Shenandoah Aquatics Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 I cracked a tank as I was drilling is there anyway to salvage it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenman Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 You could try siliconing another piece of glass over the cracked area, but I wouldn't use the tank someplace where water damage would be an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shenandoah Aquatics Posted March 21, 2021 Author Share Posted March 21, 2021 I'm just disappointed that it cracked. I drilled 3 and then this one happened, so I stopped. I have 18 to do in total and now I am gun shy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tolstoy21 Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 Just curious, what size is your cracked tank? I can’t not crack ten gallons. I’m cursed when working on those! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shenandoah Aquatics Posted March 21, 2021 Author Share Posted March 21, 2021 It is a 20high Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tolstoy21 Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 (edited) Hmm, maybe give yourself some a little more space from the edges? I think the recommend spacing is half the diameter of the hole your drilling. Or this one could have just been a fluke and bad luck. Edited March 21, 2021 by tolstoy21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shenandoah Aquatics Posted March 21, 2021 Author Share Posted March 21, 2021 Yeah I think you are right. It was too close to the edge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tolstoy21 Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 (edited) Also, be careful how much pressure you’re putting into the drill and make sure you’re keeping the drill bit cool with water. You don’t need a ton of water, or even super cold water. But maintaining a simple puddle helps dissipate the heat caused by friction. You’re probably doing both of those already but that’s the only other things I can thing of. Edited March 21, 2021 by tolstoy21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gideyon Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 I know nothing about drilling into glass, however I saw a video featuring Cory (but it wasn't a co-op video) on drilling. He gave some great advice. Cory has one too that's much older. Maybe it'll be helpful. I find myself hooked on watching things I'll never need to do. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_G Posted March 21, 2021 Share Posted March 21, 2021 Serpadesign on YouTube has some vids on rebuilding cracked tanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tolstoy21 Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 @alpenglow007Just curious how the rest of the drilling went. Any more cracking issues? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn T Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 On 3/21/2021 at 6:59 AM, Gideyon said: I find myself hooked on watching things I'll never need to do. LOL I'm the same way. I watch videos on all sorts of DIY stuff that I'll never need or do. It's just fun to watch others do it, and maybe catch gems that are related to things I do or have planned. It's amazing what you can pick up that IS applicable from videos on things you'd never do yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn T Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 On 3/21/2021 at 2:40 PM, Patrick_G said: Serpadesign on YouTube has some vids on rebuilding cracked tanks. Tanner is amazing when it comes to that sort of thing. He broke a 75g tank while drilling it. I would've cried, but he was like "oh well, we'll just build a different tank out of it" kind of thing. And he did! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwayne Brown Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 This link looks like it would help. https://www.homedepot.com/c/ah/how-to-drill-a-hole-in-glass/9ba683603be9fa5395fab90e0d5d18b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy's Fish Den Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 Make sure not putting any pressure on the drill as you drill. I let the weight of the drill do the work. Plenty of water to cool the bit. Also, if the bit is dull it is more likely to cause a crack as it breaks through the backside of the pane. If you got one of the cheap bits from eBay or Amazon, they are only good for a couple of holes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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