Looking at glass hole saws, do I need a pilot bit?

[skinz78]

Looking at glass hole saws, do I need a pilot bit? I've never drilled glass before so any tips are much appreciated... Thanks!

 

[robbrouse]

Try here Diamond Coated Glass Drill Bits - Bulk Reef Supply

 

[jgraz]

No pilot bit needed. Its quite easy to drill glass but care must be taken to drill slowly without any pressure on the drill. Take a look at the Glas$Holes website, they have a few videos showing setup and drilling techniques. Also check YouTube, lots of stuff there as well.

 

[darrend]

no pilot bit needed. some say start at a 45 degree angle and then go straight on. I just drilled 4 tanks last week and used a press and went straight on from the beginning with no issues. Couple of pointers, tape where you are drilling and tape on the inside of the tank as well. This will help the bit and glass not to slam through when hole is completed. Also I just set the hose on low right by the drill site and it worked great.

 

[jgraz]

Another tip that I did is to make a guide if you can with a thin piece of wood. This will keep the bit from wandering which it will initially want to do. Another way around this is to do as Darren stated and start at an angle. Definitely tape the inside of the hold it will greatly reduce chipping on the opposite side. As stated above if you have access to a press, its the best way to go.

 

[ShippD]

No pilot needed Amazon.com has them cheap and diamond tipped also.My friend does glass for a living and he said the way to drill is to get some plumbers putty make a 1/2 or larger rope surround the spot where you will be drilling make it 2 inches bigger all around the whole put rope of putty around it fill with water for cooling use a high speed drill let the drill do the work do not force it and all should go fine oh on back side put duct tape where the hole is so it will catch the plug etc..if you have any questions let me know i am sure i can answer them i have done this many times not to hard just have things in order before doing it

 

[skinz78]

Thanks everyone, I watched the vid on BRS and ordered a drill bit...

 

[Mike J.]

To get the bit to start drilling straight I use a scrap piece of wood with hole cut in it the same size as the hole saw and hold it secure until the hole saw gets a grip.

 

[EW_Fish]

Also Try using a manual drill and use the lowest setting. Always has helped.

 

[jgraz]

Plumbers putty around the hold filled with water is very important. Or you can just lay a hose down and let it run while you drilling. If you opt for the plumbers putty and have none but have kids Play Doh works perfectly.

 

[McAllyn]

FWIW, if you get the Glass-holes kit, it will come with a pressboard template that works very well. Actually, the same templates and bit from them has worked flawlessly on 3-4 tanks so far.

Mac

 

[TrishW]

Using the wood template is an excellent way of drilling a tank. Definitely use one as it is very hard to keep the drill in place without some type of guide.

 

[philr]

Not sure what size you were looking for or how much you paid, but diamond studded hole saws will run about $40 from lowes. I opted to have my tank drilled at a glass shop for $25.

 

[skinz78]

Thanks, I got mine for about $8 off of Ebay, and I'm happy to report the tank is drilled and fully functional. Easy peasy!