Drilling Acrylic

[Guest clownfish4]

How do you drill acrylic? Is it like glass where only some can be drilled? Or is it all drillable? What is the success rate?

[ErikS]

You can drill it, extruded tube can be tricky but aside from that it's pretty simple. Up to a 1/2" thick is easy as pie, over 1/2" and you need to exercise a bit of caution to keep it from over heating.

 

The best method for making holes is a router & template (that's from a couple of acrylic pros) - I've never done it. I find holesaws work just fine w/ one tip - get the core out of the bit as soon as possible the bit shrinks back after heating & it's not so easy to remove (DAMHIKT )

 

Success rate? Depends - I've only ever cracked one piece & that was making a 7/16" hole in .236 material with the wrong type of bit (straight drill bit, plastic bit works very well). Holesaw? 100% (knocking on wood) - never had a problem, in fact I prefer it to regular drill bits.

[xeon]

What specifically are you drilling?

[Guest clownfish4]

I would like to drill a 60g tank. It is under 1/2", but I haven't measured the exact thickness.

[ErikS]

Holesaw & drill away - easy as pie. Never had an issue with material 1/2" & under.

 

Though an easy to identify warning - if you start to see some distortion in the acrylic (you'll know it when you see it) that means stop or slow down it's getting hot......though I've never seen that happen in thinner material (it drills too fast to heat up that much unless the bit is REALLY dull ).

[dhoch]

Clownfish...

 

If you have a hand held drill you are all set.

 

Goto lowes and/or home depot and look for holesaw bits (you can buy single ones, or they often come in sets with multiple sizes).

 

Drill slow but steady... it's actually pretty easy (a little never wracking though, especially the first time.

 

Dave

[ErikS]

a little never wracking though, especially the first time

Yep.........then it's that was so easy I'm going to drill more