I need someone who has experience to drill my new 120G tank, I dont want to try and do it myself in case I mess up, if anyone is interested I will pay them, let me know.
With a good diamond bit it is pretty easy. I have drilled about 20 holes and they are all streight forward. The hardest were for a 10 gallon. The 120 has pretty thick glass and should be easy. Take your time don’t force it or tilt the bit after the hole is started.
On the front page is a video of when Craig and I drilled his.
http://delreefclub.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=38&Itemid=1
haha i’m not sure anyone’s gunna wanna volunteer for that job. messing up a 120 gal is not fun. however, I know how you feel. i just drilled my first tank a few months back and it was pretty scary at first, but i looked for helpful hints online and found a ton. here’re a few from what i can remember.
-use a cordless 18v drill. this is because it’s easy to start slow and make sure the hole is started correctly, and isn’t too much power that it’ll cause serious damage.
-use a jig. what i did was i cut a hole in piece of scrap paneling (1/4" thick) and duct taped it into place exactly where i wanted the hole to be. this prevented the bit from wondering AT ALL while drilling and made the hole incredibly easy to start.
-provide a constant water source for cooling. this is where i got a little creative. i live in an apartment and didn’t have access to a hose, so i put the whole tank in the shower (just barely fit), covered the end of the drill with a zip loc bag to make sure no water got inside, and ran the shower while drilling. Needless to say, it stayed nice and cool.
-if the tank is laying on it’s side and you’re drilling the back, lay a piece of cardboard beneath it, so when the drilled chunk finally falls out, it doesn’t crack the glass on the other side.
-obviously, a diamond drill bit is necessity. home depot sell diamond tip bits up to one inch, which is what i got. i believe i payed $40 for it, but i’m sure it can be found cheaper if you have the patience to buy online.
-finally, GO LIGHT AND GO SLOW. it took about ten minutes to drill through my 50 gal, so it should take at least twenty for you. you shouldn’t be applying any pressure to the back of the drill, as the weight of the drill and the battery alone is perfect for drilling at just the right amount of pressure.
I followed these steps to the T and had no issues whatsoever. Have confidence and stay calm! PoM Good luck!
Have you done it yet? if not where u located?
[quote=“saltcreep, post:4, topic:4454”]
Have you done it yet? if not where u located?[/quote]
I ended up doing it myself, borrowed the bits from a friend and it was much easier then I thought. I should be adding more pictures to my build thread with current updates soon.
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