drilling spigot hole

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Are you talking about for a bottling bucket? I used a hole saw and a piece of wood for mine.

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If you are talking for a ball valve on a kettle, then I think folks use a metal cutting step bit.

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1" hole saw for spigot most of the time. Ask a neighbor before you buy one to drill 1 hole.
 
For a bottling bucket I found that it is easier to drill from the inside, and to put a block of wood under it, drill a pilot hole and then run the bit through and let the cutter cut it. It wouln'd hurt to go a little small and the using a nail emory board to sand it more.
 
I think the hole for the swivel spigot is 1" as mentioned. Harbor Freight has a set of step bits that are big enough. They're on sale for $15 and are a must have next to a set of regular drill bits.
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Any local hardware or home improvement will have a hole saw set. They are nice to have around, but like I said if this is the only hole you will use it for I would ask around fiirst. Why spend the money on a setto use once or twice? Just a thought.
 
i used a woodboring bit? i think its called that. Its flat with point in the middle, they are like 5 bucks, snug fit kinda choppy hole though. I may have ended up spending more making mine than if i would have just bought one, unless you can borrow one and get a free bucket.
Now i can drill one inch holes and half inch holes wherever and whenever i want all day and all night.Nobody can stop me.Until i lose them.
It's also referred as a spadebit.
 
I failed using a spade bit on my new 10 quart bucket I found just recently. Instead of buying the hole saw and drill attachement, I think it will just be cheaper for me to buy a 5 gallon bottleing bucket. I could buy 2 buckets for the price of the tools/holeless bucket. Plus I thought my first was a pretty choppy hole I made with the spade bit(but it worked-barely) and still had to trim it with a razor.
I currently bought another bucket to drill a hole and thought,wtf? Im wasting too much on this. Im not going to spend more on the tools which I will never use again, then again I can always take the tools back(which Ive done before) So I kept the receit and am taking it back and am just going to by the damn bigger bottle bucket at my lhbs.
 
So I kept the receit and am taking it back and am just going to by the damn bigger bottle bucket at my lhbs.
+1
I mounted a spigot on a 5 gallon bucket. Drilled it a bit low, but it works with the valve at a 45 deg angle. All good, thought I was clever. Then I brewed a 5.5 gallon batch. Duh'O. Had to wait and top-off the bottling bucket after filling 12 bottles.:drunk:

I'm going to the LHBS this weekend for a pre-drilled 6.5 gallon bucket and lid.

There is a reason for my username.
 
One inch spade bit, but all the above work - just take your time and once it punches thru clean up the edges.

Cheers!

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I have tons of tools being a DYI kinda guy but...........
at my LHBS $9.99 for a 6.5gal ale pail pre drilled or undrilled it just doesn't make sense to waste time drilling my own.
 
I have a PVC 90 degree elbow that I connect to the inside of the spigot on my bottling bucket so that I get a little extra beer into bottles and so I don't have to tip the bucket. Pre-drilled buckets have the hole drilled a little too low for this.
 
If you only have to drill one hole you may want to consider doing what I did.

I traced a circle onto my bottling bucket using the spigot. From here I used a straight edge and scored the circle several times. Afterwards cleaned up with a piece of sandpaper wrapped around a dowel. Took about 10 mins and actually made a near perfect watertight hole.
 
If you only have to drill one hole you may want to consider doing what I did.

I traced a circle onto my bottling bucket using the spigot. From here I used a straight edge and scored the circle several times. Afterwards cleaned up with a piece of sandpaper wrapped around a dowel. Took about 10 mins and actually made a near perfect watertight hole.

Oh, and make sure you do a good job cleaning up all the nasties left by the razor and sandpaper.
 
My hole saw was broken,so I traced the threaded part of the spigot onto the bucket with a caligraphy marker. right below the black line under the logo (lower,wider 7.9G bucket). Cut it out carefully with a dremel & cylindrical router bit. Trimed with exacto knife. Pretty tight fit,& can tip the bucket only a little bit to get all but a couple TBSP of beer out.
 

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