drilling a tank

[gilmour01]

i just tried to drill a 5g tank, and it cracked on me. i did it the way bulkreefsupply suggest doing it with plumbers putty, water, drill guide etc., but it still cracked. does this just happen from time to time or could i have done something wrong? any suggestions?

 

[Blackhawk Fan]

Hard to say really. Where did the tank crack?

 

[cultivatedcoral]

It happens. You have to start at an angle first to get going then start bringing the entire bit onto the glass surface. Don't put any pressure besides the weight of the drill. Go slow, that's the key. It may take about 15-20 minutes total to get through.

Hope that helps.

 

[jaytizzle]

5g and 10g tanks are tough to drill bc the glass is super thin. Everything around 20 and larger is much easier due to the glass thickness.

 

[gilmour01]

it had a few cracks shoot out from the hole i drilled just as i drilled all the way thru. i think maybe i went a little too fast. at least it was only a 5g tank and not something more expensive, but that still put my plumbing on hold for tonight.

 

[Blackhawk Fan]

I agree with you.
Sounds like you pushed too hard. Since you already cracked the tank I would practice on it a few times.

 

[theplatypus]

I agree with you.
Sounds like you pushed too hard. Since you already cracked the tank I would practice on it a few times.

Practice makes perfect

 

[LitlBailey]

Try clamping a piece of scrap glass to the underside of the piece that you are drilling, that will help keep from breaking through when you get close to the end.

 

[gilmour01]

good advice....thx guys

 

[Sikryd]

Slow and smooth is the best way. Keep the rpms in the medium range and let the drill do the work and you should have better luck.

 

[Acro76 Verified Sponsor]

I drilled hundreds of tanks at the store I used to work at. We never drilled anything smaller than a 15 gallon because they would always break.

Once a guy paid us for 3 - 10 gallon tanks, since we told him they would break, he got lucky on the third tank...lol So it is possible, just difficult to do.

 

[amore169]

Good advice.

 

[gilmour01]

Success!....i think. i managed to drill two holes into the 5g tank and placed two 1" bulkheads. i havent filled it with water yet, so theres still a chance of epic failure. but for now all is good and plumbing can resume. i took it really really slow with the drilling.

 

[AlexStinson]

Yeah I had some pro's try to drill a 5.5 for me, and it still cracked... but I am cheap and just siliconed the heck out of it and let it be (it was full of baffles anyways holding it together)