tpallas September 24, 2011 Share September 24, 2011 Drill, baby, drill. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainRon September 25, 2011 Share September 25, 2011 It looks like you should be fine. You don't need your bulkhead to fit inside your bit, just inside the hole that the bit makes and it looks like it should *just* make it by the way you have it positioned there. Good luck with the drilling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Puckstable September 25, 2011 Share September 25, 2011 What time do you plan on drilling the tank? What area are you located in? I may not be of much help, but I'd love to watch. I would like to drill my tank as well, but I just can't pull the trigger on it. Maybe if I see it done in person, I'd give it a go. Either way, I wish you the best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.OptimusPrime. September 25, 2011 Author Share September 25, 2011 (edited) What time do you plan on drilling the tank? What area are you located in? I may not be of much help, but I'd love to watch. I would like to drill my tank as well, but I just can't pull the trigger on it. Maybe if I see it done in person, I'd give it a go. Either way, I wish you the best of luck. Im in rockville. I actually have no way of moving the tank by myself so youre more than welcome to stop by and help / see. If anyone has drilled before and wants to stop by and supervise let me know. Ill get lunch or beer or whatever u want. I might drill anytime between now and tuesday. Depending on who wants come Edited September 25, 2011 by .OptimusPrime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k September 25, 2011 Share September 25, 2011 Here's something you might want to consider before using Sched 80 bulkheads- The thick o-ring seal is meant to be compressed somewhat to create a watertight seal. The ones you are using are way overkill for anything thinner than 1" thick glass or acrylic. If you tighten those too much trying to create the watertight seal, you might crack the glass on a 75g which is 3/8" thick. Stick with Sched 40 and you'll be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Puckstable September 25, 2011 Share September 25, 2011 For sure, Rockville isn't too far away from me. Let me know when you're ready. Shoot me a PM or something. I can help lift,hold, bleed, win... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.OptimusPrime. September 26, 2011 Author Share September 26, 2011 If everything pans out should be drilling later tonight. Other than the bits / drill / something to catch the glass / water source - do I need anything else? Any helpful tips or hints (besides watching people make it look like cake in videos)? If it shatters (hoping it doesn't / shouldn't), I'll be in the market for a new RR tank LOL and this will be a learning experience. I already think the 75 is too small and want to upgrade. 120G HERE I COME Maybe I'll shatter it on purpose as justification (yes I'm kidding) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 September 26, 2011 Share September 26, 2011 why don't you guy buy a couple pieces of cheap glass to practice if you want to be sure? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.OptimusPrime. September 26, 2011 Author Share September 26, 2011 why don't you guy buy a couple pieces of cheap glass to practice if you want to be sure? I actually have a spare baffle that I could try it on if that would suffice? Man I have the worst luck...in my haste to have the box made, I forgot to account for the length of the bulkhead. Which means I have no way of sticking the head through the box... Is it possible to take a razor blade to the seams of the acrylic (side where the hole is) insert head and screw in and then use something like weld-on to glue it back together?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Integral9 September 27, 2011 Share September 27, 2011 I don't think you can separate acrylic once it's bonded. The seams on the acrylic are "welded" together. Alternatively, it looks like you can just shorten the bulkhead; cut the bulkhead down to fit inside the overflow and still have enough threads to slide it through the glass. Although, measure twice, cut once. If you are just short on room, you might consider replacing the gasket with silicon. That will shorten the hole by about a 1/4". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.OptimusPrime. September 27, 2011 Author Share September 27, 2011 So I got good news and bad news. Good news first. Tank got drilled. Big thanks to ninja for helping out. What a small world we live in right? After getting passed the first hole and nerves It definitely was not hard at all. That being said, looking back...I would have made a wood template to stop the bit from moving around. That and there were some chips but nothing major. Bad news. I checked out what you said intergal about cutting the bulkhead and that wont work. I wont have enough threads. They come up just enough for the nut to barely screw on. That being said is it possible to cut out a square (see red box in picture the diameter of the hole and just slide the head in through the top?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John September 27, 2011 Share September 27, 2011 (edited) You are using the gasket between the box and the tank wall, right? Can't cut the box then... Edited September 27, 2011 by John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind September 27, 2011 Share September 27, 2011 I would make the hole in the overflow big enough to go over the bulkhead. Install the bulkhead into the tank. Then silicone the overflow to the glass, over top of the bulkhead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John September 27, 2011 Share September 27, 2011 Or scrap the box altogether and use a 90' elbow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.OptimusPrime. September 27, 2011 Author Share September 27, 2011 (edited) I would make the hole in the overflow big enough to go over the bulkhead. Install the bulkhead into the tank. Then silicone the overflow to the glass, over top of the bulkhead. Coral - just to clarify would I be using silicone on the outside edges of the box to the glass? Kinda like attaching baffles inside the sump?? Would I need to make another gasket??? Or scrap the box altogether and use a 90' elbow. John - If i went this route, would I use a SXT 90 and attached a strainer to it? Or should I just use SxS and wire tie some kind of mesh to the top?? Edited September 27, 2011 by .OptimusPrime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John September 27, 2011 Share September 27, 2011 (edited) John - If i went this route, would I use a SXT 90 and attached a strainer to it? Or should I just use SxS and wire tie some kind of mesh to the top?? I used strainers... For an idea of what I mean: http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/member-tank-projects/2847-my-15-gallon-reef.html Edited September 27, 2011 by John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypertech September 28, 2011 Share September 28, 2011 That box doesn't need a back. Cut it off. Then put the bulkhead in the hole in the glass and silicone the now three sided box into the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind September 28, 2011 Share September 28, 2011 That box doesn't need a back. Cut it off. Then put the bulkhead in the hole in the glass and silicone the now three sided box into the tank. It is a good idea if you can cleanly cut it off but that isn't always easy to do. If not, just making the hole bigger would still work. There is always the "inbox" overflow as another option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Puckstable September 28, 2011 Share September 28, 2011 Congratulations on your first drill job. Glad I could help, it was a good learning experience. I would cut that rear panel off the overflow and just silicon it to the rear glass. If you use tape, you will get clean and straight lines. I'm sure you had your practice with silicon when you built your sump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der ABT September 28, 2011 Share September 28, 2011 agree with cutting the back off the box, if you have a table saw it will make life much easier and straighter but sandpaper can always fix it too. then just silicon the back to the wall like the others have said....though i really like daves inbox design as the angle allows for more light to flow down to the bottom of the tank. Congrats on the successful drill as well. ive heard too many times that people wish they had made a wood guide for the hole saw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Integral9 September 28, 2011 Share September 28, 2011 +1 cut the hole / back off and silicone the box to the back of the tank. Use tape for clean lines and pull the tape off before the silicone dries. Use clear "100% Silicon". You need about a 1/4" on either side of the seam for a good strong seal. You don't want to bump it and break the seam. Actually, you might consider leaving some of the back on, so you can use more silicone for a stronger seal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.OptimusPrime. September 29, 2011 Author Share September 29, 2011 Thanks for all the positive feedback! I checked out the "Inbox" its pretty sweet, but I'd like to use the box since I've already paid for it. Graingers is about a 5 min ride from where I am so I'll definitely be investing in some clear silicone instead of the GE stuff for HD. RTV whatever number is clear..103 or 108... Any ideas about what I can use the cut the piece out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypertech September 29, 2011 Share September 29, 2011 Dremel. If you don't have one and don't have access to a table saw to just cut it off, you could probably do it with a coping saw. FWIW, I would use black silicone and I've used plenty of the stuff from HD without a problem. Just get the stuff without the mildew/mold inhibitors in it. Even then, I'm starting to hear that the whole don't use the wrong silicone thing is maybe a little overblown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John September 29, 2011 Share September 29, 2011 I certainly wouldn't use a table saw since your vision would be blocked by the other side of the box...router table with straight bit, fence, and variable speed control Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypertech September 29, 2011 Share September 29, 2011 I'll take your router table and raise you one table saw with a fence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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