local tank drilling

[schneijt]

Hello,

Do any of you happen to know a place here in the Eau Claire area that can drill a hole in a tank (glass) for me at a decent price? I've got a 20gal tank sitting around empty, and I'm thinking about converting it into a low-flow remote DSB/'fuge. I'm thinking 1/2" bulkhead, so I'll need a 1 1/8" hole drilled somewhere around here... Let me know if you have any experience/thoughts with someone local doing the job for me.

Thanks,
Joe

[condiman]

I have a two inch bit I could drill for you. That would work for a 3/4 inch bulkhead I believe.

[schneijt]

3/4" bulkheads require a 1 1/2" hole, according to Marine Depot. I wouldn't want to go any bigger than a 3/4" outlet from the 20gal, so the largest hole I'd need drilled would be 1.5", preferably 1 1/8" for a 1/2" bulkhead. I'd really hate to buy an expensive bit just to drill one hole, so hopefully I can still find someone or a business locally who can do it for me.

Thanks for your offer, I really appreciate it!
Joe

[DevilBoy]

not to butt in here, i dont think you will find anyone locally Joe. The closest would be the Twin Cities. Post in TCMAS and see what you get over there.

As for the sizes. You are better off getting the bulkhead first before drilling the hole. Not all bulkhead manufacturers require the same size hole for there bulkheads. Marine Depot may state that size, but if you buy another brand of bulkhead they may require a different size hole drilled. So if you order the bulkhead from marine depot you should be fine with their stated hole sizes.

[SomeGuy1082]

I have a 1 1/8 around here somewhere. I am in Eden Prairie, MN. I would be happy to drill it for you if I can find my bit. I would recommend going bigger if you plan to have much flow though... I have all my tanks drilled for an auto water change system that has a slow trickle going into them, and that is all I use the overflows for. Bigger will be quieter for you... If you want a 1 1/8 hole though, I would be happy to drill for you. Like I said, just have to find the bit. Its around here somewhere. Thing cost me like $70, so i really should find it anyways.

[schneijt]

It's a shame I don't get to the twin cities very often, or I'd take you up on that offer. But, if I'm ever over in your neck of the woods and I haven't had holes drilled, I will let you know.

Thanks for your offer,
Joe

[schneijt]

Well, I found some cheap 28mm diamond drill bits online, so I'm going to try drilling the tank myself when I get them. A tad under 1 1/8", but just barely. So, if the bulkheads are a tad too big, I can use sandpaper to make them fit through the holes. I've read an awful lot about glass drilling today, so I'm going to go for it. Worst case scenerio I just spend a few dollars on another tank... But I'm going slow and following all the precautions and advice I found online, and I'm confident I can do a decent job my first time.

-Joe

[SomeGuy1082]

Good luck.

Use clamps to hold a flat board on the back side of what you are drilling to support it so that as you go through it doesn't take a chip out of the side of the hole. Also be very careful b/c the glass on a 20 gallon tank is very thin, so use very lite pressure with the drill especially as you get close to going through. Possibly the hardest thing to do is hold the drill perfectly straight the whole way through (sometimes it takes a while). It is very important though because it will bind in the hole if you tip it to the side even a tiny bit, which will cause it to crack your glass. So just be careful of that. Overall though, its not to tough. I'm sure you won't have any problems.

[condiman]

When I drill my holes I put plumber puddy around the hole then take a board with the same size hole in it and place it over the puddy where you want the hole drilled then I put water into that hole and then slowly begin to drill slowly adding a little at a time. Just one thing to remember is let the drill do the work dont put any pressure onto the glass just let gravity do the work for you. The reason for the board is to keep the drill bit straight and the puddy is to keep the water in where you are drilling to keep the glass cool.

[SomeGuy1082]

Good idea with the hole on top. That would be a big help for getting the hole started too. I will definitely do that the next time I drill a tank.

[Petunia]

mtfatwork knows about this kind of stuff... if you want to pm her about any questions, i'm sure she'd be willing to give you lots of great advise.
how's it going so far?

[mtfatwork]

Joe, did ya git er done? .

[schneijt]

I'm going to have to wait a few days for my drill bits to arrive, then the fun begins! I'm going to use my neighbor's drill press in his garage, so I don't have to worry about the drill not being straight. But the plan is to clamp the tank down to make sure it can't shift, and support the bottom side of the tank with something to keep the tank "rock solid" as I drill. And I'll do my best to slow down the drill press as much as may be possible. Finally, I plan on using putty to make a "pool" of water around the drill bit, and I'll add/change water as necessary as it clouds. Slow slow slow, I guess, and hopefully I'll have good results.

-Joe

[condiman]

Keep us posted Joe

[davidsreef]

Good luck!