drilling glass

[Tre' Landrum]

Anyone out there have any experience drilling tanks? As in how do you do it.
I have heard use a dremmel, use a slow drill, use a fast drill. Different
bits. Don't drill tempered glass. How do you know if you have tempered
glass. It can't be that hard, you are just drilling a hole, but one mess-up
and your entire tank could be at best ruined, at worse 1000 knives flying
through the air. Thanks.

Tre'

[kryppy]

On Sun, 5 Dec 2004 15:11:14 -0600, "Tre' Landrum" >
wrote:

>Anyone out there have any experience drilling tanks? As in how do you do it.
>I have heard use a dremmel, use a slow drill, use a fast drill. Different
>bits. Don't drill tempered glass. How do you know if you have tempered
>glass. It can't be that hard, you are just drilling a hole, but one mess-up
>and your entire tank could be at best ruined, at worse 1000 knives flying
>through the air. Thanks.


Go pay the glass man his $10!

[Billy]

"kryppy" > wrote in message
...
| On Sun, 5 Dec 2004 15:11:14 -0600, "Tre' Landrum"
>
|
|
| Go pay the glass man his $10!
|
|

Second that. It's just not worth the risk unless you know what you're
doing. One error and you've trashed a tank.

[Margolis]

"Tre' Landrum" > wrote in message
news:QPKsd.23585$233.3308@okepread05...
> Anyone out there have any experience drilling tanks? As in how do you do
it.
> I have heard use a dremmel, use a slow drill, use a fast drill. Different
> bits. Don't drill tempered glass. How do you know if you have tempered
> glass. It can't be that hard, you are just drilling a hole, but one
mess-up
> and your entire tank could be at best ruined, at worse 1000 knives flying
> through the air. Thanks.
>
> Tre'
>
>


all you need is a good diamond hole saw. Go find a specialty hardware store
and give them their $150 for it and have at it. And after you break your
first few tanks you will be ready to do the real thing ;op
--

Margolis
http://web.archive.org/web/20030215212142/http://www.agqx.org/faqs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
http://www.unrealtower.org/faq

[george]

"kryppy" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 5 Dec 2004 15:11:14 -0600, "Tre' Landrum" >
> wrote:
>
>>Anyone out there have any experience drilling tanks? As in how do you do it.
>>I have heard use a dremmel, use a slow drill, use a fast drill. Different
>>bits. Don't drill tempered glass. How do you know if you have tempered
>>glass. It can't be that hard, you are just drilling a hole, but one mess-up
>>and your entire tank could be at best ruined, at worse 1000 knives flying
>>through the air. Thanks.
>
>
> Go pay the glass man his $10!
>
>

I've drilled three different tanks and not had any problems. I used a small
grinding stone that I could attach to my drill, and used a carbide grit to
enhance the cutting of the stone, and used water to keep the glass cool. The
trick is to go slowly and not put any undue pressure on the glass. This method
takes several hours and some patience, but it worked for me. Just make sure
that you buy the right size grinding stone for the hole you want to make.

[kryppy]

On Tue, 07 Dec 2004 05:16:25 GMT, "george"
> wrote:


>>>Anyone out there have any experience drilling tanks? As in how do you do it.
>>>I have heard use a dremmel, use a slow drill, use a fast drill. Different
>>>bits. Don't drill tempered glass. How do you know if you have tempered
>>>glass. It can't be that hard, you are just drilling a hole, but one mess-up
>>>and your entire tank could be at best ruined, at worse 1000 knives flying
>>>through the air. Thanks.
>>
>>
>> Go pay the glass man his $10!
>>
>>
>
>I've drilled three different tanks and not had any problems. I used a small
>grinding stone that I could attach to my drill, and used a carbide grit to
>enhance the cutting of the stone, and used water to keep the glass cool. The
>trick is to go slowly and not put any undue pressure on the glass. This method
>takes several hours and some patience, but it worked for me. Just make sure
>that you buy the right size grinding stone for the hole you want to make.
>

I'll tell you, I have been installing glass for years and tried to
dremmel a hole in a 10 gallon. I went real slow and used tons of lube.
It broke after twenty minutes of work while I was about half way
through.
I read every thread about it before starting, guess if I used your
method or bought the proper hole saw I might have succeeded.

I replaced the side and later ran it up to a glass shop. They used a
weird carbide liquid drill machine that finished in five minutes and
charged me $10.

It is not a beginners project. Good luck to anyone who tries.
Don't start with a 10 gallon. They are way to thin. Get a piece of
scrap 1/2 inch for your first hole.

[kryppy]

On 07 Dec 2004 15:03:46 GMT, (Rod) wrote:

>The lube I use is vegetable oil. Sometimes I use
>a press, sometimes I use a hand drill. 5 gallon tanks take about 20 seconds,
>180 oceanics takes a few minutes

I envy you. I saw some $40 dollar diamond hole saws for glass at a
stained glass supply link posted here. That worth the price, and might
work?

[H2O Aquatic Solutions]

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"Tre' Landrum" > wrote in message
news:QPKsd.23585$233.3308@okepread05...
> Anyone out there have any experience drilling tanks? As in how do you do
it.
> I have heard use a dremmel, use a slow drill, use a fast drill. Different
> bits. Don't drill tempered glass. How do you know if you have tempered
> glass. It can't be that hard, you are just drilling a hole, but one
mess-up
> and your entire tank could be at best ruined, at worse 1000 knives flying
> through the air. Thanks.
>
> Tre'
>
>