Drilling a tank

[mr_X]

Many people think this is a super hard thing to do but believe it or not, every reef ready tank had to be drilled by someone at some point. It's actually quite simple. I'm going to walk you through it real quick.
I think it should be done with two people, and you'll see why shortly.

First you pick the spot you are going to drill. I purchased this overflow kit from "Glass Holes" and it came with a template, so I just used that to line up my holes-

I could have left the template on as a guide, but Instead I chose to eyeball it. I used a standard cordless drill and the supplied diamond bit that came with the overflow kit-

I got my plumbers putty, found at any home depot or lowes...

I made 2 walls around my 2 hole spots (marked by a sharpie)

I then started with the first hole....I filled the circle I made with the putty with water, and then had my assistant pour water in the hole every time it got low, so to keep the bit and glass cool as I drilled into the glass. I just let the weight of the drill do the work, and I simply steadied it..

One down....

And then the other....

Piece of cake.
Don't forget to put something inside the tank like a towel or some cardboard, so when the glass hole falls it doesn't crack the front pane!
Happy reefing!

 

[Coyne]

Nice. I never thought to use putty to make a little water reservoir.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Nils]

Sweet, I'm glad it works for you!

Nils

 

[ImACoolguy]

Saving so when I finally get a reef tank one day I can do this.


Caleb

~10g tiger barbs
~45g ick problems/loach and 5 tetras left.
~75g going to be African cichlids

 

[JohnRoscoe]

I'm curious about the reinforcing rings in your pic. Could you post link where you ordered everything from? Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[mr_X]

Those are bulkheads if you were referring to the black plastic rings....You need those to create a seal.
Glass-Holes.com dope aquarium stuff

 

[treemanone2003]

I've been waiting for you to share this and thanks for doing so. I've also seen a few videos but none have used the putty. Great tip !!! Curious if you used the drill in forward or reverse direction as a few folks I talked to "claim" it's easier. Your thoughts ?


Sent from my iPhone that doesn't like me. Or you !!

 

[mr_X]

I never tried it in reverse. I do start on a tiny bit of an angle though, to score a little divot in the glass to use as a guide until I can tip the drill up straight and not hop all over the place with it.

 

[jrc0528]

I realize many people don't have one, but may have a friend with one... anyways, a drill press makes rather easy work of this task. The exact mechanics of the rigging will vary based on tank and press size, but the rest of this thread applies directly. The big advantages of the drill press are that it ensures a straight hole, it won't tend to wonder, and a steady even cut can be obtained by hanging a small weight from the feed wheel/arms. Also, most drill presses can be slowed to low enough speeds to not sling the water everywhere.

 

[Retired_AF]

That looks so easy. How long did it take to drill the holes?

 

[mr_X]

About 3-5 minutes per hole, but this was half inch glass.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Ahhhh Mr X, At last, something we agree on!
Drilling a tank is easy!
About the drill press (pillar drill) whatever the title!

I used a wooden jig and a hose feed for coolant (water)
I was working on sheet not a tank but it could be done on a tank, you'll just need some kind of tray to catch coolant.
Just offer slight force toward the jigged corner and it prevents wandering.
Nice holes, all on a line.

You can do it one handed and take pictures!