need help! making holes on glass

[lazyreefer]

Hi guys, I am trying to make a 2" and 2.5" hole on a 30 Gallon tank. I know its not tempered.

since i have a cordless dremel, I went and bought a diamond coated bit for engraving and it would not fit on the dremel tool to make the hole. it was too skinny. is there two type of dremel tool?

So which bit you guys use to make hole on the glass using a dremel tool? I saw one bit for tile cutting but that was about at home depot.

Thanks for the help guys

 

[vanceny]

I've used the bits mentioned in this RC thread from ebay.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=603816

Took about a week to get here. You can probably get about 3-5 holes from each hole saw depending on the thickness of the glass. You'll need to convert the inches to mm to get the right size hole saw.

Others have used the dremel bits but I don't know which ones.

 

[Psycho graphic]

since i have a cordless dremel, I went and bought a diamond coated bit for engraving and it would not fit on the dremel tool to make the hole. it was too skinny. is there two type of dremel tool?

There are two collets available for Dremel tools, you obviously need the smaller one for your bit.

 

[simike]

I have drilled 3 holes in my 30 cube with my dremmel. i used 2 diamond bits. one had a ball tip and one was a tube shape.

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/tank-threads/15566-mikes-30gal-cube-build.html
mt tank thread

do you know what to expect, and how to set it up???

some other people have used tile bits, muchfaster i think but risker IMO.

It is a very slow process, but easy

 

[bad coffee]

I use a tile bit in my rotozip. It's not as smooth as a dremmel, but it's 10x faster. I just bought 2 diamond core bits from ebay for my next tank. They're REALLY cheap. You just ahve ot wait to get them from hong kong.

B

 

[sparkysreef]

I went the hole saw route. Very fast, easy, and fool proof.

 

[House of Laughter]

Sparkym

How many holes would you say you can get out of one of those hole saw bits?

I know I only got 2 or 3 out of my dremel bits. LMK

House

 

[sparkysreef]

It doesn't go by how many holes. The bit life is dictated by how many inches of glass you drill. So if you drill 100 1/2"glass tanks that would be 50" of glass drilled. Get the idea.

BTW I don't want any confusion. I am talking about the diamond hole saws.

 

[House of Laughter]

Got it, no please go and use wood hole saws

Thats good to know about the # of inches, but is 50 right? for the diamond hole saws from ebay?

Thanks for the advice.

House

 

[sparkysreef]

I am gonna try and find the info know form my archives. If I don't post back here tonight then definitely tomorrow. Menaing if I cna't find my info I don't wnat to call any friend this late.

 

[simike]

i found my dremmel bits to work fine even on the 3rd hole i made, through 5/16 inch glass. i also found the more water the better, i had a bottle of water with a hole in it streaming out water into the cutting area and collecting in a tub below..

LAZYREEFER.... very important.... make sure you have something under the hole you drill, a towell or tub etc. because when the glass from the hole will fall out and crack the other side of the tank

 

[sparkysreef]

If you decide to go the hole saw way...................(this is the way i did it but have also seen others I know just use duct tape under the hole and get good results)


Here is what I did witht the diamond hole saw bits. Lay the tank so the side you want to drill is facing up. By up I mean towards the ceiling. Get a 2X4 and small square of plywood. Get cardboad too. Go to HD and get some plumbers putty.
Ok here you go. Get a piece of plywood larger than the hole you are drilling. Basically you want the plywood under the side where you are cutting the hole. the 2 X 4 would be under this standing up off the bottom of the tank. I use cardboard flat or folded on the bottom pane. This acts as a cushion from the 2 X 4 and to take up slack. You want a SLIGHT friction fit. You want to place the 2 X 4 on the cardboard at an angle. Then as you anlge it towards straight upright it should be JUST A LITTLE TIGHT between the cardboard and the plywood. To tight and goodbye glass.
When that is set get the pumbers putty and make a round ring wall. Flatten it vertically so you get a round wall dam. Have about a 1/2" between the outer edge of the hole to the putty. Make the walls high enought o hold a decent amount of a cooling agent.
You can use a drill but I recommend a portable drill press. You can use water but I used a cutting coolant to be safe. I forget the actual type but I can post it here tomorrow.
So set up the drill, pour the coolant into the round damn you made and drill away.
i used a drill press that could be left hands free while drilling. It took about 10-15 minutes depending on glass thickness and diameter of hole.
don't start off at full speed. Go medium and you will her a change in the pitch after a complete rut is cut into the glass. You can speed up from this point. continue to listen for a change in sound again as the hole is just about completed.
The plywood will help from scalloping the other sided to bad.

Be VERY CAREFUL when removeing the wood from inside the tank as I have dropped the plywood and cracked a tank before

 

[lazyreefer]

Thanks a lot guys for the info! going to see if home depot got a collet for the dremel. If they don't I guess I will get a drill bit from ebay

sparkysreef - If i go with using the drill bit, I dont think the drill press guide is going to work for me because I have to cut a 3.25 inch hole for a 2" bulkhead. Is the hole by the bottom big enough on the drill press guide? If not, you think I can just free hand it?

 

[sparkysreef]

Thanks a lot guys for the info! going to see if home depot got a collet for the dremel. If they don't I guess I will get a drill bit from ebay

sparkysreef - If i go with using the drill bit, I dont think the drill press guide is going to work for me because I have to cut a 3.25 inch hole for a 2" bulkhead. Is the hole by the bottom big enough on the drill press guide? If not, you think I can just free hand it?

I used an ancient one so the legs were far enough apart to allow for large bits. You should be able to free hand it if you hold it as square as possible and take your time.

 

[bad coffee]

You'd have to go really slow when you break through the other side if you're going to hold the drill by hand. I think I have spare colletts around here for a dremmel. And I don't even have a dremmel.

I'd say go with a tile bit.
I used a glass drillbit to make a starter hole, then used the tile bit to cut the hole. Make it a bit smaller than you need and then slowly grind out the hole so you don't make it too big.

B

 

[masterswimmer]

Rob, how about some pix or links to the exact bit you used. I'll be drilling about 40 holes very soon.

Thanks for the detail btw,
R

edit: Brett, same request. How about a link to the tile bit you used? Can I use it in a Dremel?

Thanks

 

[bad coffee]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000224P4/?tag=reefs04-20
It won't fit in a dremel. But they do have their own tile cutting bit i'm told.

I could get through about a hole and a half on a 75 gal per bit. I could get more, but it's slow going. FOr what you're doing russ, I'd sink the money in some core bits. The ones from ebay are dirt cheap. I got 2 bits for $6. that 's the same price as one tilebit for my roto.

 

[masterswimmer]

1-3/4" diamond core bits will run in the neighborhood of $40 each. Then they recommend their diamond bit coolant. Using their coolant they say this bit should last up to 200 holes at 1/4". Using water shortens the lifespan.

Whatcha think B?

R

 

[vanceny]

For my 90 gal I drilled 4 x 1 3/4 holes for my closed loop with the ebay hole saw. I used water but by the time I got to the last whole the bit was about done. I free-handed it but made a guide out of acrylic to start the hole. Took me about 30 - 40 mintues per hole. Possibly overly cautious because I hear alot of ppl taking way less time.

Here's a link with alot of helpful tips, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "how to use diamond drills":

http://www.diamond-drill-bit-and-tool.com/Diamond-Drill/Default.htm?Diamond-Drill-Bit.htm

 

[masterswimmer]

Vance, sensational link. TY

swimmer