Drilling into Tempered Glass

[..Sam..]

I'm making a pipe mask and the lenses are tempered glass, before I go taking the drill to the lens to put the pipe in, I just want to make sure it can be done and is safe?

If Anyone has any info on it it would be lovely,
Cheers

 

[DivingDane]

which goggles have tempered glass lenses?

DD

 

[trux]

I'm making a pipe mask and the lenses are tempered glass, before I go taking the drill to the lens to put the pipe in, I just want to make sure it can be done and is safe?

Isn't it much simpler, faster, and safer, doing the hole and attaching the pipe to the skirt or frame? But I second the question of DD - although tempered glass is common at masks, I do not rember seing any goggles with glass lenses. Well, they may exist, but why not using the much more common goggles with plastic screen?

 

[DivingDane]

Sam

cheapest option with good results would be to buy a Speedo or similar ocean swimming mask (rigid frame) perspex lenses and only cost about $15 and drill into that.

DD

 

[..Sam..]

They aren't really goggles so much as they are a mask without a nose pocket. So they have the standard tempered lenses. I'm not sure about putting a hole in the silicone, I think its a bit flimsy, for lack of a better word.

I actually have a set of pipe goggles with the plastic lenses that works beautifully, but because the lenses are plastic they distort underwater and it is really annoying. I'm going for something that I can use for pleasure diving, with a nose clip that is also just like wearing a mask.

 

[..Sam..]

It turns out the tempered glass is quite strong and requires more then just a standard drill bit to get through.

Glass 1
Sam 0

Round 2

Need to find a better drill bit.

 

[Don Paul]

Here you go.

 

[..Sam..]

Don, that is very helpful, thank you.
Will let you know how it goes when I have another go.
Thanks again.

 

[DivingDane]

hhhmmm come on ya gotta tell us what model swim mask it is, never seen one with tempered glass lenses before! sounds good though.

DD

 

[B-J]

You can not drill a hole in tempered glass. It will shatter into pieces. Just like car windows. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa5m2VENGEM]YouTube - using rescue me[/ame]

The embarrasing thing is that I actually tried the same thing. You should try goggles like this: Aquasphere Seal. Swimming Goggles, Scubastore.com, buy, offers, scuba-diving

It makes it simpler to only have one "airpocket." I found it better as well to have bigger goggles that can compress quite alot. I made a hole in one of the plastic lenses and it worked ok. For me the challenge was to create some suction to make it tight.

Good luck.

 

[Pastor]

These are the drill bits you need, they will even drill a clean hole in car windscreens

 

[..Sam..]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I will give some of them a go on a spare mask I have.

DD I don't have a picture at the moment. I will put some up once I get it and I have put the pipe in it.

 

[Phil Herranen]

if you figure out a way to drill /cut tempered glass you will make millions .according to a friend with a glass shop it cant be done and the industry has been trying to find a way since tempered glass was invented . also windshields (the front window) are laminated glass (they have a film between two layers of non tempered glass) side windows are tempered .
phil

 

[..Sam..]

Polishing the edges or drilling holes in the glass is carried out before the toughening process starts. Because of the balanced stresses in the glass, damage to the glass will eventually result in the glass shattering into thumbnail-sized pieces.

[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toughened_glass]Toughened glass - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

Doesn't look good. Thanks Phil.
Will see how it goes when it gets here....