How to drill a tank

[Cliff]

In the past I’ve always bought my tanks drilled if that is what I wanted. This past week I had to ask myself, “why”. So I figured I would learn how to drill a tank and try it out for myself. No sense in paying extra for something that I can do. I practiced on a pc of extra glass I had left over from making my sump, just to be safe before trying it on one of my tanks. Here’s how I did it.

First thing you have to do is get yourself a quality drill bit meant for glass. I tried both Carbide and diamond bits and found the diamond bit to be a lot better. The carbide bit seamed to be good for only a few holes. The diamond blade worked extremely well, but you will pay a lot more for it. Select the bulk head flange that you want to use first so you can purchase the correct sized drill bit. Keep in mind, none of these bits can cut through tempered glass, nor can tempered glass be cut in any way. If you try to cut or drill tempered glass, you will break the glass.

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After you have marked the location you want to drill the hole, you need to start the hole in the glass. This can be tough as the bit can bounce around the glass if you are not carful. What I found that worked best is to start by holding the bit against the glass at a 45 degree angle. Once it starts cutting in to the glass, slowly turn it until the entire face of the bit is flat against the glass. The bit should be starting to cut through the glass now. DO NOT put ANY pressure on the drill. If you do, chances are you will break the glass. Only use the weight of the drill itself.

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(continued)

[Cliff]

Once you have the hole started, stop drilling. Take some plumbers putty and place all around the hole. Fill this area up with water. You will need the water to cool bit and to keep down dust from the glass. Continue drilling until the bit has made it through the glass. Remember, do not put any pressure on the drill, let the bit do all the work. Also, be very carful using power tool around water like this.

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[Cliff]

I can take some time to safely drill a hole in glass so don’t try to rush it. The thicker the glass, the longer it will be. It took me about 5 minutes to cut through a 20 gallon tank. Once you are done you have to be very careful on how you clean up as there will be very very small fragments of glass. I had placed a towel to collect the fragment that fell once the hole was cut through and used a wet paper towel to clean off the top. I would also suggest letting everything dry off for a few hours then vacuum the area to collect anything you may have missed.

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Place your bulk head flange on the tank and your done.

I drilled my 20 gallon QT. The reason I wanted this tank drilled is that I use this tank a lot for curing live rock and soaking dry rock before adding it to my tank. Having a bulk head flange means I don have to siphon water out any more, just open the valve. The next time I want a drilled tank I will have the option to drill the tank myself.

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[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Very nice explanation Cliff. Great pictures to illustrate the process as well.

[Surfdog]

Thanks! Very informative and easy to follow... Maybe you made it look to easy...

[Lady Hobbs]

You are so brave but it come out perfect. Stickie.

[Rue]

Excellent!thumbs2:

[TypeYourTextHere]

Very nice.

[gadget228]

Great article Cliff... thumbs2: thumbs2:

[KingFisher]

Excellent info Cliff! I was always curious about how people did that. thumbs2:

[DylanisHawttt]

Excellent info Cliff! I was always curious about how people did that. thumbs2:

Same here, great job Cliff! thumbs2:

[Northernguy]

That is a great write up Cliff!thumbs2:

[850R]

You are a man of many skills Cliff, Thank's for documenting them for the rest of us.thumbs2:

Do you make house calls? :hmm3grin2orange:

[Aeonflame]

Great write up Cliff! I was researching this very thing not 4 days ago!

[Cermet]

Very nice article and great photo's. One thing that should be added to the water is a single drop of dishwashing detergent – this improves both the cutting and removal of debris and is recommended by diamond drill companies. They also say that you should start the drilling with water.:hmm3grin2orange:

[Cliff]

Good points Cermet

Sounds like you've worked with similar material before :ssmile:

I had orginally thought about adding the water first. I did it that way on my practice pc of glass but I found it easier to start a grove for the bit before adding the water. When I tested that approach on the practice glass, the bit nor the glass got very hot at all. The trick is not to drill to much before adding the water, just enough of a grove for the bit to catch and nothing more (about 1/16th of a inch or less). I guess you just need to go with the method you are most comfortable with.

I also read a lot about using / adding different types of lubricants to the water to extend the life of the bit. When I looked into them, I could not determine if they were aquarium safe or not so I played it safe and did not use any of them. I was way too neverous about having any dishwashing soap residue in the tank so I skipped it.

If you could have running water over the cutting area, that would likely be best. I just thought with my luck the drill would get a slash of water either shorting out the drill or giving me a shock :ssuprised:

[EndG4me]

Best tutorial I've seen so far, including videos i've seen on youtube. One question though as I am currently getting things together to build an overflow on my 55gal. How much for the the hole saw? :) I'm looking for a good deal on one as my local hardware store wants a few hundred dollars for one. Unfortunate because i used to have an amazing connection on all things glass and acrylic.

[Cliff]

Prices will range based on were you are and the size of the hole. Were I live, a 1' to 1.5" can range from $100 to $150 and 1/2' to 1" can range from $60 to $100

You can find better deals on E-bay, just make sure its a diamond bit

[CrazedMichael]

Great Article mate..... I'd like to try that myself, if i can ever find a drill bit like that! Althought, at that cost, wouldn't it be cheaper to get someone to do it?

[Cliff]

I guess it would depend on the going rates in your area. For me, the cost of buying the bit was only ~$10 cheaper than getting it done. But now, the next time I want to drill a tank, I don't have to pay for anything.

[gpb]

great work drilling the tank! Just be sure to mention that you must use safety glasses to protect your eyes..

[Discus-Jak]

Wow..I can change water easily using this way...thanks for posting Cliff, I'll do it to my tank but at the bottom part..

[Cliff]

Discus-Jak

Be very carful if you want to drill the bottom pain of glass.

A lot of tanks that are 40 gallons or larger are made with a pc of tempered glass for the bottom pain. Not all, but most

Please double check that before you drill. You can not drill tempered glass, it will shatter on you no matter how carful you are.

[singlee]

It has been a great job,very useful.thumbs2:

[bushwhacker]

great write up cliff.. i did glass for 10 years and drilled many diff things . of course we had a special drill i dont know if i'd even try with a hand drill lol