Moron Welder

I had a stand built & my kegs converted by a moron who is oddly enough employed as a professional welder. To cut to the chase, he welded a half coupler for me to hold my thermometer or probe half way up on the keggle. He mounted it flush on the outside over a hole that was not large enough to put a fitting in from the inside if I wanted to. Bits of grain from the mash get caught up in between the wall and the coupler. A real PITA to clean. Not sure how to drill this hole wider to allow for a straight through opening without damaging the threads on the coupler.

Any ideas? - bringing it back to him is not an option as he already screwed up something on the stand that I had complained about. He is a totally FU.

Try carefully using a step drill. You might be able to widen the hole without damaging the underlying threads.

i would use a carbide burr in a right angle die grinder. its gonna be hard to control a drill in there.

just out of curiosity, did this welder happen to live in Happy Valley? Sounds like the same moron I initially used. PM me and I'll give you the email address of a home brewing welder in SE PDX who is super nice and works cheap.

Yuri_Rage said:

Try carefully using a step drill. You might be able to widen the hole without damaging the underlying threads.

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Do what Yuri stated as well run a tap from the inside of the keg as the cooling shrink after the weld will make the coupling undersized and hard to thread onto at times.

....However, if it's really a "half coupler" then there are no accessible threads on the inside. I'd suggest drilling it out with a step bit from the inside and just stop when you start hitting threads. If you damage any thread, it will be on the inside where your thermo would never reach anyway.

Did you clearly tell the guy what you wanted or just leave it up to him? When I dropped my vessels off, they were scribbled on big time with a sharpie telling him exactly what to place where and how.

It was a full coupler cut in half. I thought I was pretty clear on what I wanted and he took notes in his notebook but I would bet that he did not go back to them when doing the job.

Yeah I am not concerned about attaching from the inside, just eliminating the clean up issues.

Thanks

The last brewing system I build and sold way too soon I used half couplings and bored out the threads on the inside intil there were only enough threads for coupling fittings from the outside of the kegs. This prevented collecting crap in the exposed threads. The couplings I cut the OD down and back by a little over 3/16" that would fit tight in the kegs hole. After it was welded from the outside what part of the coupling that stuck beyond the keg inside was ground down flush to the inside of the keg. Then with the Tig only fusion welded down the center of this hairline tight joint.
On couplings with a fitting attached to the inside made a deeper step and Tig around the inside of the keg and coupling. With a lathe in the shop parts are machined to fit the project at hand.

If you're nervous about hitting the threads with the step drill, you should consider using a bushing in the coupling. If it's a 1/2" fitting, then put in a 1/2" X 3/8" bushing. This will protect the 1/2" threads and provide a centering point for the drill. The bushing should cost less than a buck at your local hardware store. Good luck.

JZinNM said:

If you're nervous about hitting the threads with the step drill, you should consider using a bushing in the coupling. If it's a 1/2" fitting, then put in a 1/2" X 3/8" bushing. This will protect the 1/2" threads and provide a centering point for the drill. The bushing should cost less than a buck at your local hardware store. Good luck.

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Yeah, this sounds like the cheapest easiest solution. Thanks will give it a go.

If you had a full coupler and cut it in half, would not the threads be left handed, and aren't coupler threads npt?

Most full couplers have right hand threads on each end. If you cut it in half, you'd only have right hand threads on the outside.

I've had half stops welded on the outside over small holes, then used a step bit from the inside, followed up by a clean up with a tap of the threads.

Sorry if I've misunderstood.

Dan F.
LAGERS/FOSSILS member

Yeah, that's a given. He won't be threading anything in on the inside now. I think he just wants it opened up so wort won't get trapped.

Actually, I have to disagree with those of you who recommended a step bit. If he uses the wrong one, it's going to dig into the threads, which isn't an issue on the inside, but when it catches on the threads could really wrench the drill in his hands. I think the idea of using a burr in a die grinder is much better..much more control, and less danger of getting hurt while reaching into a keg. Failing having a die grinder or burr readily available, I would recommend using a half-round file.

If you have to use a step bit, please be sure to use one with extreme steps in it to lessen the chance of the smaller steps catching on the coupler, and please be very aware that the bit can catch on the coupler and will try to wrench the drill while you are leaning over into the keg to drill it out.

~HB
machinist at large

I have used a Milwaukee porting grinder with a cone carbide rotary cutter with a auto-transformer as a speed controller with metal cutting wax lube.
When opened to the size of the threaded coupling chase a tap thru the coupling.
For not wanting crap collecting in the threads the couplings threads should of
been bored out before welding to prevent this problem from the start, sorry to hear about your problem besides
your not the first or the last to discover this.
Now you know what to expect from some of these "I can weld it" welding shops, best to be more critical in your questions and selection of shops if you have to farm out your welding instead of doing it yourself.

Bier and bike nut At Large.

The 1/2 x 3/8 bushing worked well. The step bit & drill was very easy to control, and the entire process took 5 minutes including set-up & clean-up. Thanks.

That's good to hear. Thanks for giving us feedback.

samc said:

The 1/2 x 3/8 bushing worked well. The step bit & drill was very easy to control, and the entire process took 5 minutes including set-up & clean-up. Thanks.

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Glad to hear it samc!