Glass Cuting / Drilling

I would let someone do it if the price is reasonable otherwise DIY!!
 
Really depends on whether you want to get into the DIY stuff or not. If not, it would undoubtedly be much easier to pay for you tank to be drilled.

If your intererested in joining the ranks of the DIY then an opportunity exists to save a little money and gain a little self satisfaction by drilling the tank yourself.

If you go this route, you'll need a diamond hole saw, I prefer this site:
http://www.richontools.com/catalog/c20_p1.html

If your drilling for bulkheads, make sure to match the diameter of the hole saw to the outside thread diameter of the bulkhead you intend to use. Also, make sure that you are not drilling tempered glass. Most tanks only use tempered glass on the bottom but there are some cases where it is used on the back as well. Check with the manufacturer if you are not sure. Tempered glass will shatter into many, many tiny pieces if you attempt to drill it.

Other than that, run your drill at a low speed, take your time and don't apply any pressure (gravity and the weight of the drill do the trick) and make sure to keep the bit cooled and lubricated with lots of water. A spray bottle, hose, or dam of water where you intend to drill will do the trick. Duct tape will help with chipping on the exit side of the hole and if you have a hard time getting the hole started an acrylic leader could be a good idea.

Have fun!
 
OK what is an acrylic leader??? Are you talking about a peice of acrylic with a hole cut to the bit doesn't wounder around??? Never heard that term so I had to ask!!
 
well, i juts want to give my 2 pence on to this thread....Drilling glass is a doddle. I was thinking the same things as you. Even up to the point when i was standing there drill in hand about to put bit to glass my stomach was churning..once i started, i thought what was i worried about?..It is a very easy process. Use a guide plastic, build a dam round it and rill it with water, and just use the weight of the drill, you dont need to put any pressure on else it will either crack or chip badly...

Since i did mine on my DIY build, i have done quite a bit of glass drilling for bulkheads and such for friends...and i did not even practice first...

Just thought i would offer an opinion from some-one who has done this quite a few times now...

Niko
 
I'd recommend drilling it yourself, also. Around here, they charge $25 / hole with no guarantee if they screw something up and crack your tank. Drilling it yourself really is quite simple and just requires a little bit of patience more than anything. I drilled our refugium and will drill any other new tanks I set-up in the future.

I wish I would have drilled our display tank, but I've gone a year without any overflow box problems and only had to clean it once. While I'd prefer a drilled tank in the future, I think overflow boxes get a bad rap from improper use. Personally, there's a much greater threat of a sump overflowing during a power outage if someone doesn't adjust the water level in their sump to allow for the amount of water that continues to drain once the pump cuts off than there is an overflow box losing siphon in the same situation.
 
Thanks for all the info... If I do drill my tank I think I'll do it myself.

However, can someone explain to me how the overflow siphons work. How do you match the amount of waters siphoning out to the amount you pump out of your tank?

Wouldn't you either overflow your tank or your sump?

If I could get it to work without drilling it I might go that route...
 
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