Drilling tanks

[Joshlikesfish]

I plan on drilling holes to fit a 19mm irrigation fitting in.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Building-renov ... 845602.htm

Will that 20mm drill bit do the job?

Thanks

[ryanjury]

No it wont, 19mm is the internal size of the drain and there is a few more mm in material around the hole.. Buy the fittings first and then measure them and buy the right sized drill bit.

Are you planning on using the 19mm elbows and doing a hori job like me? I used the 13mm ones in my tanks because I wasn't planning a high flow rate and then had the 13mm tubing coming down to a 19mm common drain line..

[smidey]

& let us know when you are going to do it so we can come & watch

[ryanjury]

& let us know when you are going to do it so we can come & watch

He will be fine, he has had some good instruction.. (I hope someone other than me has given that to him?)

[smidey]

when i was in the granite game we had a plastic bottomless pot with a ribber sealed bottom edge (can't remember what it was called) that you placed around where the hole was to be drilled & filled it with water for keeping the drill bit cool.

[ryanjury]

That would be a very good thing to have, I was drilling 16mm holes and using the drill in one hand and a syringe filled with water in the other to keep things cool, when I could I pulled the tanks out and make a puddle of water and just drilled in the middle of that..

Josh I forgot to tell you it takes ages to grind through, don't put too much pressure on or else you will just eat drill bits, chuck on some ear muffs and be patient. Also apply stuff all pressure when you are about to break through otherwise it makes it a bit rough on the way out.

[smidey]

& a vid for youtube, you could call it "fish tank drilling FAIL" :lol:

[ryanjury]

& a vid for youtube, you could call it "fish tank drilling FAIL" :lol:

lol I thought it was going to be a disaster when I did it too, but drilled about 25 holes and only had one slight crack from the hole to the top of the tank so it isn't as hard as you think. A 20mm hole would be a bit harder though, starting would be an issue, I would probably be inclined to do it the proper way and drill a pilot hole the same size in timber and somehow clamp that to the tank to aid with starting if I was doing holes that big.

[Joshlikesfish]

I've looked online at how to do it haha. Planned on doing them all outside with the hose like some of the vids I saw.

Yeah, It'll be a hori job. But I think I might do the holes on the side to give full view pleasure of the tank :lol:

Heading down to bunnings (again) to buy the fittings haha

[Joshlikesfish]

lol I thought it was going to be a disaster when I did it too, but drilled about 25 holes and only had one slight crack from the hole to the top of the tank so it isn't as hard as you think. A 20mm hole would be a bit harder though, starting would be an issue, I would probably be inclined to do it the proper way and drill a pilot hole the same size in timber and somehow clamp that to the tank to aid with starting if I was doing holes that big.

I also thought about that. I'm sure my dad can supply me with a clamp or two

[ryanjury]

I've looked online at how to do it haha. Planned on doing them all outside with the hose like some of the vids I saw.

Yeah, It'll be a hori job. But I think I might do the holes on the side to give full view pleasure of the tank :lol:

Heading down to bunnings (again) to buy the fittings haha

Yeah I found doing it the way I am with the elbows they were prone to leaking so did them on the front for easy access to fix them up when they spring leaks.. You can get proper fittings that actually screw in that are nowhere near as hori as what I have done, outside with a hose should work well, I stopped a few times when drilling my holes in the puddle and felt no heat in it.

Also if you plan to do a a few holes then buy a few drill bits these ones are cheap and nasty and only last 10-12 holes before they take ages to gradually grind their way through.

[smidey]

also think about support of the panel you are drilling, if it is not lying down on a surface & you have to drill it top down in toward the centre of the tank i would gut a block of timber to support the panel in the middle if you get what i mean. this drilling is for the 600x300x300 tanks right?

[ryanjury]

also think about support of the panel you are drilling, if it is not lying down on a surface & you have to drill it top down in toward the centre of the tank i would gut a block of timber to support the panel in the middle if you get what i mean. this drilling is for the 600x300x300 tanks right?

Yeah that is something I didn't bother with but it would end up with a much neater finish you are not applying that much downwards pressure to the drill bit so not much chance of breaking the glass but the finish is pretty messy as it breaks through, ideally you would drill pieces of glass before making the tank.

[Joshlikesfish]

Drilling all the tanks I have.

Will the proper fittings cost a hell of a lot more?

Tanks are all pre made so nothing I can do about putting them on a surface

[ryanjury]

The proper fittings are reasonably expensive just go to bunnings and price them, you are after ones with rubber seals and screw threads.

If you were drilling the sides you could clamp a board to a table and rest the side of the tank on the board so it is supported on the inside and drill it there?

Also should note that anyone reading this who tries to drill their own tanks should first weigh up how what the tank is worth to them.. If it is a big tank or expensive they get the pros to do it it isn't worth the risk, I haven't attempted to drill any of my 10mm tanks because they are worth more and harder for me to DIY a repair on.

[Joshlikesfish]

The tanks I am drilling cost me 87 cents each. So I'm happy to try :lol:

Lay them on their side and drill from the inside? Worth a try. If I use a block of wood as a guide, how will I keep the drilling bit wet?

[myfishybuisness]

hi josh i have some tanks drilled, you can drill from the out side and when u are through u just tilt the drill and smoth the edges, i setup a jig and had the hose running on it( otherwise it ruins the drill bit)

[k1w1y2k]

The best place to get the fittings from is a farming supplier such as PGG Wrightsons. They sell tank fittings that come with the propper seals and any elbows you need. I found them cheaper and had a better selection than Bunnings.

[livingart]

or plumbers supplies

[Joshlikesfish]

Thanks everyone

[WEKA]

I drilled the side and bottom of my 600L after it was made using an old ordinary hole saw and water based grinding paste with a little wall of putty around to form a pond for the cooling water - worked great.