Safe to drill the glass?

Never use water on a bit to drill a tank it may keep bit cool but will not prevent or ease friction. Build a simple little damn with some plumbers putty and pour some simple cooking oil or 3&1 oil into the damn to keep bit cooled and make for a smoother drill . When you are about through have some back up the inside the tank with a folded towel to help prevent a blow through and a rough inner hole surface. As for the actual drilling of the tank Drill it its fine .. And there is no such thing as a special bit to drill tempered glass they pour and cast the sheets in a die and the holes are cast with thimbles in the die then the glass is tempered ..

 

+1 on what tangster said but I would also use a piece of 2x4 behind the towel to prevent breakout and the jagged edges that are associated with it.

I have always use water though tangster but I use lots of it, preferably a hose with a good constant stream running directly on the bit. but doing it this way requires doing it outside or at least in a utility room with a drain which isn't always available.

Never really had a problem but I am going to try your way on the next tank that I have to drill next weekend, He lives in an apartment so no utility room! Thanks for the info.

 

I know the average guy, can't cut TEMPERED Glass. Due to it being heat treated..

But it's OK to drill it..?? Just a need to know.. In case I run across something like this..

Thanks, Larry

 

Tempered glass is hardened and is thus stronger. Like many hardened items such as steel; this hardness adds a factor of brittleness that wasn't there before.

Tempered glass simply can not be drilled. There are no special bits or processes to drill it. Once tempered glass is touched with a spinning drill bit, it shatters into millions of uniformly-sized pebbles of glass.

 

Wouldnt the glass most likey crack if drilled

 

No if you go slow and don't hit it with the drill because you did not put something on the other side. My husband did this Wed. It was going great until he got to his second hole and when the drill bit went thur he hit the glass with the drill. Thankfully it was only a pane of glass in the fuge that can be replaced.

 

Drill bit came in today, Drilled two holes, went w/o any problems! ;D

Thanks guys!

 

Outstanding!