Odyssey350kc Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Got a piece of glass pane today at my local ace hardware, tried to drill it like an idiot on an uneven surface with nothing holding it and ended up cracking it, no biggie cost $1.50 I do have to do it again though. Researched and learned about adjusting my drill to the lowest resistance setting. Also thought of using a drill press. Which one should i do. 1. Hand drill, slowly with better working surface 2. Drill press, (no resistance saftey but will stay perfectly centered) Link to comment
NorthGaHillbilly Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 What thickness is the glass, anything under 1/4" is a crap shoot IMO Link to comment
Odyssey350kc Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 i think its only 1/8 thick. pretty flimsy Link to comment
NorthGaHillbilly Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I've never been able to get a clean hole in 1/8". Find a local glass shop and see if you can buy some scrap 1/4". The local shop here will do smaller pieces, cut it to size myself, for alot cheaper than HD or Ace Link to comment
knd107 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I think you have to be pretty skilled/ experienced to free hand it - at least the initial cut-in. I drilled a couple and i always start with a drill guide to start the hole then do the rest by hand. If its just a pane then I would use clamps to to secure it to a piece of scrap wood. Make sure it isn't bending the glass and just keeping it in place. A ton of people had broken 10g tanks around my area trying to drill them with that thin of glass. Link to comment
evilc66 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Glass that thin has to have a solid surface under it to drill. Even then it's a gamble. Best thing to do is take it slow with low pressure and lots of water. The water aspect rules out a drill press IMO. A drill press would only be an advantage for getting a straight cut, or keeping a very tight tolerance on the hole. For most of our applications (bulkheads, etc...), a little slop isn't the end of the world. Link to comment
iadubber Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 With that thin of glass I'd have plenty of water running on it while cutting. Put the hand drill in the least resistance highest speed. Start with the drill angled and slowly work your way perpendicular to the glass and use very little pressure. Let the bit do the work. Link to comment
knd107 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Oh, yeah, everyone was using water right? Not even sure I ever seen it done without it. Also, I prefer to have running water instead of the plumbers putty water pool method. Link to comment
ajmckay Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I'm going to go with hillbilly... Maybe see if you can have some pieces cut from thicker glass... At least get a quote. I'm assuming this is for an external overflow (based on your other thread), correct? Remember that there will be some weight to the pipes coming down so the glass really should be thicker as it needs to be able to handle that weight as well as a little wrenching around. I'm extremely cautious when messing with the plumbing on my 40br and that's 1/4" glass. As Evil can attest to!!! it's not super hard to break glass when you start drilling a bunch of holes in it !! Also I believe the recommendation is to have 1.5-2" of glass around holes and between them. If you decide to stick with this thickness of glass and still have issues with the hole saw even after using the methods described you could use a dremel outfitted with a diamond cutting disc. Dremel makes them but you can also get them at harbor freight for cheap. Use the same method with water but it doesn't take too long (a little longer than a hole saw) but thoretically might give you a little more control. The hole won't look as pretty but it will be covered by bulkhead flange. Link to comment
Odyssey350kc Posted January 23, 2015 Author Share Posted January 23, 2015 Thanks for all the replies. I will be picking up some thicker glass for sure. I might even get an extra piece if its cheap enough and if i am sucessful try drilling it both ways, 1 with the drill press and one by hand. Link to comment
ajmckay Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 I think you'll be much happier with the thicker glass... Pay a little extra now for the peace of mind. Be extra careful with the drill press... The more I think about it I don't think that's a good idea unless you have a really good way to secure the glass. If it somehow grabs the glass it could helicopter around and either hit you orshatter all over the place when it hits the column... Just too much torque IMO. Link to comment
calrissian Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 I agree with ajmckay! Use a cordless hand drill. A drill press will NOT stop instantly if you need it to and because most work on a rack and pinion style spindle feed, you won't be able to have a real "feel" for what's going on with the bit. Use an adjustable torque cordless drill and start at around 45 degrees to the glass. I usually take about 2-3 minutes to slowly work the drill to a vertical position. I surround the drilling area with a play-doh wall and constantly spray the puddle from a spray bottle. I've drilled dozens of holes in tanks and have never had any problems other than some small chips on the backside of the glass. Those can usually be avoided or minimized by drilling very slow and with very light pressure. Especially when you are close to breaking thru. Good luck! ...and definitely use thicker glass!! Link to comment
Odyssey350kc Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 Just wanted to follow up in case anyone was wondering, I went ahead and the pieces cut at my local glass shop as suggested. Two 6"x10" pieces and two 6"x6" pieces made with 1/4" glass and sanded smooth on the edges for $22 Great success Decided to drill the holes by hand since you guys said it would be easier to feel the pressure and binding. Worked like a charm. Put the whole tank in the bathtub to drill it, and ran the showerhead on the spot i was drilling. I also slotted the tank with a diamond circular bit on a dremel. Here is a pic of the completed tank. Link to comment
Markburns43 Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 That's creative as all hell! I want to do this with my tank! Link to comment
calrissian Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 I gotta get one of those diamond Dremel bits! The fun I could have! Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.