Can't drill into my concord

[bsperr]

I didn't have much luck drilling pilot holes in my Concord kettle either. After using the centering punch, I had more luck starting a hole with a step bit. I had to rock it around and hold the bit at an angle to the hole to make sure it was cutting. I actually had more luck at high speed in short bursts with plenty of cutting oil.

 

[LandoLincoln]

what about a greenlee step bit and then a hole punch as Kal recommends?

The step bit or punch part is easy, once you get the pilot hole made. It's making that pilot hole that's the problem. Any old step bit will work once the pilot hole is there. Cheap step bits won't last as long as better quality ones, of course. I wouldn't recommend using punches for the pots. It's a bit of overkill. A hole punch for the control panel buttons is very useful, though.

 

[ChocolateMaltyBalls]

what are bobby m's instructions?

Look on his website and YouTube channel, he has a few videos on the subject.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[stickyfinger]

Look on his website and YouTube channel, he has a few videos on the subject.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

thanks ... malty balls ...

 

[PalePete]

I had a hell of a time with my concord 30 gallon pots. (cutting a total of 6 holes)
The pilot hole was the easy part, contrary to what others are saying. I used a cobalt bit and some tapmagic. 1 bit easily cut through all 6 pilot holes. Go fairly slow and give some pressure. Center punching may work harden the surface and make it harder to cut through. I did not center punch anything.
My issue was burning through a step bit in 2 holes. Then I bought a cobalt step bit which was better, but still a royal PITA. It got to a point where the bit would cut to a step, then not cut anything no matter what I did...so when it stopped cutting, I took a dremel and went around the edges of the hole, just enough to remove a tiny bit of material. Then the bit would grab again and cut, at least to the next step. Weird.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Sounds like "work hardened" edges on the hole.

 

[kevink]

So the bottom of the pot must have been case hardened from the factory. And I've read about inconsistencies with this brand, but I guess I got a really good one (which in my case was bad).

I have drilled and welded on two different Concord pots and noticed that there is a ground weld that goes around the pot about 1" from the bottom (where the bottom is welded to the sides). If you look closely at the pot you will most likely see evidence of this. It's possible that you were trying to drill through the weld. The other possibility is that you were just spinning the drill too fast and you work hardened it. Nice move blasting the holes out with the TIG welder!

 

[stickyfinger]

I had a hell of a time with my concord 30 gallon pots. (cutting a total of 6 holes)
The pilot hole was the easy part, contrary to what others are saying. I used a cobalt bit and some tapmagic. 1 bit easily cut through all 6 pilot holes. Go fairly slow and give some pressure. Center punching may work harden the surface and make it harder to cut through. I did not center punch anything.
My issue was burning through a step bit in 2 holes. Then I bought a cobalt step bit which was better, but still a royal PITA. It got to a point where the bit would cut to a step, then not cut anything no matter what I did...so when it stopped cutting, I took a dremel and went around the edges of the hole, just enough to remove a tiny bit of material. Then the bit would grab again and cut, at least to the next step. Weird.

I'm going to drill my new Concord pots in the next month. I'm thinking I'll try a high quality pilot bit, then, a bit to get the size for the hole punch, then the hole punch.

if i get stuck on the pilot hole i'll try cutting an "x" with the dremel to give the bit something to grab onto. i know the damage a dremel can do on metal if you just let it grind away and hold it steady, awesome!

 

[flugelizor]

Yes. That's how I started all my holes in my Concord pots.
I used a Dremel with fiber reinforced disks to cut an "X" top and bottom.
Then back up the "X" with the narrow edge of a 2x4 clamped to a bench.
Go at it with a step bit in a powerful hand drill.
clean up the burrs with a dremel high speed cutting bit.

 

[stickyfinger]

Yes. That's how I started all my holes in my Concord pots.
I used a Dremel with fiber reinforced disks to cut an "X" top and bottom.
Then back up the "X" with the narrow edge of a 2x4 clamped to a bench.
Go at it with a step bit in a powerful hand drill.
clean up the burrs with a dremel high speed cutting bit.

Did you cut an "x" in the middle of the hole on the inside of the pot, back the outside of the pot up to the 2x4 and then drill out the hole from the inside with the bit in the middle of the "x"? that is what I am thinking you are describing.

 

[flugelizor]

I mark the spot on the outside. Start cutting the X on the outside, then go inside and I can see a faint dark X and bulge where the X is. Cut the same spot from the inside to make the X go all the way through.

Now clamp the 2x4 on a low bench (my brew bench in my case).
Clamp hard and strong.
Turn the pot on its side and hang it on the cantilever 2x4.

Now you can really bear straight down with the drill / step bit and keep a bead going and the pot won't bend because it is hanging on the 2x4

 

[stickyfinger]

I mark the spot on the outside. Start cutting the X on the outside, then go inside and I can see a faint dark X and bulge where the X is. Cut the same spot from the inside to make the X go all the way through.

Now clamp the 2x4 on a low bench (my brew bench in my case).
Clamp hard and strong.
Turn the pot on its side and hang it on the cantilever 2x4.

Now you can really bear straight down with the drill / step bit and keep a bead going and the pot won't bend because it is hanging on the 2x4

Gotcha. That makes sense.

 

[LandoLincoln]

Or you can cut a piece of 2x4 that will fit the diameter of the pot and then stick that inside and drill down through the pot into the end of the 2x4.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

I would like to see this drilling, in the middle of basically 4 split pieces of metal.
Been drilling sheet metal a long time, and I don't see that happening, with good results.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Dbl. post.

 

[flugelizor]

Yeah, the first couple of steps are a mess, but at least cuts!
Understand that I am using a step bit, so every cut is starting with a "new pilot" of the previous step.
And the end result is a big old hole, whatever is the diameter for a 1/2" fitting...
I don't have a video, just this picture.
In the picture, you can't see the drill has another handle on the side.
Oh, I forgot to mention "tap magic" cutting oil recommended by my buddy who builds race cars.

Holes, holes, holes:

 

[PapaFoxtrot]

I like the look of your HERMS coil. Is that 25' of 1/2"? Did you fabricate that or purchase it already coiled/bent?

 

[flugelizor]

Purchased from stainlessbrewing.com
I am very happy with it.

Coiled Tubing
Size and length: 1/2"0D X 25FT
Diameter of Coil: 12-1/2"
Additional bends: 2 Bends (90 degree ends)

 

[stickyfinger]

OK, I finally cut all but one of my holes in my pots this weekend and during the snow storm. My observations are the following:

1) Using my drill press for all of the holes made it super easy to get the pilot holes going. If you don't have a drill press, buy one on craigslist or something. you will love it. I just had to put a 2x4 into the pot for the holes near the top of the pot lip so the pot didn't bend when trying to drill the holes.

2) I drilled around 1/8" or a little less hole first and then went up a little bigger and finally to 3/8"

3) I tried doing 1/2" pilot holes with my titanium dewalt bits, and they don't work well at all. they won't go through all of the way and jam up. I had to dremel out the hole to get it big enough to do the punches, or you could just use a smaller hole punch first.

4) I tried using my Greenlee 1-1/4" and 13/16" punches with a 3/8" hole (slightly enlarged with a dremel) and found that i messed up the threads a little bit so don't do that. They recommend a minimum 1/2" pilot hole, and that is what works best.

4) I tried using my 9/16" hole punch in the 3/8" pilot hole and it worked perfectly. They recommend a minimum 3/8" pilot hole for that punch. If you then use your larger hole punches in the hole produced by the 9/16" hole punch, you will have effortless holes.

5) If you use a step bit, you will probably be able to position the holes exactly where you want. using a drill press and separate drill bits, I wasn't able to get the holes perfect, but they are perfectly adequate.

6) You might not be able to get the holes perfectly aligned using the 9/16" hole punch first, but you will not screw up your hole punches at all. If you draw a bit "X" you can use that to align the hole punches from the outside when you make the holes and get closer to perfect (when you have a larger pilot hole.)

It was overall a lot easier than I thought. The hardest part was cleaning out all of the cutting oil and metal chips from the pots after the cutting. I took a couple showers with my pots to do that, oh la la.

 

[stickyfinger]

I mark the spot on the outside. Start cutting the X on the outside, then go inside and I can see a faint dark X and bulge where the X is. Cut the same spot from the inside to make the X go all the way through.

Now clamp the 2x4 on a low bench (my brew bench in my case).
Clamp hard and strong.
Turn the pot on its side and hang it on the cantilever 2x4.

Now you can really bear straight down with the drill / step bit and keep a bead going and the pot won't bend because it is hanging on the 2x4

In the course of figuring out how to do my pots, I asked Greenlee about the hole punch pilot hole sizes, as it seemed so large. They confirmed that 13/16" and 1-1/4" punches require 1/2" pilot holes (at least) or you risk damaging the threads, which I did somewhat (no big deal, as they heal up ok with repeated use or using tap/die set.) In addition, they recommended making an "X" in the pots with a dremel before doing the pilot holes to get a better grip, as you recommended!