What Do You Use To Drill A Tank?

[dj synystr]

I know you should buy them predrilled and all that but i am thinking about adding a 29 gallon to my set up sharing the sump and refugium. i would like to drill a drain hole for the overflow on the back or some other type of setup that will keep the tank at the same level when in opuration. i dont want to use an overflow because this tank will not need the mechanical filtration as it will be joined to the rest of the system. if anyone has done it before or have resources one what is needed i would greatly appreciate it. thanks in advance.

[Soltaker]

You would have to buy a drill bit. They go for about $100. Expensive, but if you keep the bit cool (use the lube) you can drill like crazy. My LFS wants $30/hole. It would pay for itself after just a few holes.

[dj synystr]

i have seen people using a dremel to make cuts as well. like a on tank overflow. do you know what kind of bit is used with that?

[vapovick]

I think the dremel tool method would only work on acrylic not glass. But I am not sure. I have never drilled a tank before, but have drilled glass. its a pretty tought job, keeping the bit oiled and level is a must, the bit hits the side of the glass crooked and its toast..

./Good luck at any rate. please correct me if I am wrong about the dremel method...

[ricka]

Dremel glass drilling explained here:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=234382.

[prof10000]

I have done it a couple of times with a dremel. You have to use the diamond tipped bits. Water will keep it cool and patience will keep you from breaking the glass.

This is not as good as a properly drilled hole but very effective for most diy holes. Works ok on thin glass. I have drilled 4 holes so far with no problems. Be careful how close you are to the edge of the glass, it will tend to crack. This happened to me twice but it cracks to the top of the tank and I was just working with a sump. Silicon fixed it both times. The bulkhead is what actually cracked the glass. The first one broke when the bulkhead was overtightened and the second one when I bumped the bulkhead sideways after installation. I think this would have happened even with a 'drilled' hole.

I got my info from the diy forum. Someone documented this procedure very well. One of the tanks I drilled still had water and livestock in it. :)

[christopherobyn]

I have drilled 2 acrylic tanks already with a regular hole boring bit from the hardware store. They cost about $25-$30. The key with drilling acrylic is to keep pouring water on the hole you are drilling. Acrylic heats up really fast, and that is what causes it to crack. On the other hand, if your tank is glass, call some glass shops and ask how much. Good luck.

[prof10000]

ricka beat me to it....

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=234382&highlight=tank+drill+dremel

[Frick-n-Frags]

I just use the $10 carbide holesaws from HD. They drill about 4 holes before the carbide wears out. Make a little water dam around the drill site take your time and rock the bit to make a loose hole. Keep the dam filled with water. Put a towel below the drill site and an X of duct tape under to catch the plug.

No guarantees. I broke a 10 gal because the leadscrew bit through too fast and the momentum of the drill twisted the bit in the odd sized hole. The thinner the glass, the tougher it is.

If you can master the 10 gal, you can drill anything. I've drilled 2 55longs, a 50 cube, a 75, a 100gal and 2 10 gals. They were all side holes with a 2" holesaw.

I also used a Dremel with a grinder bit to drill the bottom of my first 55long reeftank. I ground a series of small holes in a circle.

[steve68]

i drilled my 55 glass this weekend to make a refugium out of it
used the dremell bits & worked great the back of the tank has a stick on blue plastic so i left it on
the bitts cost me 10 bucks each at "Pearl art center"

[steve68]

2

[steve68]

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[steve68]

4

[dj synystr]

what bits did you use can you tell me? i am thinking about putting a box on the back side of the tank and have slots for the tank to drain into the box then go to the sump from there. this is exsactly what i was trying to find out the biuts for the dremmel. thanks in advance.

[ricka]

Has anyone tried the dremel method with the cicle maker?

[steve68]

i used the same bits that he used 2 dremmel bits #7134 and #7103.
i tried to use the circle maker but u cant u have to keep moveing the bit up & down with slight presure i also had the tank on a slight angle so water would run down where i was drilling.

[vapovick]

OK, since we are all talking about drilling glass, I was curious. My tanks bottom is tempered. what are the sides made out of ? I know you cant drill tempered, it will just shatter...

./

[steve68]

most tanks bottom's are tempered to hold weight it cost more money to make tempered glass so it is most likely the sides are not

[newlinj]

The sides are typically not tempered. You may be able to check the specifications on the manufacturer's web site. I know AGA specifies which of their tanks have tempered bottoms and none of them have tempered sides. I also used the dremel method to drill a hole in the back of my 29 this weekend following the methods specified in the thread above. It was a little labor intensive but it worked fine for me.

[greg s]

when my tank was drilled...they put a bead of silicone
in a circle...then added veggi oil..with a diamond round
bit...slow and steady and pop..it went out...i'm sure this was
already talked about..sorry about that..greg

[steve68]

it is a lot quicker with a circle diamond tip bit took the guy at my LFS less then a minute went right through useing water 25 bucks.
now i have the bits & can drill my other tanks :)

[sls]

i drilled a few with a dremel bit 7124 i think. 1 55 gal. was filled when i did it. i drilled top back. just far enough down so the bulkhead woulkd fit without overlapping the moulding on the tank. the bits cost 4$ ea. buy 2 for one hole. they tend to wear down quickly and it goes alot faster if you can keep a fresh bit in it.good luck. just remember if a lfs or glass shop does it they wont guarantee it. thats why i did it myself. i trust me more than the guys at the lfs:D

[asmujica]

Head over to the DIY forum, they have links to places that sell diamond coated drill bits at affordable prices.

[Herpervet]

I just drilled my 300 (1/2 inch glass) 4 holes total. You can a set of 5 bits for around $50. Check out ebay. I will try to find the guy I bought mine from recently. These work fine. The expensive bits will probably last alot longer (for professionals drilling alot of glass) but these cheaper bits work just fine.

Make a circle on the glass out of plumbers putty. Fill about 1/8 inch of water in this small well. Drill using a CORDLESS DRILL with the torque set at the lowest setting. This way WHEN (not if) the bit binds you will not break the glass. The water in the well cools the bit.

The hardest part is starting the hole since the bit wants to wander away from the area. Start real slow until it quits wobbling. You can cut a template out of wood to stabalize the bit also but I have managed without this. (drill and equal sized hole in a small square of plywood or thick cardboard and drill through the hole. This will help steady the bit until the glass is etched.

Do not apply pressure, let the bit do the work. Be patient when the water drains from the well as you start breaking through the other side of the glass. Keep drilling and periodically flush the groove with water. The first holes took 4 hours! (I was paranoid and set the drill at 30 rev's per min) After a couple of holes I managed to get it done in about 45min to 1 hour for this thick glass.

I also drilled out my 58's. Don't be intimidated but make sure the glass is not tempered (Oceanic give a warning about drilling their tanks (bottom is tempered and will break I guess)