Drilled my SS pot today. Phew!

I drilled a new hole in my 15g SS Megapot today and thought I would share the experience.

The goal was a 1/2" hole for my thermometer. I used a water hose to keep it cool and prevent work hardening. A towel was placed under it and rolled up under the sides to prevent it from scratching and rolling around on the ground. I used a 16 penny nail to create a divot, then drilled a small pilot hole with a very small drill bit. I then drilled two more holes consecutively bigger, then the final 1/2" bit.

In hindsight it would have been worth doing it with a Unibit instead. The burrs from the regular bits were pretty bad and I had to use a file to remove them. A Unibit would have removed them nicely.

Overall I was happy with the result though.

I am building a car right now, and I always get worked up when I do things that can't be reversed. You always end up over planning for them, and in the end its never really all that hard.

Pot looks really good!

Putting the hole in m megapot was the scarriest thing I have done while brewing. It worked out in the end, but definitely nerve-racking.

I know most of you guys don't have access to one but a knockout punch will give you a really clean hole every time and painlessly

like this

blowmax10 said:

like this

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I thought about it, but I went with a stepper drill bit so I could more easily widen the hole if needed (and I did).

blowmax10 said:

like this

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I am in the process of putting a hole in my keg and was wondering where you would get a knockout punch like this. I think that would be a lot easier than a step drill.

Thanks,
Dennis

They are used quite a bit in electrical work to make holes in boxes for conduit and cable. I actually don't think it would make a better hole than a stepbit given the curved wall.

Knockouts are great. I used on eto punch an extra 1/2" hole in my ranco for power 14g power cord. I used the electric one at work where I'd taken the controller but you should be able to get a set at lowes or HD. I'm not sure if you can buy single ones or if they just come in sets.

I have never seen one of those before and I just bought the step drill bit this morning. So I was just thinking if it would be easier to use one of those I would give it a try. I guess I am open to ideas since I have not done anything yet.

Bobby_M said:

They are used quite a bit in electrical work to make holes in boxes for conduit and cable. I actually don't think it would make a better hole than a stepbit given the curved wall.

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I definitley value Bobby_M's opinion and input on these type of threads, buit the diameter of the pot in the OP I don't think would lend a problem. Maybe a tighter diameter, but I still don't see how it would be different than the step bit or any other bit method. But I am not as mechanically inclined as Bobby_M.

Bobby_M said:

I actually don't think it would make a better hole than a stepbit given the curved wall.

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I agree with Bobby - the step bit leaves a nice chamfer edge and I can't see how using two tools (one to do the pilot and then the punch) would end up being faster/easier than just using the step bit.

I use KO punches all the time. They're great, but for a 1/2" hole, you might as well go with a holesaw or unibit.

BTW, if you are going to use a KO punch, you will prolly want to rent one. The problem with that is they have been treated like **** and are really dull. Ever hear the expression "beat like a rented mule"? That's what you might get with a rented KO punch. If you feel like buying a set, you had better plan on using it a lot, because they are around $150 for a 1/2"-1 1/4" set. So, you are probably better off with a holesaw or unibit.