Re: [Killietalk] [Fwd: Glass Drilling]

[Barry Cooper <bjc3 at centurytel_net>]

To expand a bit on this:

I also use a cordless drill and diamond glass drills obtained from 
Jehmco. I don't have any experience using the brass core drills 
referenced below or, for that matter, with other diamond drill sources. 
There are a few important points about the procedure:

1. you MUST support the glass under the point to be drilled. I do this 
by using a piece of straight, flat 2x4 wood on the under surface (for me 
that's inside the tank).

2. you need a jig of some kind to guide the drill  I use a piece of flat 
1/2" plywood with a V notch cut in one long face. the notch is of the 
appropriate depth to allow the drill to make a hole at the correct 
position on the tank. I drill on the back side of the tank about 5" in 
from one side, and at a distance from the top plastic edge such that 
once an elbow is in the bulkhead, the water level is equal to the bottom 
of the top plastic edging. (I hope that is clear).

3. the top jig and supporting 2x4 are clamped with C clamps, just tight 
enough to hold them in place.

4. you need to lubricate the drill, and wash away glass dust. These 
drill actually grind, rather than bore. This is best done with running 
water. I use a plastic bracket attached to the plywood jig to hold the 
end of a hose in place, allowing a steady trickle of water to run over 
the working surface. I work outside so the water can drain onto the ground.

5. Use a cordless drill running at relatively slow speed. As stated 
below, use very minimal pressure, not much more than the weight of the 
drill.

6. BE PATIENT. This job can be done successfully if you don't try to 
hurry it. Depending on the thickness of the tank, each hole takes me 
about 10-15 minutes to drill. I find that it goes faster with a new 
drill bit, and slower with an older one. You can figure out when it is 
time to renew the bit when you can feel that the diamond coating has 
been worn off the edge.

Hope that helps.

Barry

Barry J. Cooper
Sweet Home, OR 97386



john nicholson wrote:

> I use the bits from this place
> http://www.artglass1.com/diamond-tools-drills.htm but noticed some on
> ebay that were very cheap.  I drill them by hand using a cordless
> drill.  It is easy to do.  Remember you really don't use any force on
> the drill.  Also it is the heat that cracks tanks.
>
> -john
>
> --- Barry Cooper <bjc3 at centurytel_net> wrote:
>
>  
>
> > Dr. Cooper,
> >
> > Could you please post this to killitalk for me as all of my emails
> > are
> > rejected by killitalk because of security settings that our Corporate
> > email
> > system places on our outbound email messages.
> > Thanks,
> > mike stoecker
> >
> >
> > A few questions for those of you who have drilled glass aquariums:
> >
> > 1.  Which do you find works better, brass tube [core] drills or
> > diamond tube
> > [core] drills?
> >
> > 2.  What are the relative advantages of each type of drill [brass vs.
> > diamond] for drilling aquariums?
> >
> > 3.  Did you find that the drilling machines made specifically to
> > drill glass
> > were worth the cost?
> >
> > 4.  In the world of glass drilling machines there a basically two
> > types of
> > lower cost drills, fixed base and swivel base.  Have any of you used
> > the
> >     swivel based units and if so what was your experience with it?
> >
> > 5.  Besides JEHMCO, [of which I am aware] can you recommend a source
> > or
> > sources for glass drilling machines?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > mike
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Join the AKA at http://aka.org/modules/tinycontent0/index.php?id=9
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> >    
>
>
> John Nicholson
> Caddo Mills, TX
>
>
> 		
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