hey
does anyone know anything about drilling acrylic? if anyone has any tips for me that would be GREAT!
i want to dirll my arcylic tnak for a sump, but my mom thinks i wil crack it and i think i might too. so if anyone has a certain thing i should buy or just any sort of tip for drilling it..that would be GEAT!!!!!

What type of drilling? For a bulkhead? Strainer?

For bulkhead holes, I literally use a standard hole saw core drill bit from Home Depot. They look like this:

http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/M0392_lg.gif

The trick is to go slow, apply even pressure and that's that.

I have, in the past, drilled a template from wood to use when cutting through the acrylic. This helps save the pane of acrylic from deep scratches if the bit should buck a little.

If you are talking about smallish holes, for baffle spillways, probe mounts etc, use any decent drill bit you have around. See the spillway/overflow in the refugium side on this sump:

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d176/JustDavidP/2004_0926Image0064.jpg

Again, take your time, apply even pressure, let the tool do the work, and you should be fine.

D

so its still okay if the tank is up and running now...and i am drilling vertically nnot horizontally?..its for a bulkhead by the way. okay cause my mom really thinks im going to ruin the tank. is there a high chance of a crack? or just as long as i take it slow its okay? is there a sound to listen for ?

omg once u become a reef hobbyist, u get better wt chemistry, craft, carpenture, design, researcher.. everything! how cool!

tip of the day ... "let the drill do the work" !!

i NEVER apply pressure when drilling (except the pressure or the drill sitting on the material.

so its still okay if the tank is up and running now...and i am drilling vertically nnot horizontally?..its for a bulkhead by the way. okay cause my mom really thinks im going to ruin the tank. is there a high chance of a crack? or just as long as i take it slow its okay? is there a sound to listen for ?
Go to find some scrap acrylic and practice first. It is real easy. Set the drill on screwdriver setting, not drill setting because drill setting has no clutch release. Most cracks happen when the teeth of the saw gets hung up and the whole drill jerk.

ohh yeah wes told me about the importance of the weight of the drill, but i dont have that advantage with my tank being already set up. so thats where i think i need the most tips. but i will definately try to get some scraps to practice. i will just go really slow too.

i just need the confidence to asure myself (and my mom) i wont mess up the tank. but if worse comes to worse, i will just have to buy another tank. and this time atleast i will get one with abuilt in overflow and predrilled.

I’ve taken a 2x4 and drilled the hole in it first then clamp it to the sump and use it as a guide so I don’t lean the drill.

Yep, that works well too... you should clamp it, as you said, because even using a template can go wrong if the whole thing moves.

D

If you are gonna make a template why not use a Router?

This is what I do!!

uhh the template sounds like a good idea. i dont have access to a router..or well i dont think i do? my dad does have a machine shop at work. would anyone happen to have a picture of one?

http://s7.sears.com/is/image/Sears/00917540000?rgn=0,0,1796,1796&scl=7.184&fmt=jpeg

ohh.. im sure my dad can get one of those. what do i need it for again? lol

Hey.. Gustavo....

A router yes....but didn't we simply use a hand-held Dremel when we drilled the bowfront? If you use a template, and the glass bits for the Dremel...wouldn't that work?

D

Yes, we did use a template and a Dremel with Diamond drill bit to drill your tank with the because it is glass, I think he wants to drill acrylic.

if your dad has access to a machine shop see if he can do it. i take mine to work and use a drill press for all my drilling.

yeah but the tank is already set up, and if i am required to break it down, i mine as well just get a predrilled tank. and also NEO, youre correct. its acrylic. i would prefer not to have to buy a diamond bit, but it thats what it takes

No you dont need diamond bit, diamond bit is for glass :up:

ohh . ok. so is it do able to drill the tank while its standing up? and full? cause with my tank, i dont have to drain to the whole thing, i can just drain the back compartment and still drill..its a sea clear system 2

I drilled my tank after emptying just half the water. You should be okay...just go slow and steady.

D

ok well iguess i will go for it...just any hole saw will do right?

Personally, I'd check to see if it is rated for "finish" type cuts. Usually, that is a finer tooth bit. Otherwise, use a template, go slow, and let the drill do the work for you.

Dave

great! well now my dads co worker said i will have a chance of flooding if i drill it myself, but if i buy a reef ready tank i wont have that problem....thats not true is it? but just in case...does anyone know if moving tanks is hard? i am sure people have done it

It is not hard at all, it is time consuming, specially if the new tank is gonna go to the same space as your old tank is.
I only move my tank 3 times, first time was a upgrade from a 55 to 120, second when I move to my new home and third my "boss" (read wife) decided that she did not like the place of the tank in the house. anyway every time was a full day project.
Your best bet is to go slow, take your time so you do it only once.
Start taking some of the water in off, then save the water in a bucket then move the corals, live rock, fish and so on.

We JUST moved a new tank in to Neo's house too! A 6 footer! It took far too many people to get it done. I've got some video of it. It's quite comical. I think we are going to release it here as a "video tank journal", but need to coordinate with Rob and get the permissions to post from others that helped.

Dave

Ow ya!!!
Will be a good project but will take some time, I'm only allowed to setup the new tank when I finish the basement :(

But we will release, shorter, infrequent video updates to include some of the room construction. Yo Irmão...we working in the acrylic shop tonight?

Yes we are :agree:
See you around 8:00