Is anyone talented enough on this forum to drill the side right upper corner of my tank if I lower the water level? I'm so f'ing tired of a hob overflow. I've lost syphon a few times now and it's only a matter of time before it happens again and I dot catch it and end up with a mess on my hands. it's gonna be tricky cuz u will have to do it while it's set up. If you are up for it and you can do it FLAWLESSLY let me know I'll make it worth your while!!!! Thanks
Drill my tank
- Thread starter Krazykarl
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xxmurrxx
Active Member
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2010
- Location
- Windsor, Ontario
I think Dave at marine fish authority (jefferson) drills tanks.
Not sure what he would charge though.
Not sure what he would charge though.
B
Blob-79
Guest
its possible. its one thing to drill a tank, its another to do it with water and livestock in the tank. IMO its way too risky with water in the tank.
Just picture what your going to do if the glass shatters......now think how much easier and less stressfull it would be to set aside a day to drain the tank completely and drill it properly.
Just picture what your going to do if the glass shatters......now think how much easier and less stressfull it would be to set aside a day to drain the tank completely and drill it properly.
B
Blob-79
Guest
drilling a hole sidways thru glass, with stress applied to the glass doesnt come down to skill. its hard enouph to keep a drill constantly level while awkwardly working inside a fish tank, let alone keep a constant flow of water in the cutting area, and away from you tank water. oh and dont forget about breaking thru....thats the scary part lol.
I am pretty good at drilling now, but drilling from the inside will put glass dust in the tank and from the outside will put glass shards in the tank when it breaks thru. If you can get some tank friendly playdo to make a dam on the glass to hold water at the dill bit it might be possible. Regardless an empty tank is the way to go 
C
Cal_stir
Guest
i saw a video on utube drilling a tank with livestock in it but they drilled from the outside in, with success, using a spray bottle to keep it wet.
if you had to do it from the inside, you could use an 90 degree angle drill, if a regular drill won't fit, drain some water, build a small dam under the hole,using plastic and tape, use the spray bottle with tank water, use a shop vac with a small hose to continuousely suck up the debris and shards, duck tape on the outside to reduce the vibration.
you might be able to use the angle drill from the outside in and use towels to soak up the mess.
if you had to do it from the inside, you could use an 90 degree angle drill, if a regular drill won't fit, drain some water, build a small dam under the hole,using plastic and tape, use the spray bottle with tank water, use a shop vac with a small hose to continuousely suck up the debris and shards, duck tape on the outside to reduce the vibration.
you might be able to use the angle drill from the outside in and use towels to soak up the mess.
teebone110
Distinguished Member
Anythings possible, make sure you take lots of pics and maybe some video ;D
P
phi delt reefer
Guest
if you are going to do it with the tank full here is my recommendation; ( i am assuming your tank is pushed up against the wall so you cant drill from the back)
1. drain the tank to as low as you can get it - you want to be comfortable working or you will mess it up. Move your stacked rock if needed.
2. get some of that rigid pink sytrofoam insulation that everyone uses under their tanks. 1/2" stuff is like $10 a sheet at home depot. Measure the inside length and width of your tank and cut a piece so that it fist perfectly in your tankwhile floating over the lowered water line. It should be snug enough that you need to push it down - it shouldnt just fall into the tank. Dont worry about water contact - its inert. This will section off your tank from your work area and provide a good working surface. Tape the stryofoam to the glass all the way around so theres no gaps between the glass and stryofoam. Use painters tape so you arent left with tape glue everywhere.
3. Go to princess auto and get the glass hole drill bit you need. Buy a new one - dont borrow one. THe bits have a limited life span and the cheap ones are even more limited. You will reduce your chances of cracking/chipping the glass with a newer drill bit.
4. Make a template - everyone misses this step and gets a jagged $hitty cut. Take some 1/4" or 1/2" plywood - drill a hole into that is the exact size of your glass drill bit. You can find cheap hole saws at princess auto or borrow one - everyone has em. This will keep your drill straight and help you control the hopping that usually occurs as the bit tries to bite into the glass.
5. tape a shallow rubbermaid container (you can find long shallow ones at the dollar store) tape it to the spot directly under the glass to catch the water and glass debris from the drilling. The bigger the container the less likely it is to overflow if you take too long with your drilling. Make sure it sits on the styrafoam or it will tip from the weight of the water.
6. Clamp the template into place with a clamps. Use clamps with rubber feet or use a piece of wood on the back the tank so the clamping force is distributed over a large surface vs. a single point on the glass. You just need it snug so it doesnt move.
7. Make sure your drill is fully charged! Set it the drill setting. Make sure the glass bit is in nice and tight.
8. tape the back of the glass so the glass slug doesnt fall onto the floor or worse into your sump and shatter the bottom.
9. Get someone with a turkey baster to force water between your bit and the template as you drill. This will be the toughest part because you choosing to drill horizontally but as long as they squirt it in between the bit and the template you should be fine.
10. when you are done - unclamp the template and remove the slug by removing the tape. Take some sand paper and clean up the hold so its smooth. remove the rubbermaid container and use a wet dry vac to vacumm anything you missed. Remove the tape from the glass and styrafoam and use some vinegar and hot RO water on a cloth to clean up where the tape was attached - this will remove any glue chemicals. wipe down the rest of the glass as well for good measure.
11. Attach you bulk head and piping. Slowly raise the water level and check the bulk head to make sure it isnt leaking.
12. Crack open beer and take a breath
Good luck
1. drain the tank to as low as you can get it - you want to be comfortable working or you will mess it up. Move your stacked rock if needed.
2. get some of that rigid pink sytrofoam insulation that everyone uses under their tanks. 1/2" stuff is like $10 a sheet at home depot. Measure the inside length and width of your tank and cut a piece so that it fist perfectly in your tankwhile floating over the lowered water line. It should be snug enough that you need to push it down - it shouldnt just fall into the tank. Dont worry about water contact - its inert. This will section off your tank from your work area and provide a good working surface. Tape the stryofoam to the glass all the way around so theres no gaps between the glass and stryofoam. Use painters tape so you arent left with tape glue everywhere.
3. Go to princess auto and get the glass hole drill bit you need. Buy a new one - dont borrow one. THe bits have a limited life span and the cheap ones are even more limited. You will reduce your chances of cracking/chipping the glass with a newer drill bit.
4. Make a template - everyone misses this step and gets a jagged $hitty cut. Take some 1/4" or 1/2" plywood - drill a hole into that is the exact size of your glass drill bit. You can find cheap hole saws at princess auto or borrow one - everyone has em. This will keep your drill straight and help you control the hopping that usually occurs as the bit tries to bite into the glass.
5. tape a shallow rubbermaid container (you can find long shallow ones at the dollar store) tape it to the spot directly under the glass to catch the water and glass debris from the drilling. The bigger the container the less likely it is to overflow if you take too long with your drilling. Make sure it sits on the styrafoam or it will tip from the weight of the water.
6. Clamp the template into place with a clamps. Use clamps with rubber feet or use a piece of wood on the back the tank so the clamping force is distributed over a large surface vs. a single point on the glass. You just need it snug so it doesnt move.
7. Make sure your drill is fully charged! Set it the drill setting. Make sure the glass bit is in nice and tight.
8. tape the back of the glass so the glass slug doesnt fall onto the floor or worse into your sump and shatter the bottom.
9. Get someone with a turkey baster to force water between your bit and the template as you drill. This will be the toughest part because you choosing to drill horizontally but as long as they squirt it in between the bit and the template you should be fine.
10. when you are done - unclamp the template and remove the slug by removing the tape. Take some sand paper and clean up the hold so its smooth. remove the rubbermaid container and use a wet dry vac to vacumm anything you missed. Remove the tape from the glass and styrafoam and use some vinegar and hot RO water on a cloth to clean up where the tape was attached - this will remove any glue chemicals. wipe down the rest of the glass as well for good measure.
11. Attach you bulk head and piping. Slowly raise the water level and check the bulk head to make sure it isnt leaking.
12. Crack open beer and take a breath
Good luck
xxmurrxx
Active Member
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2010
- Location
- Windsor, Ontario
I recommend step 12 in between each step. See how it goes ;D
phi delt reefer link said:if you are going to do it with the tank full here is my recommendation; ( i am assuming your tank is pushed up against the wall so you cant drill from the back)
1. drain the tank to as low as you can get it - you want to be comfortable working or you will mess it up. Move your stacked rock if needed.
2. get some of that rigid pink sytrofoam insulation that everyone uses under their tanks. 1/2\" stuff is like $10 a sheet at home depot. Measure the inside length and width of your tank and cut a piece so that it fist perfectly in your tankwhile floating over the lowered water line. It should be snug enough that you need to push it down - it shouldnt just fall into the tank. Dont worry about water contact - its inert. This will section off your tank from your work area and provide a good working surface. Tape the stryofoam to the glass all the way around so theres no gaps between the glass and stryofoam. Use painters tape so you arent left with tape glue everywhere.
3. Go to princess auto and get the glass hole drill bit you need. Buy a new one - dont borrow one. THe bits have a limited life span and the cheap ones are even more limited. You will reduce your chances of cracking/chipping the glass with a newer drill bit.
4. Make a template - everyone misses this step and gets a jagged $hitty cut. Take some 1/4\" or 1/2\" plywood - drill a hole into that is the exact size of your glass drill bit. You can find cheap hole saws at princess auto or borrow one - everyone has em. This will keep your drill straight and help you control the hopping that usually occurs as the bit tries to bite into the glass.
5. tape a shallow rubbermaid container (you can find long shallow ones at the dollar store) tape it to the spot directly under the glass to catch the water and glass debris from the drilling. The bigger the container the less likely it is to overflow if you take too long with your drilling. Make sure it sits on the styrafoam or it will tip from the weight of the water.
6. Clamp the template into place with a clamps. Use clamps with rubber feet or use a piece of wood on the back the tank so the clamping force is distributed over a large surface vs. a single point on the glass. You just need it snug so it doesnt move.
7. Make sure your drill is fully charged! Set it the drill setting. Make sure the glass bit is in nice and tight.
8. tape the back of the glass so the glass slug doesnt fall onto the floor or worse into your sump and shatter the bottom.
9. Get someone with a turkey baster to force water between your bit and the template as you drill. This will be the toughest part because you choosing to drill horizontally but as long as they squirt it in between the bit and the template you should be fine.
10. when you are done - unclamp the template and remove the slug by removing the tape. Take some sand paper and clean up the hold so its smooth. remove the rubbermaid container and use a wet dry vac to vacumm anything you missed. Remove the tape from the glass and styrafoam and use some vinegar and hot RO water on a cloth to clean up where the tape was attached - this will remove any glue chemicals. wipe down the rest of the glass as well for good measure.
11. Attach you bulk head and piping. Slowly raise the water level and check the bulk head to make sure it isnt leaking.
12. Crack open beer and take a breath
Good luck
S
shayneh
Guest
I think you would need to repeat step 12, twelve times before this seems like a good idea in the first place LOL!
Not trying to be a dick Krazykarl but aren't you tired of doing/learning things the hard way? LOL! Seriously I am really trying to help you (it's hard when the words are typed as opposed to spoken). It will be much easier in the long run for you to drain the tank and make sure all your inhabitants are safely out of harms way. Then take the tank and drill it confident in the notion that if something does go wrong it's only a tank you need to worry about as opposed to gallons of water, all your household items in the area (and on the floor below), shards of glass, livestock, rock, and saltwaters ability to carry an electrical current.
Tanks can (and do) crack when being drilled in the proper manner and you want to risk all your work so far just to save a couple days worth of tear down and set up? Another thing to remember is having an empty tank will allow you to drill for the overflow system you want, then run the plumbing and position the tank properly to allow for clearance and access.
Others are recommending how the tank can be drilled full but you'll notice that none of them are condoning the practice and I doubt you will get any volunteers willing to risk destruction of your house. I say if you decide to go this route make sure you have video rolling so if it goes wrong you can send it to Tosh.o for critique.
Not trying to be a dick Krazykarl but aren't you tired of doing/learning things the hard way? LOL! Seriously I am really trying to help you (it's hard when the words are typed as opposed to spoken). It will be much easier in the long run for you to drain the tank and make sure all your inhabitants are safely out of harms way. Then take the tank and drill it confident in the notion that if something does go wrong it's only a tank you need to worry about as opposed to gallons of water, all your household items in the area (and on the floor below), shards of glass, livestock, rock, and saltwaters ability to carry an electrical current.
Tanks can (and do) crack when being drilled in the proper manner and you want to risk all your work so far just to save a couple days worth of tear down and set up? Another thing to remember is having an empty tank will allow you to drill for the overflow system you want, then run the plumbing and position the tank properly to allow for clearance and access.
Others are recommending how the tank can be drilled full but you'll notice that none of them are condoning the practice and I doubt you will get any volunteers willing to risk destruction of your house. I say if you decide to go this route make sure you have video rolling so if it goes wrong you can send it to Tosh.o for critique.
R
reeffreak
Guest
shayneh link said:
Priceless
pulpfiction1
Reef Scavenger
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2010
- Location
- 42.418807, -82.174073
live feed to watch would be interesting
pulpfiction1
Reef Scavenger
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2010
- Location
- 42.418807, -82.174073
the tank you want drilled is the same one posted in the POM?
I don't think it needs to be nearly as complicated. I drilled 8 holes into the side of my 400g tank through 3/4" glass while sitting in place. Doing it with or without water is only slightly different IMO.
I made a template out of 1/8" melamine board to guide the whole saw and just duck taped it onto the outside of the tank. To keep the bit cool i just used a bottle mister and do a squirt every few seconds. Basically no water/dust will enter the tank from the drilling at this point so that is not a problem, and once the drill breaks through there is only a slight amount. Holding or taping a dry rag on the inside over the drill point would capture everything.
If you weren't 3 hours away I would drill it for you, but I don't see it as being an issue.
I made a template out of 1/8" melamine board to guide the whole saw and just duck taped it onto the outside of the tank. To keep the bit cool i just used a bottle mister and do a squirt every few seconds. Basically no water/dust will enter the tank from the drilling at this point so that is not a problem, and once the drill breaks through there is only a slight amount. Holding or taping a dry rag on the inside over the drill point would capture everything.
If you weren't 3 hours away I would drill it for you, but I don't see it as being an issue.
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