Super job. I really like that it fits over the lid like that.
There is no doubt that a superior jig can be built, and your's is a very fine example. Mine, though, is pretty good for those that want to put the least amount of effort into building a jig
I made mine with a 1 - 1/4 inch coupler with a male threaded end.
The threaded end twisted onto the center of the keg without having removed the spear.
This saved the step of removing the spear and the spear serves as a support so the whole thing doesn't have the chance to fall into the keg. And the stainless steel umbrellas that result make for nice gifts.
(and another reminder to don't forget to de-pressurize the keg first by pressing the ball valve!)
the angle grinder i picked up at harbor freight didn't have the correct handle mounting position to set up the OP's rig, but a little brainstorming (and plenty of zip ties) resulted in this:
i used the 1-1/4" PVC coupler and flipped my support PVC tube upside down, and zip tied the grinder to the PVC tube with a couple pieces of scrap wood between the two dictating the desired diameter. it was very basic and worked very well. i just spun the PVC tube around to cut, and used up a quarter of one cheap harbor freight cutoff wheel for 2 kegs.
It's cool how everyone comes up with different ideas for these jigs. I was planing on using a hole saw like someone else suggested but mine was a tad too big to fit inside. I ended up using the hole saw to cut a hole in a small 2x4 piece, drilled a thru hole to the grinder and secured it with a 1/4-20 bolt. The screw on the other end keeps it all level.
I made a jig using this method to cut off a keg top a few days ago and it worked perfectly. I did not remove the spear as someone suggested and that also worked well to keep the cut out from falling into the keg while cutting. It took longer to make the jig than it did to make the cut. The most difficult part about making the jig was setting it up to cut the hole to the right size to fit a 12" lid, but that was just a matter of measuring carefully from the keg center to the grinder cutting disc.
Just to offer up a super simple way of doing this, I used the HF 3" air cutoff tool, let the blade guard ride against the keg handle rim, and the tool handle (by the air inlet) sit on the keg tap connector. Made a nice, circular cut just under the size of a 12" lid. I then cleaned it up with a flap disc in my grinder.
Nice
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