Drilling holes in plastic container Tips

[TCLynx]

Tips.

A nice whole saw kit plus a few larger whole saws (of the appropriate size for bulkhead fittings or uniseal fittings of whatever two primary large sizes you are going to use if doing a large system) are definitely a must in the Aquaponics Tool kit

1- Don't put the hole through across a ripple, curve etc. Makes it impossible to get most bulkhead fittings to seal properly.

2- Don't push too hard on the drill, if the plastic is brittle, you are more likely to make a crack that way and
having the point of the hole saw suddenly punch through with force may
cause the rest of the hole saw to hit and bite unevenly causing you to
twist your wrists and/or hit yourself with the handle of the drill as it
swings around.
Slow and steady is the best way to deal with hole saws. Do some practice cuts on scrap materials if you are not
comfortable with the tools at first.

3- Double check the position of the hole a few extra times before cutting. Make sure you will have
room to install whatever fitting you intend to use. too close to
corners or bracing tends to be a problem for some types of fittings. If
you install a bulkhead fitting and are going to screw an elbow into it,
make sure there is room for the elbow to spin. That sort of thing.

[TCLynx]

Good additional tips there Richard

[Richard Wyman]

Just wanted to add, a variable speed drill can really make this easier. I tried doing one with a cheap drill I use alot without the variable feature and it was not good. Twisted wrists, not so round of a hole. The next hole with my older heavy variable speed drill ended up perfect. Also clamping a piece of wood to the plastic (if possible) can make things much easier if the plastic is thin, like an IBC.