Grinding Brewery names off kegs

mr_cad · Mar 3, 2011

Is it possible to grind the names off kegs and polish them back to a smooth finish? I have an AB keg that I just converted for my MLT. I bought this keg from a scrapyard and it has some dings in it which don't really bother me. What bothers me is my nice new MLT advertises for Anheiser-Busch with the big EAGLE logo on it. I hate being an advocate for craft beers and then having one of my pieces of equipment pay homage to a beer I really hate. Just wondering if anyone has done this before polishing.

infection · Mar 3, 2011

I think those names are pressed into the steel...so grinding it off would make a hole in your keg

Flomaster · Mar 3, 2011

Greenmonty did that if i recall correctly.

this thread
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/full-monti-179621/

this post
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/full-monti-179621/#post2108578

this photo

mr_cad · Mar 5, 2011

infection said:
I think those names are pressed into the steel...so grinding it off would make a hole in your keg

Ah. I had not noticed that until you said it. I was imagining a completely smooth polished kettle with no marks on it and now my dreams are ruined! Damn breweries and their stamping!

Flomaster · Mar 6, 2011

mr_cad said:
Ah. I had not noticed that until you said it. I was imagining a completely smooth polished kettle with no marks on it and now my dreams are ruined! Damn breweries and their stamping!

how did greenmonti get the AB off of his keggle then?

-=Jason=-

WTF_Brewing · Mar 6, 2011

I saw where kegs.com refurbs them and can press out the stampings. Im sure they use a large hydraulic press, but I bet you could do it with a hammer and dolly for doing automotive bodywork. It will definetly take a while.
http://www.harborfreight.com/7-piece-body-and-fender-set-31277.html

IrregularPulse · Mar 6, 2011

Shoot him a PM. He is a really nice guy and I'm sure would be happy to tell you.

Flomaster · Mar 6, 2011

I just went out and looked at my keggles. I am pretty sure I can just take my hand grinder with flapper disk and just grind down the raised lettering. i do not think that you will grind all the way through the keggle before the outside is smooth.

-=Jason=-

Cpt_Kirks · Mar 7, 2011

Just cover the MLT with reflectix. Insulation and you cover the offending name.

:ban:

Scut_Monkey · Mar 7, 2011

I think some kegs the imprint is very deep and might require you to grind away too much metal. However, most of the kegs I have you would be able to do it but it would be such a pain without some clever method or industrial tooling.

Smashing · Mar 7, 2011

Or you could throw it in the face of the BMC boys - "LOOK AT ME MAKING GREAT BEER IN YOUR KEGS!"

Inodoro_Pereyra · Mar 7, 2011

Yeah, you can do it.
Depending on the depth of the stamping, though, I'd grind them off with a flapper disc (if it's fairly shallow), or I would fill them up (brazing or welding, depending on the material of the keg) and then grind them flat/polish them. Just remember, if they're SS, you need to fill the keg with welding gas or you will ruin it.

EarthBound · Mar 7, 2011

I plan on cutting long skinny rectangles of SS sheet metal with my brewery's name etched on it. I would then attach (TIG weld, maybe?) them to the brewstand after I grind off the AB stamps and polish. Or maybe just etch my logo directly on the keggle.

Has anyone seen/done this?

VonMessa · Mar 7, 2011

I hit mine with (using prudence)

Generic Grinder (for grinding welds)

Flap wheels (in successively appropriate grits from coarse to fine)

Gator Grit style pads (coarse, fine, and polish pad w/compound(s)

I polished the name enough that I could distinguish any new scratches that I was making so I knew where the tool was cutting.

I left parts of the name(s) on for kicks.

One now says "BEER CO." and the other, "BREWERY"

You can obviously see the name from the inside, but that is as good as one can get without making holes.

VonMessa · Mar 7, 2011

I hit mine with (using prudence)

Generic Grinder (for grinding welds)

Flap wheels (in successively appropriate grits from coarse to fine)

Gator Grit style pads (coarse, fine, and polish pad w/compound(s)

I polished the name enough that I could distinguish any new scratches that I was making so I knew where the tool was cutting.

I left parts of the name(s) on for kicks.

One now says "BEER CO." and the other, "BREWERY"

You can obviously see the name from the inside, but that is as good as one can get without making holes.

EDIT:

It seems I cannot post pics, I shall remedy this

The process is possible, though. Use good judgement as to how deep the die hit during stamping. Just let the tool do the work. If it gets blue, you are heating it up too much. Even if it is not blue, IT MAY BE HOT! Just saying

samc · Mar 7, 2011

Why not just cut the top skirt off leaving just handles? It's been done by a few people already. I'd do it if I thought I could control the grinder without killing myself.

Bottom lettering is a different issue!

VonMessa · Mar 8, 2011

Oh look, it did work and double posted :drunk:

I blame it on SWMBO watching Netflix.

Here is a better pic...

EarthBound · Mar 8, 2011

VonMessa said:
Oh look, it did work and double posted

I blame it on SWMBO watching Netflix.

Here is a better pic...

That is very cool, man! :ban:

Scut_Monkey · Mar 8, 2011

VonMessa said:
I hit mine with (using prudence)

Generic Grinder (for grinding welds)

Flap wheels (in successively appropriate grits from coarse to fine)

Gator Grit style pads (coarse, fine, and polish pad w/compound(s)

I polished the name enough that I could distinguish any new scratches that I was making so I knew where the tool was cutting.

I left parts of the name(s) on for kicks.

One now says "BEER CO." and the other, "BREWERY"

You can obviously see the name from the inside, but that is as good as one can get without making holes.

EDIT:

It seems I cannot post pics, I shall remedy this

The process is possible, though. Use good judgement as to how deep the die hit during stamping. Just let the tool do the work. If it gets blue, you are heating it up too much. Even if it is not blue, IT MAY BE HOT! Just saying

Any guesstimate how long this took for each keg?

BoundForBeer · Mar 8, 2011

There is a thread kicking around (cant find it right now) about cutting the top skirt off the kegs. You keep the handles in place but cut the rest of the top skirt off. It lightens the keg up a bunch too. Just another thought of getting rid of it.

edit- I didnt see that this idea was already posted

VonMessa · Mar 8, 2011

Scut_Monkey said:
Any guesstimate how long this took for each keg?

Probably ~3 hours. I didn't really count as I did it over the course of a few days.

The actual material removal was the easiest part. The rest of the time was spent on polishing the kegs. How long that takes is directly proportional to how shiny you want them :rockin:

GreenMonti · Mar 8, 2011

Flomaster said:
how did greenmonti get the AB off of his keggle then?

-=Jason=-

I did what the others have suggested. I used a flapper wheel and took my time. The big thing IMO is not dig any dimples or "holes" so the metal looks nice and flat.

I cheated a bit. After I welded in the coupling, I put in a small pipe nipple. I then chucked it up in my wood lathe and turned it on low speed so I could just stand there holding the grinder.

I know I'm a slacker :mug:

Flomaster · Mar 8, 2011

GreenMonti said:
I did what the others have suggested. I used a flapper wheel and took my time. The big thing IMO is not dig any dimples or "holes" so the metal looks nice and flat.

I cheated a bit. After I welded in the coupling, I put in a small pipe nipple. I then chucked it up in my wood lathe and turned it on low speed so I could just stand there holding the grinder.

I know I'm a slacker

I knew you did it, but I was just replying that it CAN and has been done... when that person I was quoting said "my dreams are ruined"

I might give it a go on my keggle and see how it turns out. I still have to polish it so I might as well grind down that AB lettering.

-=jason=-

Grinding Brewery names off kegs

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