Keggle Drilling Help

I'm totally doing something wrong here.

I've been trying to drill a hole in my keg just like this . I've burned up two bits and bent two more and all I have is a dimple.

I've been using the 1/8" cobalt bits from HD (the one's they recommend for SS).

Any suggestions?

Could I have 'hardend' the stainless when I burned out my previous bits?

I did buy a 3/4 Milwaukee Hole Saw and a larger 1/4" Cobalt bit this morning.

This is officially my white whale...

I have drilled many holes using a small titanium bit and following it up with a step bit. The step bit makes a perfect hole and takes no time at all to get through the stainless. I think the one I bought cost about 40 bucks but you can probably find a cheaper one. I knew I would be using mine a lot so I considered it a must have.
Joey

a little 3 in 1 oil and go slow. start with the smallest bit, and step up.

Low speed, lots of oil and even steady pressure on the hole. The bit you use to start the hole needs to be sharp, just make sure your drill is going SLOW.

I had a thick walled keg that I recently drilled through. I was using a small bit to start the hole. I was not getting much further than the dimple, so I switched over to the step bit, and it cut right through.

Agree with the above, though. Use a lubricant (I used vegetable oil) and go slow and steady with constant pressure.

Step bits are awesome, but not everybody has them. It can be done without one. If you can get one, do it... Slowly. Low speed and lube is the key. feel free to add witty inuendo!

Oil is the key. It sounds counterintuitive that you'd need lube to cut, but without the cooling effect, the hole and bit get hot then case harden. Vegetable oil would do it, if you don't have anything else. A couple of drops (with a new bit) and you'll see the metal shaving start peeling off immediately. I speak from experience as I just went through this a couple of weeks ago.

The biggest problem I see is that people use drills that are single speed or only adjustable by trigger pull. In order to get the torque required, you pull the trigger harder and it overspeeds the bit. I much rather like the cordless drills that have 2 or 3 speeds that are achieved via gearing. Low speed means high torque. You definitely have work-hardened stainless going on. I recommend submerging your bit into a small cup of oil after every 5 seconds of cutting. High pressure, low speed.

I've been using wd40. Is that okay? Should I move on to a new spot if it is hardened or just keep at it with a new bit?

Thanks for the replies.

Any suggestions on how to get around a situation where the material has hardened? Choose a different location for the hole? A new bit? A bit metal hole saw?

Thanks!

RunkRod said:

Oil is the key. It sounds counterintuitive that you'd need lube to cut, but without the cooling effect, the hole and bit get hot then case harden.

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case hardening is dipping a hot piece of metal into a high carbon chemical so that it absorbs some of the carbon and changes the chemical composition. you are talking about work hardening, which you dont really have to worry about here as its just one hole and the metal isnt going to change that much from 2 minutes of drilling.

the OP is having so many problems most likely due to the drill bits heating up loosing its shapness.

take the keg outside, grab the garden hose and run a slow stream of water over the hole. use a slow speed on your drill and put a good amount of downward pressure on it and just let the bit do the work. if you havnt already burned the bit out, it should cut thru in under 2 minutes. you want somewhere around 200 RPM for drilling stainless. you do not need to go full blast on the drill.

small amounts of lubricant like wd40 or oil are better then drilling with nothing at all, but they really dont remove much heat from the cutting site, which is what you want to be doing. a friend with a spray bottle of water works just as well, as long as they are constanly spraying the cut.

I don't know what brand bits you are using but Erwin brand cobalt bits went through mine like mild steel. I made vents on the bottom rim with no trouble.

this thread is a little further down on the front page but...


https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/drilling-kegs-made-easy-241627/

I'm using Rigid cobalt bits. Bent one. Broke another in half while pressing down. I've been using 1/8" bits. Too skinny?

I started my holes with a 1/8" bit, you're pressing too hard and probably going too fast.

Anyone ever tried using a drill press on a keg? Doable?

So I bought the 1/4 Rigid Cobalt bit. Should I attempt it, or just exchange for another 1/8?

I also bought a 3/4 Milwaukee hole saw and arbor.

you should be able to make the cut on any one of those. just make sure to cool the work area and go slowly as i suggested before and you will have zero problems.

Dixon said:

Anyone ever tried using a drill press on a keg? Doable?

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as long as the drill press is tall enough for you to get the keg in there square i think it would be the best possible way to cut (outside of a punch). i plan on doing one in the next couple weeks on my ryobi drill press if it will fit.

this is my drill. will it work for this. It is tough to keep it slow...
Do I need a better drill to keep my man card?

rasherb said:

this is my drill. will it work for this. It is tough to keep it slow...
Do I need a better drill to keep my man card?

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need to man up on the voltage.. heheh

I finished the pilot hole with a 1/4" Rigid cobalt bit.
Turns out my 'dimple' was stretching the stainless into the inside of the keg. It made a 'pimple' inside the keg. The bits were just sitting in the dimple/pimple spinning. I put a crap ton of pressure on the bit and eventually it punched through.

Finished with the step bit I got from Bargain fittings. It was easy after the pilot was drilled.

soudns like you have dull bit try different bit and makesure its cobalt or titanium or you will be there all day ruining bits. wd40 is good just make sure u keep sprayign try using smaller bit and keep going up one size at a time. it sucks but it works. that drill looks fine too.

nice1 glad you made it through!! but i suggest a different route for the next one!

I must have been doing something to dull the bits? They were rigid cobalt bits from the home depot. I went through 4 1/8" bits and 2 1/4"bits.

rasherb said:

I must have been doing something to dull the bits? They were rigid cobalt bits from the home depot. I went through 4 1/8" bits and 2 1/4"bits.

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if your going too fast you can burn the bits out real quick. once they get hot they dull really fast. make sure you get plenty of that WD40 all over everything on the bit on the hole and as your drilling keep squirting or have someone else do it for you si can keep good pressure and accuracy with two hands on the drill

also maybe try starting with a smaller bit to make it easier for the bigger ones. like for an 1/8" hole start with 1/16 which is a small bit so not too much pressure or it will snap right in half. then to 5/64 then 3/32 then 7/64 then finally 1/8 it sucks and is a little time consuming but if you have quick change chuck and a little extra time its worth it and it will save your drill bits. oh yeah and that was just my bit set i have you dont have to go in that particular order just start with smallest and work your way up. and use plenty of lube

Stangebrew, I am glad it works for you but my buddies father, a millwright in Nuke Plants gave me some different advice years ago that has always worked. When drilling small holes always try to double the bit size for the next hole. 1/8 to 1/4...1/4 to 1/2. His explanation was that you want to stay away from just cutting with the outer edge of the bit only. If a corner is dulled the bit is worthless. I have always done this unless using big bits like over 3/4, gives more of the bit a chance to share the load. He also said to never use wd40, it has very little cooling ability. He explained that for most drilling lube id not needed, jst need to keep the bit cool. His choice was just soapy water in a spray bottle. No oily mess as well. I always did just what you did but his advice has made drilling metal sooo much easier.

YRMV

Matt

mattmuir said:

Stangebrew, I am glad it works for you but my buddies father, a millwright in Nuke Plants gave me some different advice years ago that has always worked. When drilling small holes always try to double the bit size for the next hole. 1/8 to 1/4...1/4 to 1/2. His explanation was that you want to stay away from just cutting with the outer edge of the bit only. If a corner is dulled the bit is worthless. I have always done this unless using big bits like over 3/4, gives more of the bit a chance to share the load. He also said to never use wd40, it has very little cooling ability. He explained that for most drilling lube id not needed, jst need to keep the bit cool. His choice was just soapy water in a spray bottle. No oily mess as well. I always did just what you did but his advice has made drilling metal sooo much easier.

YRMV

Matt

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hmmm.. interesting. mite heave to try that one. im a mechanic usually drilling out broken bolts if i use too big of a bit and it grips side and breaks. im screwed cause you aint drilling thru a drill bit that easily. and i see wht your saying about dulled corners but the same goes for a dulled tip which i guess there are pros and cons of each like everything else. but thanks for the tip anyways. makes sense and it gonna save me time. as far as the WD goes your probably right that was just what the OP had and was using. no WD alowed in the shop i work at.

Ahh man I hear ya, I worked as a mechanic in college and I HATED drilling out broken bolts. Trying to drill through a drill was like well you know... forget it. I agree small drill bits are the key there. His tips were just for new holes. Had to drill a SS bolt the other day on my sons 4-wheeler good times...good times. Best job for WD is cleaning your hands