Drilled My 75 last night

poppafish29 · 07/27/2010, 12:42 AM

So, I knocked down a few bottles of liquid courage and drilled 3 holes in the back of my 75. I'll be doing a BeanAnimal Overflow. Here's some pics.

The cup is not for the beer. It's full of water that I poured on the bit as I drilled. You need to keep the bit cooled or CRACK

BulkHead, Diamond coated hole saw and template I made to help guide the drill. I highly recommend a template if you don't have a drill press. It will prevent the bit from skipping around as you try to get the hole started

Holes measured and marked. Plumbers Putty around the holes to hold water. And good old fashion duct tape. More on duct tape later...

I used duct tape to hold the template in place. I'm sure I don't have to tell you why I did this.

Starting the hole. Notice I am starting at an angle. This also helps prevent skipping of the bit. Also, notice that the hole in the template is slightly larger than the bit. This allows you to keep the bit at an angle. If the template hole is the same size as the bit, you can not angle it. Once the bit started cutting into the glass, I SLOWLY straitened it out. Let the weight of the drill do all the drilling!!!!

Here's where duct tape plays a very important role. See the lil round disc hanging there?? If it weren't for the duct tape, that disc could have fallen onto the adjacent pain of glass and cracked/shattered it. I also placed an old towel under the hole on the adjacent pain of glass to protect it. The duct tape also prevents chipping on the backside of the holes. Chipping can weaken the glass making it prone to cracking.

3 holes drilled!!! BulkHeads in place. Tank in one piece!!! You might notice that one hole is a bit higher than the other. 1/4" to be exact. This has to do with the BeanAnimal overflow design and not with the amount of BL's I had to drink. This will not be noticed as the overflow will be colored to match the back of the tank..

Glory pic that let's you identify poppafish29!!!

jmurr8484 · 07/27/2010, 02:12 AM

I want to drill mine but im scared. i tried to drill my last tank and it shattered. the new tank i bought has thicker glass but its an older tank. i want to do the be an animal overflow also.

poppafish29 · 07/27/2010, 02:20 AM

Was the last tank tempered glass??? More importantly, is the new tank tempered???

scherzo · 07/27/2010, 02:30 AM

I did the exact same thing the other night... it is nerve wracking!

I wasn't even sure if the glass was tempered! It is an older tank that I was drilling to make a sump.

Just like you.. I learned that slow is the best! Very very slow..Now I feel like I can drill any glass!

MCary · 07/27/2010, 12:39 PM

If the tank shattered, it was tempered glass.
You can get glass hole saw bits on ebay the cheapest. They work great. Putting backing on the glass, like the duct tape, was a very good idea. If you force the bit through, you can cause the back side to chip elliminating your clean edge. If the chip is big enough, you may have trouble sealing your bulkhead.

If your afraid, practice on piece of scrap glass. Buy some at a glass shop, drill some holes. Once you've done it, you'll lose your fear.

BTW, a glass bit does not cut, it grinds. It cannot do this if the bit is going to fast. Faster speeds do not cut faster, they only cause heat. Slow and steady.

kdv9tb · 07/27/2010, 12:55 PM

Good for you. I had some one else drill mine. I couldn't even watch!

scherzo · 07/28/2010, 01:48 AM

The other thing I learned was to put the drill clutch on one of the lower settings just in case the bit binds. I think this is more of a problem on thinner glass because it is easier to crack it.

I was lucky enough to find an entire diamond hole saw at my local tool store for about $30 CDN! it was missing some of the smaller sizes like 1/2" or something like that.. but I needed them for larger holes anyway!

poppafish29 · 07/28/2010, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MCary

If the tank shattered, it was tempered glass.
You can get glass hole saw bits on ebay the cheapest. They work great.

Got mine for $6 on Ebay

jmurr8484 · 07/28/2010, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poppafish29

Was the last tank tempered glass??? More importantly, is the new tank tempered???

Thats what im afraid of. My wife told me that if i do something crazy like that again, then i MUST get out the game.

Quick question to everyone. Does the thickness of the glass matter whether or not its tempered? My new used tank is 3/8 of an inch think. I got it off of CL. 90G for $100. Oh, and there are no stickers on it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MCary

You can get glass hole saw bits on ebay the cheapest.

I did get it from them. From hong kong. $8 all together (thats including S&H)

poppafish29 · 07/28/2010, 08:40 PM

There's a few methods out there to figure if a tank is tempered. Unfortunately, the method you tried is not the best. Search the DIY forum and you'll find your answer.

Also wanted to let you know that there's only one way to have a happy wife while keeping a happy tank. Every time you want to buy or build something for your tank, you must 1st buy or build something for your wife.

RocketSurgeon · 07/29/2010, 12:38 PM

Diamonds usually work best for my wife, never leaves any extra for what I had in mind in the first place! She always gets her diamonds and I always get....well, happy wife? My tank is still not drilled!

jmurr8484 · 07/29/2010, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RocketSurgeon

Diamonds usually work best for my wife, never leaves any extra for what I had in mind in the first place! She always gets her diamonds and I always get....well, happy wife? My tank is still not drilled!

LOL. Are you trying to drill your tank? And, how long have you been trying?

RocketSurgeon · 07/29/2010, 02:09 PM

Too scared to pull the trigger myself. I wouldn't mind watching someone the first time. I too want a BeanAnimal overflow. Purchased a 75 gallon used. Still sitting in the garage, dry. I need someone to hold my hand as I build this and put it together. These pictures are a great help. Unfortunately, I need the physical touch, not just the mental spirit.

RocketSurgeon · 07/29/2010, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poppafish29

There's a few methods out there to figure if a tank is tempered. Unfortunately, the method you tried is not the best. Search the DIY forum and you'll find your answer.

Also wanted to let you know that there's only one way to have a happy wife while keeping a happy tank. Every time you want to buy or build something for your tank, you must 1st buy or build something for your wife.

Here is a link:

http://www.salt-city.org/showthread.php?t=9542

jmurr8484 · 07/29/2010, 10:03 PM

I still want to drill mine. I was going to do a total of 7 holes. 4 for a closed loop setup i designed and the other three, of course the be an animal. i called a glass shop and the guy argued with me, saying that every fish tank is tempered (which we all know is not true.) After i told him that many people have drilled their tank with no problem, then he wanted to give me a quote. My initial call to them was to see if they will be able to determine whether or not my tank is tempered. After the small argument he gave me a quote of a whopping $225. I hung up the phone.

07/27/2010, 12:42 AM	#1
poppafish29 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 112	Drilled My 75 last night So, I knocked down a few bottles of liquid courage and drilled 3 holes in the back of my 75. I'll be doing a BeanAnimal Overflow. Here's some pics. The cup is not for the beer. It's full of water that I poured on the bit as I drilled. You need to keep the bit cooled or CRACK BulkHead, Diamond coated hole saw and template I made to help guide the drill. I highly recommend a template if you don't have a drill press. It will prevent the bit from skipping around as you try to get the hole started Holes measured and marked. Plumbers Putty around the holes to hold water. And good old fashion duct tape. More on duct tape later... I used duct tape to hold the template in place. I'm sure I don't have to tell you why I did this. Starting the hole. Notice I am starting at an angle. This also helps prevent skipping of the bit. Also, notice that the hole in the template is slightly larger than the bit. This allows you to keep the bit at an angle. If the template hole is the same size as the bit, you can not angle it. Once the bit started cutting into the glass, I SLOWLY straitened it out. Let the weight of the drill do all the drilling!!!! Here's where duct tape plays a very important role. See the lil round disc hanging there?? If it weren't for the duct tape, that disc could have fallen onto the adjacent pain of glass and cracked/shattered it. I also placed an old towel under the hole on the adjacent pain of glass to protect it. The duct tape also prevents chipping on the backside of the holes. Chipping can weaken the glass making it prone to cracking. 3 holes drilled!!! BulkHeads in place. Tank in one piece!!! You might notice that one hole is a bit higher than the other. 1/4" to be exact. This has to do with the BeanAnimal overflow design and not with the amount of BL's I had to drink. This will not be noticed as the overflow will be colored to match the back of the tank.. Glory pic that let's you identify poppafish29!!!

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07/27/2010, 02:12 AM	#2
jmurr8484 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Moreno Valley, CA Posts: 56	I want to drill mine but im scared. i tried to drill my last tank and it shattered. the new tank i bought has thicker glass but its an older tank. i want to do the be an animal overflow also.

07/27/2010, 02:20 AM	#3
poppafish29 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 112	Was the last tank tempered glass??? More importantly, is the new tank tempered???

07/27/2010, 02:30 AM	#4
scherzo Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 15	I did the exact same thing the other night... it is nerve wracking! I wasn't even sure if the glass was tempered! It is an older tank that I was drilling to make a sump. Just like you.. I learned that slow is the best! Very very slow..Now I feel like I can drill any glass!

07/27/2010, 12:39 PM	#5
MCary Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Montana Posts: 3,136	If the tank shattered, it was tempered glass. You can get glass hole saw bits on ebay the cheapest. They work great. Putting backing on the glass, like the duct tape, was a very good idea. If you force the bit through, you can cause the back side to chip elliminating your clean edge. If the chip is big enough, you may have trouble sealing your bulkhead. If your afraid, practice on piece of scrap glass. Buy some at a glass shop, drill some holes. Once you've done it, you'll lose your fear. BTW, a glass bit does not cut, it grinds. It cannot do this if the bit is going to fast. Faster speeds do not cut faster, they only cause heat. Slow and steady.

07/27/2010, 12:55 PM	#6
kdv9tb Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Missouri Posts: 57	Good for you. I had some one else drill mine. I couldn't even watch!

07/28/2010, 01:48 AM	#7
scherzo Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 15	The other thing I learned was to put the drill clutch on one of the lower settings just in case the bit binds. I think this is more of a problem on thinner glass because it is easier to crack it. I was lucky enough to find an entire diamond hole saw at my local tool store for about $30 CDN! it was missing some of the smaller sizes like 1/2" or something like that.. but I needed them for larger holes anyway!

07/28/2010, 08:40 PM	#10
poppafish29 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 112	There's a few methods out there to figure if a tank is tempered. Unfortunately, the method you tried is not the best. Search the DIY forum and you'll find your answer. Also wanted to let you know that there's only one way to have a happy wife while keeping a happy tank. Every time you want to buy or build something for your tank, you must 1st buy or build something for your wife.

07/29/2010, 12:38 PM	#11
RocketSurgeon Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 55	Diamonds usually work best for my wife, never leaves any extra for what I had in mind in the first place! She always gets her diamonds and I always get....well, happy wife? My tank is still not drilled!

07/29/2010, 02:09 PM	#13
RocketSurgeon Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 55	Too scared to pull the trigger myself. I wouldn't mind watching someone the first time. I too want a BeanAnimal overflow. Purchased a 75 gallon used. Still sitting in the garage, dry. I need someone to hold my hand as I build this and put it together. These pictures are a great help. Unfortunately, I need the physical touch, not just the mental spirit.

07/29/2010, 10:03 PM	#15
jmurr8484 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Moreno Valley, CA Posts: 56	I still want to drill mine. I was going to do a total of 7 holes. 4 for a closed loop setup i designed and the other three, of course the be an animal. i called a glass shop and the guy argued with me, saying that every fish tank is tempered (which we all know is not true.) After i told him that many people have drilled their tank with no problem, then he wanted to give me a quote. My initial call to them was to see if they will be able to determine whether or not my tank is tempered. After the small argument he gave me a quote of a whopping $225. I hung up the phone.