who could drill my kettle hole
 

I don't want to do this myself cause I don't have any of the bits, safety glasses, cutting oil, file, and I don't have anything to brace the kettle w/. So I want to hire someone but I'm concerned about going to wrong person for the job and getting screwed.

I do know a homebrewer mechanic and may ask him for advise when I see him on Tuesday if all else fails. Anyone here know a sure kind of place to go?

Thanks

any friend with a drill.

really, not that hard at all. if you really want to hire out, try calling any handy-man services in your area. I know my Mother-in-Law knows a good handyman service in Rowayton.

If your friend is mechanically inclined, as you said, then I would be willing to bet he can do it. Like Berserker said, its pretty easy. You can get a set of step drill bits at homedepot for like ~$30. Bracing it can be a pain, but it really just takes patience.

I was very hesitant to drill mine as well but I shouldn't have been. I finally convinced myself to try it and and I would suggest you give it a go. It is very easy. You can get the titanium step bits from Harbor Freight http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96275. I got mine on sale for $15 and they worked great. My 18V cordless drill had more than enough power. You can use Pam cooking spray on the drill bit and a piece of masking tape to mark and start your drill point. It takes all of 3 minutes to drill a hole in a kettle. You just drill it really slow with a lot of pressure. I held my pot on the ground between my legs, worked fine. If you were closer, I would certainly offer to drill yours.

Thanks for the replies. Its very tempting to go ahead and get the bits myself. I'm not the best DIY handyman type. I'm terribly accident prone and get stressed out easily if something goes wrong. I've got mixed feelings still. Swmbo convinced me to hire out yesterday, but maybe I'll freakin do it.

OK, so holding it between your legs is OK and will work right (with a piece of masking tape)? And just to be clear about everything I'll need

Kettle (got it)
Legs for bracing (still attached to me)
Pam (got it already)
masking tape (have it)
titanium step bit (not positive of the size yet)
safety glasses (I'm accident prone)
titanium pilot drill bit (do I need this)
file (to make the hole slightly larger if needed)

I got this to add to the kettle. http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/s-s-kettle-valve-kit-w-barb.html

Anything else you think I need to make this an easy as possible 5 or so minutes of my life?

The only way to learn is to do it yourself. It's easy as cake. Do it yourself and be proud you did so...

Is the kettle aluminum or stainless? If aluminum you can punch a starter spot instead of drilling. I see no need for masking tape or Pam. If Alum, it's very soft and easy to drill, I did mine with a step bit and a cordless drill. Just go slow when you get close to size and check after every step.

Its a economy SS pot.

One tip to make your drilling a lot easier, mark your center spot and hit with a nail punch to leave a little indentation - the hardest part can be just getting the drill started.

You should still be able to use a center punch and hammer and just peck a small indent in it, that will hold the stepbit until it starts cutting.

Hell, I used a 16d common to ding mine, but i'm wicked good with a hammer.:D