iijakii
Well-Known Member
Yeah, that's a good idea. I'll have to think about how to hammer it out without mucking up my kettle.
Thanks for the idea.
Thanks for the idea.
nate456789 said:Very nice. I am getting ready to build another E Keggle. I want to use this Pull thru method. Pulling into the keg. I Haven't decided if I will TIG or do the solder. My current one is Tigged but the inner seam is not very nice or clean. The weld on the outside looks great tho.
That is why I was thinking about using this pull method to give a nice clean seam on the inside.
Do you have any pictures of the inside of the keg? What method or tool size did you use to make your dimple?
Thanks.
lschiavo said:I use a greenlee hydraulic punch to make the dimple...not something everyone has lying around I'm sure. I think I have seen an alternate tool that does the same job earlier.
Took a few tries but I finally got a decent shot of the inside:
<img src="https://www.homebrewtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=40664"/>
nate456789 said:Looks great. I hope I can get mine to look like that.
Thanks for the picture.
Hammer the ridge flat in two spots opposite each other so the false bottom will slide past?
Edit: Put a backer behind the metal so you don't deform the hell out of your kettle.
Maybe need to use a flat bar or something to extend out to allow you to hammer it flat.
No problem. I'm sure you can do it. The right solder and flux and a little patience and practice and you will be surprised how easy and quick it is.
nate456789 said:Did you use a Greenlee punch kit like this?
Video Link: http://www.amazon.com/Greenlee-735BB-Knockout-2-Inch-Conduit/dp/B001QIJP9C
Or is it a different tool? Guess I don't see how this tool would dimple the side of the keg.
Thanks
That is the tool except my kit is to 3" and has a hydraulic driver.
I drilled a hole and used the 1in punch(male cutting part) and die(female part) to make the hole in the keg. Then I flipped the 1in die over and pulled that into a 1-1/2in die to create the dimple. Hope that makes sense.
That makes sense. What sizes did you use for your 1/2 coupling for your ball valve?
How many holes are these good for since you are using them on stainless instead of regular metal?
I may have to invest in a set of these.
Thanks for the info
Wondering if you guys can give me some advice on the best way to do this.
So I was quite dumb when ordering my false bottom from Jaybird and totally forgot about the lip at the top of my kettle, so I didn't get a hinge put in it. As you can see the FB just barely can't fit in.
So I was thinking I'd cut a slit in the lip so I can slide it through. But if you look on my pot, cutting that slit would leave me with an exterior hole as well. Would I be able to solder that shut? I don't really have much experience with soldering, so I'm not sure how I'd get the solder to stay in slit and make a seal. Is there something I could put on the backside the solder wouldn't adhere to, then remove it once it's solidified? I have a friend whom has a MIG welder, but buying one of these kits would be cheaper than purchasing some stainless core wire and I think his welds are probably a bit ugly, too
https://www.t-mobilepictures.com/myalbum/photos/photo24/35/da/d738b764ae8a__1323130830000.jpg
https://www.t-mobilepictures.com/myalbum/photos/photo17/d5/66/58dd07ee6f53__1323130744000.jpg
https://www.t-mobilepictures.com/myalbum/photos/photo09/e1/14/5f25469cdd34__1322271488000.jpg
For the 1/2in fittings, I probably used a 3/4 and 1-1/4 inch combination. It seems if you seperate by two sizes it creates a nice dimple without the risk of actually punching through (happened once).
I think my kit is older than me and it has punched plenty of stainless electrical enclosures much thicker than kegs or kettles. All my Greenlee tools seem to last forever.
There are some cheaper options:
Knockout Punch Kit - Knockout Punches at Harbor Freight Tools
Hydraulic Punch Driver w/ 5 Hydraulic Punches & Dies
You get what you pay for but these may be ok for limited use?
nate456789 said:Yeah I was looking at those when you said you used the 1 1/2 to dimple. The original Greenlee kit only went to 1 1/4 that I want to buy. Maybe I will find a deal on the bigger kit.
Thanks for the info. You should be proud of your craftsmanship.
This is a very good kit if you really want to spend the money.
Greenlee 7238SB | Knockout Punch Kits.
Happy to help and thanks for the compliment. Of course, I only show my best work. There are plenty of brewery projects that I'd rather you guys don't see
I ended up getting two kits(7235BB & 7237BB) from a guy on craigslist that has all the punches in the kit you suggested. But I didn't get a ratchet in either of the kits.
The kits were brand new still in the wrapper for $150. Buying these same 2 kits on ebay or amazon were not cheaper than $300 + shipping.
Now I am hoping I get a few minutes to actually get to play with them.
I am impressed with the quality of the Greenlee kits. I had never heard of this brand until this site.
Stevo2569 said:Maybe I missed it the many pages of this thread, but where is everybody buying Harris Stay Clean at? I've checked HD and Lowes with no luck. Can I use regular plumbing solder?
You do not need mapgas. Harris Stay-Brite 8 has a liquid temperature range of 430°F to 535°F, very close to standard plumbing solder. The flux you use does matter when you are soldering SS or Aluminum.Awesome Video!
So I have my regular propane torch I use for copper, how much hotter is a mapgas torch like the one used in the video? Can you do it with propane?
Yup. That is the correct flux.Is this the same stuff?
Airgas - Harris Welco® Stay-Clean® Liquid Soldering Flux, 4 Ounce Flip Top Bottle
Hey another Quick Q: The concentric reducer listed goes from 3/4 to 1/2... Is that the OD of the reducer? does the OD of the wide end of the reducer match up to the OD of the coupler?
The od of the large part of the reducer should be approximately the od of the coupling. However I did find that some of the coupling I had were way to large and some slightly too small. The large coupling I could not use but with the small coupling I simply did not pull the reducer all the way through thereby leaving the hole slightly small for the smaller fittings I had to fit. It worked great. I believe bargain fittings had the best coupling size that matched perfectly.
The paste flux will not work with stainless steel. Only the liquid flux has the properties to condition the SS for proper bonding.Has anyone tried using harris stay clean PASTE flux on stainless? I suppose I mistakenly assumed "stay-clean" in either configuration would work but it seems like stay-brite #8 just beads up on top of the paste.
Stay-Clean® Paste Flux
Description: General Purpose Solder Paste Flux
An active soldering flux formulated for use with tin-lead, tin-antimony, and tin-silver solders. Superior flux for most metals, copper, brass, bronze, steel, stainless steel, galvanized, Monel. Not recommended for aluminum, magnesium, or titanium. Not recommended for electrical or electronic applications.
That plainly sucks and is so wrong in so many ways.My experience agrees with you but the confusion comes from Harris's own data:
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