Keggle - A Wider Hole?

I succeeded in cutting the top of a keg open, but unfortunately I cut it slightly smaller than I would have liked for a tight fitting lid. So I am around a quarter inch short all the way around (see attached picture). Any suggestions on how I can make the hole wider?

I cut the top off using 6 reinforced metal cutting bits with a Dremel. I would rather not have to go that route again if possible.

Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions.

Get 2ft diameter step bit and a monster drill.

Since you used the dremel, I'll assume you don't have an angle grinder which would be the best tool behind a plasma cutter.

Maybe rent an angle grinder orrrr go at it with the dremel again.

Just go get a 30 dollar grinder, I'm sure you will use it more than once. Or maybe someone on here could help you out

Use the top for the lid

sawsall and metal scroll-like blades? that is what i used

I bought a $15 angle grinder from harbor freight in order to widen a hole cut by my friend. Worked great.

PJM said:

I bought a $15 angle grinder from harbor freight in order to widen a hole cut by my friend. Worked great.

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I second this. I bought one from Menards two years ago for around the same price. I think the brand was Tool Shop or some such. They won't last forever, but you'll get your 15 dollars worth out of it.


@PJM Dude, I love the Sleestaks!

corse flap disc with an angle grinder

Dougie63 said:

corse flap disc with an angle grinder

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Do flap discs hold up to that kind of speed, or disintegrate?

Flap discs work with angle grinders. That's what I used to smooth out the edges on my keggles so I don't slice my arms up while cleaning. Those raw cut edges can be REALLY sharp.

You are probably going to want to get a cutoff wheel, ( or 2), when you buy the cheap grinder, ( the thin wheel), and get a flap disc to finish it up.

Word of caution! be careful with the cutoff wheel!

You'll be doing the same thing you did with your Dremel, but on a bigger scale, and that wheel will walk with you if you're not careful!

Cut from left to right, and don't try to cut through all at once.

Go easy along your line and "score" your path, and then work your way around it slowly.

Or get grinding discs and grind all the way to the line.......Uggghhhh!

Ear protection, eye protection, and FACE protection!!!

Get a face shield, as it can get nasty if that cutting disc comes apart!

No flip flops, no shorts.........And have fun!

Four and a half inch angle grinder with a Zip disc and just score the line the first time around dont try to get right through. You could go right through very easily but then its hard to follow the line as more of the disk is in the groove and will want to go straight. So just make a couple light passes around and you will start dropping through.

I used one Zip disk to cut a twelve inch hole and dress the sharp edge before sanding smooth. $2.79 for the chinese off brand disk and you are done.Zip disks are about .035" thick so they cut real quick but are delicate.
Cutting and sanding only took half an hour

I second (or third, or fourth) getting an angle grinder from harbor freight. I think I picked up the 4.5" one for like $20 and a set of 10 discs that included cutting and grinding discs as well as three flap wheels for like $10. Flap wheels do a good job on the major cleanup and a little emery paper smooths everything out. I can grab the edge of the keggle with my hand and run it around fast without any fear of cuts or metal splinters now.

I do BIAB and the keggle I was using had some very rough edges from the guy I bought it from, which wasn't going to fly. It's also nice not to have your forearms look like you were in a knife fight every time you clean it.

I was considering trading it in for a straight sided pot and then decided it was cheaper to get the angle grinder and make the keggle a straight sided pot, plus you can use the tool for other things, so it was easier to justify, right?

Some before and after pics.

Thank you for all the great advice. I would have never guessed an angle grinder would be so cheap. I'll let you know how it turns out!

SoCal,

So to clarify, you cut that keggle down flush to the outside wall with an angle grinder? Was it difficult getting it that precise? Any special technique you used or was it pretty straightforward?

I honestly haven't seen a picture of a modified keggle where the top was cut down that close with a grinder. I'm preparing to build an eBIAB system and would love to get mine looking like what you did.

socal2009 said:

Some before and after pics.

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what do you use for a lid now that you cut it out completely like that?

Sorry to resurrect such an old thread, but does anyone have any tips for cleanly widening a hole like socal2009's pics above? When I cut the lid off my keg, I used a jig to get a nice circle. However, now that the top is cut off and the center piece is gone, it's not possible to use the jig anymore.

What are you guys doing to get the opening so small? Just free-handing it?

beertastic said:

Sorry to resurrect such an old thread, but does anyone have any tips for cleanly widening a hole like socal2009's pics above? When I cut the lid off my keg, I used a jig to get a nice circle. However, now that the top is cut off and the center piece is gone, it's not possible to use the jig anymore.

What are you guys doing to get the opening so small? Just free-handing it?

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Just cut it from the inside.. See pic, you will always get a perfect circle. No jig needed..

Is the top ring on your keggle still "round" or concentric, ( re: no big dents)?

If so, gauge off of that, to get your new cut line.

Some folks HAVE, rested their grinder, usually a 4 1/2 size, on the top ring, and scored their new cut, and gradually cut their new opening.

This is basically "free handing" it as well, and if ya' ain't handy with handling a grinder, you'll get another ugly cutout.

On the one shown above, my take is: he used a smaller "zizz wheel",( 3 inch or so), with a pneumatic grinder, and got as close to the weld as possible, and finished the clean up with a flap wheel or small sanding disc.

See my post above, about safety gear, and DON'T SCRIMP ON IT!

If you're not familiar with such equipment, don't B/S yourself and get too confident, 'cause it will eat you up!

If you were closer, I would do it for ya', take about 30 minutes to complete.

Good luck, and BE SAFE!



EDIT: Like in post # 18 above........He types faster than me!

If you'll look at the grinder he's using, the wheel guard will give you something to "pivot" on, to gauge your cut line, and keep you from digging into your keg sides.

Rock on :rockin:

That's exactly the sort technique I was looking for, but it wasn't able to come up with.

Suggestions for a lid that close? The lid I use from an old pot wouldn't be wide enough.

beertastic said:

Rock on :rockin:

That's exactly the sort technique I was looking for, but it wasn't able to come up with.

Suggestions for a lid that close? The lid I use from an old pot wouldn't be wide enough.

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You'd be surprised what ya may find at a goodwill store. They have SS pots and Lids all over the place. Just take a measurement of the finished ID and go shopping.. I had a lid from a 10 or 15 gallon bayou from an old set up that ended up fitting perfect for my MLT.. I don't use lids for anything else..

for cutting the hole I did as others suggested with the angle grinder and rested the guard of the angle grinder on the rim where the handles are and used it to keep me steady, I marked a circular line with a sharpie to make my initial line, did an initial slow and accurate cut with my angle grinder and cut off wheel and from there it was like falling off a log.... for the top I measured the diameter of my opening and than went down to my local steel yard. You can call around and ask if they have scrap 300 series stainless and generally they will have a discounted section with a bunch of different gauges and sizes of metal. Brushed stainless was a little more expensive but the stuff with out the brush finish i paid like 2 bucks a pound... the guy gave me a little more off after i shot the breeze with him and told him what i was doing.... Got something i could cut a big circle out of and then welded some tabs on the top at the edges so the circle i cut out wouldn't fall through the hole in the keg... i did that for one keg but the others i just used the top that i cut out from the keg and welded tabs to it to make my lid

an additional safety note, when your cutting it wouldn't be a bad idea to wear a good dust mask, i had read somewhere that the chromium in stainless is pretty bad for you and inhaling the ss dust aint so good.

good luck!

I like the full size cut across but it seems several people have covered how to cut or recut a hole.

Pizza pans come in several sizes and make great lids. They make them in aluminum and stainless steel.

Pretty easy to make a handle for them.

Cutting from the inside looks like the best way for sure. Just be super careful if you point a cut off wheel at yourself that way. You really should wear a full face mask. When those things explode (which they can if you catch it on an edge or something) they can really be dangerous. Definitely want to do this before having any after work beers. It's no joke, there are plenty of horror stories involving these, and the larger discs you would use on a cut-off saw. People have been killed. Not trying to scare you, just be careful.

Safety glasses AND, a face shield!

Stealthcruiser said:

Safety glasses AND, a face shield!

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Earplugs, too. I hate grinding on kegs/pots. The sound that comes out of them is just ridiculous.

A 1/4 inch is hardly worth recutting unless you are dead set on your goal but recut you either must do or perhaps get a few of those small sanding wheels that come with the Dremel to slowly, very slowly widen the hole to your fit. I used these wheels to smooth out and also widen a 7/8 inch hole to a 1 inch hole in just a few minutes. A large opening might take an hour +/- and many wheels. Good Luck!