High Tide Aquatics

any one drill there own tank?

LordHelmet

LordHelmet

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I'm looking to drill my own tank and wanted to have some advice. any one who has done it could you please give me any advice as i don't want to crack the glass. ;)

also, not knowing where to get a bit to drill glass, does anyone know where to get them or does anyone have one i could borrow ;D
 
Drill slow, easy and with water. Hardest part for me was preventing the drill from walking around during the start. Once it gets started, it's straight forward - just need patience.

I have a drill I can mail to you. It's for a 1" bulkhead, not the heavy duty type (I forget the diameter). I bought it from a guy in Hong Kong through ebay. Lots of people in RC mentions it.
 
One comment I have heard several times is, if you can tell that you are pushing down on the bit, then you are pushing too hard.
 
Step 1, mark your hole :D

Step 2: Use plumbers putty to make a dam around the hole and fill that with water

Step 3: Use some tape and tape the back of where your hole will be, because the last thing you want is for the weight of the glass to fall and chip the tank from the inside.

Step 4: Start drilling, go slow at first to make a groove so your drill doesn't slide all around (yeah it will), then once you get your groove, go medium speed, but don't put much pressure, diamond drills work by grinding away the glass, not like wood drills which carve into it. Periodically refill your water as it splashes all over the place. And make sure you drill perfectly perpendicular to the glass, I know the temptation would be to lean and rock it from side to side to "bite in" a bit more, but again glass drilling doesn't work like acrylic/wood.

Eventually, done. Remove your tape + glass slug, and clean up. Don't rub your finger around the hole though, you might get a nasty surprise like I did (yes cut glass is strangely really sharp :D)

But yeah, glass bits, ebay/amazon, wait a few weeks for them to get here from hong kong or china. If you borrow one bbe kind enough to pay the guy you borrow it from a fraction of the cost of the drill or buy him some lunch or something, as the diamond dust will come off. :D
 
[quote author=sfsuphysics link=topic=3788.msg44154#msg44154 date=1212086751]Step 3: Use some tape and tape the back of where your hole will be, because the last thing you want is for the weight of the glass to fall and chip the tank from the inside.[/quote]

You can also tape a piece of masonite or plywood to the back of the glass to give some extra support so you don't break the glass as you're about to finish the hole.

Also for diamond, high speed, low pressure.
 
it is practically impossible to know unless told, or have instruments likely beyond your means, or without accidently finding out while trying to drill and it shatters.

Best bet is to find the maker of the tank and contact them.
 
When you start to drill it, the whole thing will shatter, full proof way to tell if it's tempered :D

I seem to recall with some polarized light you get a funky pattern or something... well needless to say with my 125, I just started cutting... the whole pane didn't shatter, I knew it wasn't tempered :D
 
hmm...assuming there is a polarization effect, and assuming the difference between the sides and the bottom is heat tempered (same composition/process to make sans heat temper), then you could look through the glass with a camera polarizer filter. This would only be useful IF it is noticable. If you don't see any difference, I wouldn't use that as proof of non tempered.
 
Well it's an effect you can easily see with polarized sunglasses at the rear window of cars you see this almost checkerboard pattern. However if you do have polarized sunglasses, you'll not always see it, so the angle of incidence of the light probably does have something to do with it.
 
If it's the back, it's almost a sure thing it's NOT tempered, if it's the bottom, and a cookie cutter tank off some line pumping them out, then probably is tempered.
 
If you have polarized glasses, you can easily tell if the glass is tempered. Put the glasses on and look at something you know is tempered-like the back window of a car. Can you see the pattern in the glass (looks like a checkerboard.) If you can't see the pattern, try sitting in your car (with sunglasses on) and looking at another car's rear window. See it now?

Now look at the bottom of the tank the same way. Set the tank at a slight angle and it will be easier to see.

Also, if it's just a normal factory tank, you can check their website.

I actually prefer a roto-zip with a tile cutting bit. It's faster and I break less tanks. A friend uses one of those hand drill presses that go on a drill. He stops right before the blade goes the whole way through and finishes it with a dremmel.

B
 
I picked up the tank and the first thing I saw was a paper glued to the bottom saying that it was tempered.

I am planning on cutting a slot into the back about 1 in by 6 in and making a external overflow. I planning on cutting it with a diamond wheel dremmel bit
 
Chris, some uses this to cut the slot. I never use it but they said it's cut class like butter :D .. Search for tile cutting bit ..
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get a glass/tile bit (home depot/lowes) and drill holes at each of the corners of your slot that you plan on drilling first, that'll lessen the chance of a drastic crack from forming.
 
Yeah, they're a type of masonry bit, the look like they have a little arrow head on them. Not diamond tip, but for small glass they work wonders, hell for not so small glass they work wonders, just standard "keep them wet" rules apply or you'll turn it into a flat arrow head :D

I did what Chris wants on my 125g glass tank which has 1/2" thick glass, took forever, but got it done, I think he's better off because his glass isn't as thick :D
 
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