local tank drilling

[baum89]

so how did the drilling turn out?
I have a 9 gallon bow and i think i have finally convinced myself to drill it... Joe, would i be able to borrow your bit?

[Afish4u]

wow this is an old thread lol... I think joe is in the process of moving currently

[baum89]

yea i figured id revive an old rather than begin a new thread.
is he moving within the state?

[grallster]

I use a technique similar to condiman. A 20 gal is a tough one to do for the first time--I find the thinner glass much harder. I just did a guy's 5.5 gal and ended up using a dremel because the glass was just too thin.
Another tip is to use duct tape on the inside over the hole to help contain the coolant when the bit starts going through (it also keeps the cut-out from falling and taking a chip out of the opposite side).

[Afish4u]

he is moving out of state.

[baum89]

thanks for the tips grallster
is there anyone in the area that would be willing to help?

[pogodzib]

Jason in Black River Falls has drilled some holes in his tanks and I think John in La Crosse drilled his own tank as well. You can get a hold of Jason in the LARK forum, or PM him at Jrmass.

Here's what Jason wrote in one of the threads on LARK

I've drilled a pair of tanks successfully not to meantion the 5 or so practice holes that I've done successfully. The biggest thing with drilling the tank is to make sure you have PLENTY of water covering the hole, START the hole slowly, drill slowly, and be very patient as it will take a long time to go through a 75 gallon tank. (I took me about 10 mins to drill through a 10 gallon tank and about 12-15 mins to drill through a 20 gallon long) You will also have to make sure the tank is NOT TEMPERED GLASS. If it is you will destroy the tank when you try to drill it as it will spider web crack.

[baum89]

thanks for the response pogodzib

[Jrmass]

Yes, I've drilled 7 tanks now and have had zero fatalities (thank goodness). I have bits ranging in size from 2 3/8" down to 1 3/16". I've found a site that sells the bits cheap (I pay roughly $10/each after shipping) so I try to keep a few types around. The 2 3/8" is good for a 1 1/2" bulkhead fitting and the 1 3/16 is actually just a shade small for a 1" bulkhead but, with the assistance of a dremmel it does work on a smaller tank (like a 20 gallon as I've personally used this method).

If you need any help feel free to ask on the LARK board as I do once in a while read the boards here but, it is far and few between.

Jason