[Samper]

I'm looking for the part number for the dremel bit that you can use to cut a hole in glass. Has anyone used this before when building a refug? My lfs wants to charge 60 bucks to cut the hole in an aquarium that I paid $10 for.

[ricksreef]

do you have a harbor frieght tools near you? i picked up 50
diamond bits for $13. i've drilled over a dozen tanks with the
same 3 bits & they're still working good...

[Samper]

No, I have a lowes, a home depot and a sears. What is the name of the bit?

[ricksreef]

here's the ones i have..the price has gone up some.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=36252

here's the dremel ones from their site, scroll to diamond wheel points...

http://www.dremel.com/html/home_fr.html

HTH

EDIT: hmmm, guess you'll have to go to 'accessories' to 'rotary tool bits'
then to 'carving/engraving' then scroll to diamond wheel points..

[Samper]

Thank you very much Rick. Have you found a way that was pretty easy for you? I've read a few ways to do it just haven't settled on one.

[Samper]

Found this on the dremel site.



Q: What will cut glass?

A: We do not have an accessory that will cut glass. The process is very hot and requires a bath or wash and we can not recommend doing that with our tool as the liquid will travel up the shaft to the motor.

Any other ideas? I use my dremel a lot and don't wanna ruin it.

[ricksreef]

hmm, never had that problem, but i'm a ghetto reefer, if i can DIY, i do.
i actually used my cordless drill to cut the holes. i have a cordless
dremel but it's to whimpy. i took my bulkhead & a sharpie, placed the BH
(backside) on the glass, made the circle with the sharpie, then used the ball
point bit inside the mark to slowly cut the hole, pouring water on it every
10-20 seconds or so to cool it. by staying inside the mark, you don't have to
worry as much about neatness. then i used the barrel point to grind away
the glass until i reached the mark. the first one took me about a half hour to
complete, now i have it down to about 15 minutes for 10g's (i assume that's
about the size your talkin' about for $10). just be careful when you plumb it
up, thin glass will break if you put lateral pressere on the BH. (experience )
shout if you have any specific Q's.
here's a pic of the result on a 10g;

[Sueet]

I was also told that a cordless drill is the best way, because you don't have to worry about 'over' powering the operation. Every person I've spoken to that has done it has said the key is to 'go slow and steady, keep it from getting too hot'

Just as a side-note, I can't believe your lfs is charging that much for one hole! Outrageous! The most expensive hole-drilling cost in my area that I've seen has been $25/hole... but they only charge that much cuz they guarantee the tank (but they only drill if you bought it from them)

$60/hole is nuts.

[Samper]

Awesome Rick and Sueet, thanks for the tips. The tank is actually a 20 but I bought it from a buddy used this is why it was $10. Did you get your bulkhead from a hardware store also? What size would you recommend for a 20 and the approximate cost?

I'm gonna use my dremel I guess just try to keep it cool and take things very slow.

[ricksreef]

i'm in the pool biz so i just picked up the BH's from my wholesaler.
there isn't much difference in price between a 3/4" or 1" BH, so i'd
go with the 1". it gives you more choices in flow for upgrades.
my LFS has them both for 5 bux apiece. another thing to be sure of
is that it's not tempered glass, otherwise you'll be picking up the
little pieces for weeks many tank makers use tempered for the bottom
& regular for the sides, but some use it for all the panes (experience again ) & is why i drill all my tanks thru the back.
look thru the top of the tank, there may be a little sticker on the bottom
pane with some info on it.

[Samper]

I know the thing came from wal mart and sueet informed me that all of the 20's are not tempered. Can anyone else confirm this before I shatter it? I Definately want to go with a 1". Also do you have plans for any other diy that has worked well for you?

[ricksreef]

well, so far i've put together my fishroom of 22 (with 5 more waiting ) tanks
from yard sales & the classifieds. i've built my own skimmers, tanks,
propagation tubs, biotower, central filter system, sump/fuge combo,
overdrive NO lighting, tank stands, 125G stand/cabinet/hood combo, etc..
i have links to all kinds of DIY projects & scott's compiled some good ones
here too http://www.reefland.com/links/links.php?cat=3
if you have something specific in mind, i can prolly hook you up with a link