Hole in my tank

[Nick Rogers]

Hi People,
I got fed up with the overflow box on my tank so I ordered some diamond
burrs and cut a hole in the 8mm back glass with a Dremell, it wasn't that
hard to cut the 50mm (2 inch) hole to be honest, I have found a technique
for this using the ball shape bit,
If you want to risk it mark out the hole with a thin permanent marker and
cut in to the line carefully with the small ball bit, this makes a good
guide to follow with the larger ball bit,
You have to hold the bit so the side of the ball contacts the glass surface,
after you have a shallow grove go round it with the larger ball (ball
slightly larger than the drill shank) go as deep as you can with this method
and after you have got 70% + of the way through the glass the core can be
removed with a small cylinder shaped bit,
In total it took about 3 hours to complete the job

Don't blame me if it goes wrong, and don't forget goggles, dust extraction
or filter mask.

Regards to all,
Nick.

[Pszemol]

"Nick Rogers" > wrote in message ...
> I got fed up with the overflow box on my tank so [..]

Slightly off-topic: what exactly was wrong with your
overflow box and what great benefits of drilled tank
do you expect to velidate risking tank catastrophe? ;-)
What kind of overflow box have you been using?

[Lafe_el]

3 hours compared to 8min with diamond hole bit, to much work


"Nick Rogers" > wrote in message
...
> Hi People,
> I got fed up with the overflow box on my tank so I ordered some diamond
> burrs and cut a hole in the 8mm back glass with a Dremell, it wasn't that
> hard to cut the 50mm (2 inch) hole to be honest, I have found a technique
> for this using the ball shape bit,
> If you want to risk it mark out the hole with a thin permanent marker and
> cut in to the line carefully with the small ball bit, this makes a good
> guide to follow with the larger ball bit,
> You have to hold the bit so the side of the ball contacts the glass
surface,
> after you have a shallow grove go round it with the larger ball (ball
> slightly larger than the drill shank) go as deep as you can with this
method
> and after you have got 70% + of the way through the glass the core can be
> removed with a small cylinder shaped bit,
> In total it took about 3 hours to complete the job
>
> Don't blame me if it goes wrong, and don't forget goggles, dust extraction
> or filter mask.
>
> Regards to all,
> Nick.
>
>

[Nick Rogers]

"Pszemol" > wrote in message
...
> "Nick Rogers" > wrote in message
...
> > I got fed up with the overflow box on my tank so [..]
>
> Slightly off-topic: what exactly was wrong with your
> overflow box and what great benefits of drilled tank
> do you expect to velidate risking tank catastrophe? ;-)
> What kind of overflow box have you been using?

Off-topic ???
Overflow box was too big, not suitable for the smaller tank I have now
it had to hang off the front of my bow front corner unit you see,
risky yes cant argue about that :)
don't recall the make its not marked, it was a big one however
I'm very glad I have my drilling, you can have the box if you like :)
N.

[Nick Rogers]

my post at bottom
"Lafe_el" > wrote in message
link.net...
> 3 hours compared to 8min with diamond hole bit, to much work
>
>
> "Nick Rogers" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hi People,
> > I got fed up with the overflow box on my tank so I ordered some diamond
> > burrs and cut a hole in the 8mm back glass with a Dremell, it wasn't
that
> > hard to cut the 50mm (2 inch) hole to be honest, I have found a
technique
> > for this using the ball shape bit,
> > If you want to risk it mark out the hole with a thin permanent marker
and
> > cut in to the line carefully with the small ball bit, this makes a good
> > guide to follow with the larger ball bit,
> > You have to hold the bit so the side of the ball contacts the glass
> surface,
> > after you have a shallow grove go round it with the larger ball (ball
> > slightly larger than the drill shank) go as deep as you can with this
> method
> > and after you have got 70% + of the way through the glass the core can
be
> > removed with a small cylinder shaped bit,
> > In total it took about 3 hours to complete the job
> >
> > Don't blame me if it goes wrong, and don't forget goggles, dust
extraction
> > or filter mask.
> >
> > Regards to all,
> > Nick.
> >
> >
>
>
Glass (not concrete) core cutter 250 particle = £100 or $150 + from USA
no high speed drill, cant rent either,
do you have a source for cheaper glass cutters? I would prefer an 8 Min job
also
N.

[Dieter Kedrowitsch]

I heard sandblasting was the safest way to put a hole in glass without
making any small cracks/chips to weaken it. Does this work for
tempered too?

[Pszemol]

"Nick Rogers" > wrote in message ...
> Off-topic ???

Sligthly, because my question was not about the hole in your tank :-)

> Overflow box was too big, not suitable for the smaller tank I have now
> it had to hang off the front of my bow front corner unit you see,
> risky yes cant argue about that :)
> don't recall the make its not marked, it was a big one however

Thanks for the info.

> I'm very glad I have my drilling, you can have the box if you like :)

:-))) Really? I would take it, but I am in US, shipping cost may be too high :-)

[Lafe_el]

www.ameriglas.com

[Nick Rogers]

"Pszemol" > wrote in message
...
> "Nick Rogers" > wrote in message
...
> > Off-topic ???
>
> Sligthly, because my question was not about the hole in your tank :-)
>
> > Overflow box was too big, not suitable for the smaller tank I have now
> > it had to hang off the front of my bow front corner unit you see,
> > risky yes cant argue about that :)
> > don't recall the make its not marked, it was a big one however
>
> Thanks for the info.
>
> > I'm very glad I have my drilling, you can have the box if you like :)
>
> :-))) Really? I would take it, but I am in US, shipping cost may be too
high :-)

Ahh, shame my friend went back to Boston yesterday I could have sent it with
him, oh well.
Nick.
Ah well never mind

[Nick Rogers]

"Dieter Kedrowitsch" > wrote in message
om...
> I heard sandblasting was the safest way to put a hole in glass without
> making any small cracks/chips to weaken it. Does this work for
> tempered too?
Sounds logical to me, tempered; it may work but very risky I would have
thought.

[Nick Rogers]

"Lafe_el" > wrote in message
ink.net...
> www.ameriglas.com
>
>
>
Thanks, I haven't seen them that cheap
N.

[Richard Reynolds]

> I heard sandblasting was the safest way to put a hole in glass without
> making any small cracks/chips to weaken it.

not really

>Does this work for
> tempered too?

not hardly, well it works longer, ive managed to get a complete hole using a hole cutter
on tempered glass on many ocasions, not only did i get a hole sand blasted but i was
extatic for about 2 minutes before it shattered into zillions of pieces

--
Richard Reynolds

[CapFusion]

"Richard Reynolds" > wrote in message
news:qeQtc.1158$CW.884@lakeread05...
> not hardly, well it works longer, ive managed to get a complete hole using
a hole cutter
> on tempered glass on many ocasions, not only did i get a hole sand blasted
but i was
> extatic for about 2 minutes before it shattered into zillions of pieces
>

Did you take a picture of yourself when that happen?
This happen to me too when trying on a tempered glass awhile back. I did not
know better at that time AND no where it indicate that it tempered glass.
LFS did not know it either. Since that was my very fish tank.

Me too, I accomplish making a perfect hole and it did not shatter. When off
to the kitchen and get another drink [soda]. Came back and was looking for
tank. Look fine from the distance. Came closer and look into the tank and
slowly look down and see zillion of glass pieces. The bottom was missing.

CapFusion,...

[Richard Reynolds]

> Did you take a picture of yourself when that happen?
no :( ****ed me off but wuda been cool looking back on

> This happen to me too when trying on a tempered glass awhile back. I did not
> know better at that time AND no where it indicate that it tempered glass.
> LFS did not know it either. Since that was my very fish tank.

I knew from the beginning about tempered glass, I couldnt tell if it was tempered or not.
they were cheapo 40 breeders that were slightly used and even cheaper then retail it only
took a few minutes to find out :D in the end the long pieces were tempered and the short
ones were not.


--
Richard Reynolds

[CapFusion]

"Richard Reynolds" > wrote in message
news:dUVtc.1438$CW.1414@lakeread05...
> > Did you take a picture of yourself when that happen?
> no :( ****ed me off but wuda been cool looking back on
>
> > This happen to me too when trying on a tempered glass awhile back. I did
not
> > know better at that time AND no where it indicate that it tempered
glass.
> > LFS did not know it either. Since that was my very fish tank.
>
> I knew from the beginning about tempered glass, I couldnt tell if it was
tempered or not.
> they were cheapo 40 breeders that were slightly used and even cheaper then
retail it only
> took a few minutes to find out :D in the end the long pieces were tempered
and the short
> ones were not.


To OP,

If it just a small chip / crack / leak from a side where silicone is apply,
simply temperary patch from the outerside of the tank before you remove any
old silicone and apply a new one on top of leak area.

Maybe Acylic will jump in and give better suggestion.

Normally best is to remove everything and doing this repair without any
content. Have all content in a bucket of water and so foth until the tank is
finished repair. Or get another small temperary tank for holding and later
use it for other purpose like HT/Refugium/Sump etc.... Best is to do the
correct way or you may find yourself doing it again later if not correctly
fix.

CapFusion,...