Getting my fittings welded.. any tips?

I am getting 3 fittings on each of my 3 kegs welded in a few weeks, and I was wondering if anyone had any tips for me (things to do before hand, ect.) to save me some time and money.

I found a guy that is going to charge 35 bucks an hour..

how long do you all think it will take to do 3 fittings on 3 kegs (for a total of 9 fittings)

thanks!

Make sure he is a TIG welder and not a dirty MIG welder. Just to weld them takes less than 5 minutes each fitting if the holes are already drilled. Don't forget you also have to get out the grinder and sand down the imperfections. You want a smooth finish, make sure you ask him to do that as well. Using a pneumatic system and a fresh pad should take less than 10 minutes per. If you need the tops cut off as well that is additional time and can actually be very time consuming if you want it done right. If you are going to pre drill the holes you should go out and get a step drill so the holes are perfectly round and not weirdly shaped by some old drill bit.

Oh and I am serious about him being a TIG welder....

Is that what they are calling it now?

Make sure that the inside is purged with argon during welding, or a backup flux like solar flux B or superior #9 is painted on in the weld area inside the keg. If you chamfer the coupling and hole in the keg so the coupling is flush with inside of keg it can be welded on both sides, and the inside surface polished smooth.

kladue said:

Make sure that the inside is purged with argon during welding, or a backup flux like solar flux B or superior #9 is painted on in the weld area inside the keg. If you chamfer the coupling and hole in the keg so the coupling is flush with inside of keg it can be welded on both sides, and the inside surface polished smooth.

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I second the use of the flux, but purging with argon is not necessary unless you want him to make sanitary welds in an oxygen free environment, this will add a lot to the cost. If he welds normally with the flux and then does a good job "polishing" the welds you should get a similar but not the same result. Most of the kegs will be handling boiling liquid so an infection from an imperfect weld is unlikely once that kind of heat is applied.

And I am serious about making sure the guy is a TIG welder, it makes a big difference and ensures he won't accidentally burn through the very thin keg walls when trying to weld a much thicker section of pipe to the keg.

Definitely make the holes yourself, but make sure the fittings are snug enough not to fall out. That probably means drilling a little small and filing the hole out a bit.

If you want them all flush to the outside, write that in sharpie marker right on the kegs and draw arrows to the holes. You want it to be clear as possible if you have to drop them off and come back later.

I had 9 fittings done and it took the guy an hour and 20 minutes. I waited.

The business of back flushing with argon and using flux is really only required if you're going to ferment in any of the vessels. I don't really care that I have some back sugaring on the bulkheads.

$35/hr is great. I paid $75/hr.

aekdbbop said:

I am getting 3 fittings on each of my 3 kegs welded in a few weeks, and I was wondering if anyone had any tips for me (things to do before hand, ect.) to save me some time and money.

I found a guy that is going to charge 35 bucks an hour..

how long do you all think it will take to do 3 fittings on 3 kegs (for a total of 9 fittings)

thanks!

Click to expand...

if you have the holes pre cut and are able to turn down the 1/2 or full cuplings to fit in the holes with a ridge on the outside and flush on the inside. Your going to be less than 5 min each if you can get it all done in an hour I think you getting a good deal if all the welds are good, solid and leak free.
Do you ever get to the Cyotee Ugly there in Nasville?? I have a friend that works there.
JJ

$35 an hour is a pretty good price. I don't know if this will work for you or not, but you may want to check with any local trade schools/community colleges around the area...

I made friends pretty quick with a few of the instructors there, and I'm pretty sure I could talk them into doing the welding for free, because they can use it as a visual training aid for their students.

Just a thought.

ok, for two tops cut, and 9 welds.. he is wanting 85 dollars..

sound like a deal?

That's almost free. Do it.

I would charge at least $20 each just to cut the tops. I paid $130 for 9 welds.

awesome opossum, got an appointment for saturday!