Mr.Tang Posted September 29, 2007 Share Posted September 29, 2007 Hi Guys, I picked up a second hand tank and cabinet today and am pretty stocked with the deal I got. I plan on putting up a journal to show from start to finish the entire project. This tank is going to house Fronnies and E.Yellows with a pleco or two and will be my main display tank. I have been researching on this forum for months and gathering ideas from previous journals and hope to be able to give something back with this journal. Without this forum I would never have thought about attempting a DIY like this and quite frankly I don't have the funds laying around to go and pay someone or LFS to do this for me. What I already Have: 1 x Std 4' tank, 1 x Aqua One CF1200 Canister, 2 x 300w Heaters, 1 x 4' Dual Fluro What I picked up: 1 x 6x2x2 - 10mm Tank with Lids, 1 x Cabinet & Hood Painted White, 1 x Aquael Unimax Pro Canister, 2 x 2FT Dual Fluro What I have on Order: 1 x 5000LPH Pump (cheapie Jebao from ebay), 1 x Fluidised bed filter, 1 x 6x2 Olgas background from Daniel @ Addicted2Cichlids What I plan to do: Strip cabinet back to bare wood and reseal then paint it black. Reseal inside of tank entirely as it has leaked and was repaired by previous owner but never hurts to be 100% sure and do it yourself. Question here – the tank has been drilled for a weir but covered over with a piece of 10mm glass about 10cm x 20cm and a heap of silicon. Is there any easy way to remove this? Or is it just slow and steady with long razor blade? If too hard to remove the glass covering the hole (see image below) I will be drilling another hole and assembling a weir in the opposite corner. Yes, I am going to attempt drilling into the bottom myself (I say myself but I actually have a friend to help me who has the drill bits and reckons it’s a piece of cake). I am also thinking of drilling into the back as well to plumb canister intakes unless you guys convince me that the canisters won’t be necessary. Turn my 4’ std tank into a sump using a mixture of designs I have seen on this forum. Install Olgas background and run plumbing behind it. Can't wait to get started, Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boof Posted September 29, 2007 Share Posted September 29, 2007 looking forward to watching your plans take shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robdog013 Posted September 29, 2007 Share Posted September 29, 2007 awesome I can't wait I can get some ideas for my garage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zifin Posted September 29, 2007 Share Posted September 29, 2007 sounds like a great project cant wait to see pics as you are going along Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattyr Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 yeah can not wait to see some pic's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Tang Posted October 1, 2007 Author Share Posted October 1, 2007 Hi Guys, Found my camera so added pics... Can anyone think of an easy way to remove the glass covering the hole? Cheers, Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_to4 Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 Hi Guys, Found my camera so added pics... Can anyone think of an easy way to remove the glass covering the hole? Cheers, Marc Id just get some electrical tape, mask off about 5mm from the edge of that piece of cover glass and run a really tidy bead of silicone right around it and leave it there, once covered with substrate no-one will no and it will never leak. Obviously once the siliconr is dry or semi dry remove the tape, it comes up REALLY neat this way. and be sure to use aquarium safe sinlicone. Jusr drill the other end. Thats what id do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Tang Posted October 9, 2007 Author Share Posted October 9, 2007 Just a small update. I finally got a day off work on Sunday and spent half the day sanding back imperfections in the cabinet and hood. Walked out of the garage and my wife didn't recognize me due to the white dust covering me from head to toe . This coming weekend I start 10 days of holidays so hopefully I will get a lot done. I have borrowed a mates air compressor and spray gun to get the painting done so I will upload some more photos once thats completed. I have decided to use an old 3 foot tank for the sump as I won't have anywhere to keep my fish if I use the four foot and I have decided to have a go at uncovering the existing hole in the tank to use for the weir. During the last week I received my pump and my FBF-1000 and managed to snap up some awesome pieces of driftwood from ebay so the parts corner in the garage is starting to grow. Update again soon, Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilbok Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 Interesting journal Marc. Look forward to following the rest. I have a 6x2x2 with sump and no need for a canister whatsoever. I recommend sump only for what you have described. bilbok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kramer Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 Id just cut the glass out withe a blade. I wouldn trust anyone that says that drilling glass is a piece of cake, to drill it properly you have to drill halfway through then flip the whole tank over and drill the rest of the way through also the drill bit will need to be water cooled anyway good luck with it all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlashieFront Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 I wanted to paint my cabinet black but i chose for white cause i all ready did a bigger tank b4 for someone and it looked good. Cant wait to see yours in black and the type of sand colour u well be using. i'll be doing one in black as well later but its good to see one already done for the inspiration. good luck painting and can't wait to see the finished product. just remember to take all ur doors off and do separately so theres less over spray around the cabinet. also u should get new hinges or put those ones in thinners to get rid of the white. cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huzzy Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 Id just cut the glass out withe a blade. I wouldn trust anyone that says that drilling glass is a piece of cake, to drill it properly you have to drill halfway through then flip the whole tank over and drill the rest of the way through also the drill bit will need to be water cooled anyway good luck with it all holes are drilled from one side only, with plenty of water. I would try and remove that glass plate with a razor blade....a looong one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kramer Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 holes are drilled from one side only, with plenty of water. I would try and remove that glass plate with a razor blade....a looong one. Well I have been taught by 2 different Glaziers that have been working with glass for 30years+ that your supposed to drill halfway through one side then flip the glass over and drill the rest of the way. If you dont drill half and half you can get shells/small chips around the hole which could make it considerably weaker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilbok Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 holes are drilled from one side only, with plenty of water. I would try and remove that glass plate with a razor blade....a looong one. Well I have been taught by 2 different Glaziers that have been working with glass for 30years+ that your supposed to drill halfway through one side then flip the glass over and drill the rest of the way. If you dont drill half and half you can get shells/small chips around the hole which could make it considerably weaker. This is the correct information Kramer. I had a glazier friend drill my holes in a 6x2x2 10mm. He used a drill bit special diamond bit fashioned to fit on a cordless drill. I just stood there with the hose trickling over it. H e drilled half one side and half the other and it worked a treat. bilbok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gino123456 Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Ive drill my tanks all u need is the right drill bit and go slow it works a treat. just add some water into the tank and start drilling so the blade stays cool. . Ive drill my tanks from one side only, its pretty hard moving a 5ft tank by yourself just my 2cents worth Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Tang Posted October 12, 2007 Author Share Posted October 12, 2007 Hi Guys, I spent half an hour walking around bunnings yesterday trying to find the right tool to removes the glass cover and the best I could find was one of those things plasterers use to apply bog/putty/plaster. Its like a bbq scraper but a lot thinner and more flexible. I then spent about 25 mins trying to remove the glass and only got about 1cm done on the long side of it. Also tried a thin filleting knife to no avail and tried dipping the knife in turps in the hope that it would soften up the silicon. I will get a sharpening stone and try to sharpen the plasters thingy but if that doesn't work I will resort to drilling the other end of the tank. I would try razor blades but they snap too easy on the long ones. Problem is the tank can only go in one spot in the lounge room and that means the back left hand corner of the tank will be in a corner so I really wanted to keep the weir in that position. I ordered a sump based on Tunnel Rats sump design from Extreme and Wayne is coming out on Tuesday to drill if necessary. I am going on a road trip today to pickup my olgas background from A2C. When I get back I will paint the cabinet and take some more photos for you all. Thanks for all the feedback. Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huzzy Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 Well I have been taught by 2 different Glaziers that have been working with glass for 30years+ that your supposed to drill halfway through one side then flip the glass over and drill the rest of the way. If you dont drill half and half you can get shells/small chips around the hole which could make it considerably weaker. It makes perfect sense to go from both sides, and your right about chips and frags as the bit comes out the other side if drilling from one side only, but if you dont rush the last bit and go extra slow it will be fine. I have never seen an amatuer drill from both sides, because its almost impossible to match up 100% from the other side of the glass with the naked eye and a hand held drill. Glaziers and people with the right equipment such as clamps and presses would have no problems with the majority of cases (actually, my tank builder goes from both sides, but he uses a wooden template and a portable press). *eidt* I just had a google looking for ways of making mounting blocks, or ensuring you were drilling 100% over the hole but couldnt find anything. Although I did find this, which indicates you drill 95% on one side and then 5% from the other. But it just says to use a tape measure to line it up. Which is fine for a flat peice of glass, but a little harder for a constructed tank. "Reverse the sheet when the drill is about to reach the opposite side of the glass. Often, when the drill punches through glass, it will spall, or chip, the back side, so drilling back to meet the initial hole is better. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Tang Posted October 13, 2007 Author Share Posted October 13, 2007 Problem solved. No need to drill now as a mate and I removed the glass that was covering the hole. We tried every tool imaginable and achieved success with nothing less than a hammer and a center punch You guys just wait until I up the pics. I even got two small video clips shown us doing it. All we did was create what we were calling "fault lines" in the top piece of glass using the center punch and then hammered the scraper underneath to break the silicon and it worked a treat - the whole thing took 15 minutes. No cracks and no scratches anywhere to be seen. Also got a first coat of paint on everything. Tomorrow we will sand again and paint another coat. I will upload the pics tomorrow morning. I gotta tell you its a massive relief. Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kramer Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 I have never seen an amatuer drill from both sides, because its almost impossible to match up 100% from the other side of the glass with the naked eye and a hand held drill. Glaziers and people with the right equipment such as clamps and presses would have no problems with the majority of cases (actually, my tank builder goes from both sides, but he uses a wooden template and a portable press). Yeah that's why I reccomended cutting the piece of glass out because I would imagine it's quite difficult to use a hand held drill on an already made tank. Mr.Tang: Sounds pretty scary cant wait for the video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Tang Posted October 13, 2007 Author Share Posted October 13, 2007 Tried putting the pics up but some probs..... still working on it. In the meantime here are links to the vidz. I don't know how to reduce the size of the vidz (should really say cant be bothered installing software to do it) so for those who want to see them go here - they are about 25-30mb each: http://workoutworld.com.au/marc/vids/picture1_036.avi http://workoutworld.com.au/marc/vids/picture1_038.avi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Tang Posted October 13, 2007 Author Share Posted October 13, 2007 Tried putting the pics up but some probs..... Ok, Sorted... Using center punch to crack the top piece of glass: A third of the way there: The completed job: Now I just have to get out the razor blade and tidy things up a bit. Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zifin Posted October 14, 2007 Share Posted October 14, 2007 you are a brave man glad it went alright for you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Tang Posted October 16, 2007 Author Share Posted October 16, 2007 Hi Guys, Just had Wayne over from Extreme. He drilled (in the bottom & from one side only) a second hole for the inlet and left the original hole for the return without any problems and assembled the weir for me. He was in and out in half an hour - Cheers Wayne I'll let that sit for a day and then install the Olgas background. Also have to construct the durso and sort out the rest of the plumbing. Thinking I'll run some PVC behind the background for the canisters in the same way Tunnel Rat did. BTW thanks to Tunnel Rat for doing all of this first and for documenting it all so well. Later, Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robdog013 Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 theres no way I could have done that I would have smashed the tank for sure...good goin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Tang Posted October 16, 2007 Author Share Posted October 16, 2007 theres no way I could have done that I would have smashed the tank for sure...good goin I nearly soiled my pants when heard the first crack which my mate made by levering the scraper in between the two pieces of glass - I thought for sure he had cracked the bottom as there was heaps of suction between the two. But that crack was what gave us the idea to use the center punch - who would've thought..... All's well that ends well and thank god it did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.