5/8 inch thick glass. I wonder if that will work on it?
Erik

[Carl_in_Florida]

You might want to post that in the big tank forum

Carl

[Kogo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6457640#post6457640 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Carl_in_Florida
Man am i jealous!

Did you replace the 10 with the 150w? Or are you just going to set up another tank now?

CArl

i took down the 10g and replaced it with the 20L. it looks much better (equiptment wise). i decided to "redistribute" the MH pendant, so i wont be setting that back up.

[Travis Savant]

Hey everyone, I just wanted to say thanks to all of you who have put valuble advice in this thread.

I finaly cut a hole on a glass tank, AGA 20L to be exact. I used the Dremel Product Number 7150 to get the job done, and I couldn't have been happier with it.

Here are the pics
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f305/Travis_777/7150.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f305/Travis_777/Hole-In-Tank-No-BH.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f305/Travis_777/Hole-In-Tank-No-BH-Back.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f305/Travis_777/Back.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f305/Travis_777/BH-Both-Sides.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f305/Travis_777/BH-Back.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f305/Travis_777/BH-Front.jpg

It wasn't hard at all, it just took about 20 Minutes to cut it.

[surfnvb7]

nice job Travis Savant......did you actually do the hole in the vertical position?

[Travis Savant]

No, I put it on it's front and cut downward on the back.

[Kogo]

good job travis.

what made you decide to put the bulkhead at the bottom?

[Maxius]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6444874#post6444874 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Carl_in_Florida
my perfecto tank from walmart was tempered

so was mine didnt have a sticker in it and i found out the hard way.............

[Travis Savant]

Well, this is a spare tank that I used for practice purposes.

However, I am going to be putting the same bulkhead in the same general area as this hole on a 29g Vivarium, I wanted to see if it would crak, being that it is so close the the bottum.

[Kogo]

keeping dendrobaties?

[Travis Savant]

Yep

[AIMFish]

About how many holes do you guys get from a bit and is it obvious when the bits are used up?

[surfnvb7]

this totally depends on the brand of bit, size, how thick of glass you have drilled it on, and if you kept it sufficiently lubricated while drilling...

i.e. if you didnt keep your bits nice and lubricated, you will wear off the diamonds much faster.

basically, once you get a feel for drilling, you will know when a bit is used up as you will need a good bit of force to press against the glass to cut it (much more than when it was new and cut with very little force)

I know some people say the more expensive the bit, the longer use you will get out of it due to more diamond material on the bit.......but due to differences in companies that sell them, and ebay, and contruction methods of the bits......I'm not so sure of that is entirely accurate.

not a big fan of the diamond hole saws for drills, b/c they are VERY expensive, and dont seem to last long......but for some people that is the sacrifice for speed.