Who can drill a tank?

[redwinger]

Anyone here who can drill a tank? I need a 20 gallon that I have drilled for a 1" drain and 3/4" return.

Thanks

John

[rihanssu]

it looked easy, try it your self

[IIOHAB]

I can

[hamslice]

Originally Posted by redwinger

Anyone here who can drill a tank? I need a 20 gallon that I have drilled for a 1" drain and 3/4" return.

Thanks

John

yep u can it is easy.

[bluefintoo]

I have drilled several tanks, most with success. Best advice I can give? Don't do it. There are diamond bits you can buy, however they are pricey-always more than it will cost to take a tank to a merchant who will drill it for you. That being said-If you insist on drilling yourself, here are a few lessons I learned:

1. Purchase a good diamond bit. Do not skimp on the bit! I've used $30.00 bits, which do work but can and do chip the edge of the hole. Expect to pay $100.00+ depending on the size of the bit.

2. Make a dam around the hole with clay around the area where the hole is to be drilled. Make it minimum 1/2" deep and 3/4"-1" outside the diameter of the hole. The clay dam will allow the drilling area to be bathed in a cooling solution--I've used water but found using automotive coolant works infinitely better. Just remember to COMPLETELY CLEAN the takk after drilling! After you are absolutely certain it is clean>>Clean it again.

3. Only use a variable speed drill and keep the revolutions down! You will be grinding the glass, not truly drilling it. Make sure the bit remains verticle uring the grinding. Use VERY SLIGHT pressure-let the bit do the work. Too much pressure and you will chip the edges of the hole and render the tank useless. Remember to pay particular close attention to when the hole is almost through the glass. When you are close to breaking through-you MUST keep the bit as verticle as possible! Using a portable drill press is highly recommended but not critical.

4. Do yourself a favor and pick up some scrap glass to practice on. I found a store closing down and asked for a couple of peices of the display case glass to practice on. This was the one thing I wish I did prior to destroying a beautiful 125gal tank...

5. Make sure you put padding in the tank under where the glass "plug" will fall once you get through the glass. Most of the time the plug will remain in the bit, however I had one plug fall and scratch the glass (which was the viewing glass) which could have been avoided by placing an old towel beneath the drill hole.

6. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRILL THROUGH TEMPERED GLASS! It cannot be done. Anyone who says they have-either lied or got so lucky they should have played lotto that day. If you are unsure whether you have a tempered glass bottom, (tanks usually have a sticker indicating it is tempered) err on the side of caution and don't try it. That leaves the rear glass pane or depending on your set up, one of the sides.

7. The best and most important advice I can give is to forget the above and take your tank to a shop and have them do it. Most aquarium stores either drill themselves or know someone who can drill it for you. Unless you are planning to set up a for profit glass drilling shop, it will always be cheaper to pay someone else to drill your tank(s). Usually around $25.00 each.

Hope this helps!

[Fish'InMN]

I've drilled two holes, neither of which are leaking, with a $7 hole saw from eBay. I had never drilled before this and didn't even use a practice piece of glass, but that was only because I didn't have any available. Water has the best heat-transfer coefficient of any liquid or solution, which is why we compare all liquids and solutions to it. I put my tank in the bathtub and ran cold water over it, but the dam method is equally effective. It most certainly can be done for less than $25, $30, or $100+.

Anyways, hopefully you find someone in the Cities that will help you out. I have my 1" hole saw up here in Duluth, no plans to drive down any time soon though.


Marty

[mtfatwork]

I believe John has rendered the services of our new local tank driller extraordinairre IIHOAB aka Jeremy aka Dirks helper monkey.

[REEFSTOCK]

$6 bucks gets you 20 bits at Menards.

[IIOHAB]

[Sea monkey]

Originally Posted by REEFSTOCK

$6 bucks gets you 20 bits at Menards.

ya know , i looked for them one day at the 394 Menard's and couldn't find them.

Jerry and i drilled a few with a drill press attachment for a hand drill and a diamond hole bit. Took all of two minutes , super easy.

that said, if ya don't own the stuff it might be cheaper to have SF do it for ya .

[ZEKESTER]

I plan on drilling my tank my self and soon

[dirk griffin]

Don't feed the animals, they will never leave

[mtfatwork]

Originally Posted by dirk griffin

Don't feed the animals, they will never leave

lol, Dirk would know.