Drilling inside out & other tips?

[NancyFish]

Trying to get over my fear of drilling a 65g sepora tank.. Any & all tips welcome! Is it really as easy as people make it seem?

I noticed a lot of people get the chips at the very end of drilling, can it maybe be better integrity for the tank to drill inside out? That way if it does chip, the water won’t be on it?

What about a firm surface on both sides, or maybe laying on a yoga mat and drilling down that way?

 

[Jekyl]

You want to let the weight of the drill do the work and also need it constantly wet. Drilling from the inside would make that very difficult.

 

[cilyjr]

1. Heat is the enemy. Make sure there is water. Always dripping. I use a little wooden template with a quarter inch hole feeding into where I'm drilling so I can just put an airline tube gravity feeding water slowly to it.

2. Tape the inside of the tank with painters tape where you are going to drill. That will help prevent chipping.

3. Do not push on it. Allow the weight of the drill put the pressure needed. Remember you are basically sanding through the glass.

4. Use a template. Cut a hole slightly bigger into a block of wood and adhere that to where you want your hole to be. Diamond hole saws do not have a pilot bit. That will allow you to keep it from bouncing around until you have a groove started.