drilling glass, pro or diy?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
first you need to make sure your not trying to drill tempered glass. then ask yourself is it really worth it? I assume your drilling it for filtration, why not just use an external overflow? after that it's possible to drill it yourself but you have to buy some pricey bits and go really slow.
 
Some glass shops will guarantee drilling your tank. Generally the cost difference is ~$10 for just drilled to ~$50 for guaranteed drilling. Tempered glass will not be able to be drilled. To drill it yourself, you are looking at a drill press, diamond hole saws, clamps, and a lot of practice. Not worth it.
 
I have drilled all my tanks. When I called around nobody would gaurantee no cracks. So I ordered some bits from ebay and did 5 tanks with no losses. Use a drill with multiple speeds settings. I used a piece of plyood with the same size hole cut in it clamped to the tank as a guid. Start slow use alot of lube (water) and do not press hard on the glass let the bit do the work. Like said above make sure it is not tempered glass.
 
place by me wants 25 a hole...gauntreed...
i put them in the side wall...
 
AGA 55g has a tempered bottom..so take care to not try and drill it. My old 55g has a hole that I drilled 16 years ago and it still holds water. Took me over an hour to drill 1 hole for the overflow, which is 3/4" bulk. I have the return as a pvc pipe t'd off and two heads hanging on the back of the tank. I was going to drill another hole, 1/2" bulk for the return, but after taking so long with 1, I decided not to.

But now, I'm waiting for some new "improved" bits as compared to what I had back then and will be drilling a few 10 and 20g. :headbang2
 
Cheapie Walmart specials (ten gallon egg shells) can be drilled in 3-5 minutes. They have the highest potential for breaking because the glass is so thin. Thicker tanks are hard to break as long as you are careful. They will take around six to twelve minutes. My 250 was already drilled but it was done by a moran who took a major chip out of it. The stupid factor in that case broke the scale.

There isn't much of a secret to it. Just let the weight of the drill do the work (I used a cordless). If you feel you must use a drill press, do not under any circumstances use the leverage of the press. Pressure on the drill and glass is the wrong idea all together. You will guarantee yourself a broken tank. As the bit is aproaching breakout, take some of the weight of the drill off of the bit. And always keep water on the bit and keep the dust flushed out of the cut groove.
 
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