First time drilling...any advice?

Hello,

This will be my first time attempting to drill a tank. I ordered the 700 glass-holes overflow system kit as well as the 3/4 return kit. So I will be needing to drill two holes. It is a 29 gallon aqueon tank. So I was also curious about hole placement as well. Should I place the overflow towards the center of the backwall of the tank or all the way over to either the right or the left. I'm guessing that the return should either be on the back to one side or the other.

Thanks for any advice about the process or placement. Happy holidays!

--Eric

 

Cordless drill , tons of water , drill on a low setting . Let the weight of the drill do the work, do not push. Also place a towel or something inside the tank so when you make it through the falling disc doesnt crack the other side of the tank. Dont try to drill it in one go, stop every so often and let the glass / bit cool off (not sure its 100% necessary but it worked for me)


last but not least - plenty of beer to calm your nerves.

 

placement is wherever you think it looks best

 

+10 ..


take it easy, be patient..... drill slow, use water.

Use plumbers putty to make a little dam around the area you will drill, that can keep the water inside, so you will not constantly need to pour more water

don't get impatient around the end and push, you will get ships... I've made that error once

 

set the clutch of the drill really low so if the bit catches and grabs, nothing will happen

 

Overall, I think the drilling was successful. I noticed a few small chips on the return hole, but they seemed to be covered by the gasket and I am not noticing any leaking.

 

Great news. I've drilled several tanks and it's a pretty easy chore once you do it a couple of times.