cutting top for keggle, $#?&*@@!!!!

[Schnitzengiggle]

I'm going to my cousin's shop friday to have 4 kegs plasma cut, he has a turntable. Althought cleaning up the edges might take a bit more work, I don't want to be there all day so I'm going for the quick easy route.

Having said that, what in your opinion woudl be the best disk for an angle grinder to clean up a plasma cut keg?

 

[tlael]

I'm going to my cousin's shop friday to have 4 kegs plasma cut, he has a turntable. Althought cleaning up the edges might take a bit more work, I don't want to be there all day so I'm going for the quick easy route.

Having said that, what in your opinion woudl be the best disk for an angle grinder to clean up a plasma cut keg?

Plasma, done well, shouldn't require much, if any, cleanup.
It won't leave any sharp edges.

 

[schmagy]

flap disks work the best for cleaning edges.

 

[Lumberbrew]

+1 to plasma cutter. These things are amazing. Check around for some shops that work with sheet metal... find an art studio that does sculptural metal work, or a custom car bodywork shop, etc. I got a friend's keg cut out for a 6-pack of brew, it took 5 mins including smoothing the edge with a grinder and flapper & buffing wheels. just make sure you have the spear out and everything clean and such.

 

[Beertk]

I have cut three with an angle grinder. it took no longer than 10 minutes each. I use a thin metal disc from harbor freight with a big lots angle grinder. I just clamp the angle grinder to a stick of wood that revolves around the center hole. Bobby has a video out there on a similar contraption. I do some clean up with a slap disc in the angle grinder. These are perfectly round and smooth as a plasma cut. maybe smoother. they are 6" radius... 12" inch hole for those not mathematically inclined.I can't imagine doing it any other way but that doesn't mean there isn't a better way. Yankee engineering at it's finest! btw thanks Bobby

 

[reddskinnfan]

My vote is for Angle Grinder!

 

[passedpawn]

Wow, dredge-a-thread. Oh well.

Here's my way to skin the cat: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/simplest-keggle-cutting-jig-143048/

 

[SamuraiSquirrel]

Angle grinder all the way! ..........

Don't bother with building a jig unless you are doing multiple kegs. I would say 5 or more. Ride the rail around it works with a little patience.

The key to using the angle grinder is don't try to cut all the way through and make one pass. Make about 4-5 passes. When you do cut through don't let the disk drop down just keep skimming.

+1 on the flap disk for cleaning up the edges.

I am sure plasma cutter works awesome if you know someone who has access to one. Angle grinder can get you a beautiful looking cut. After you cut the first one you will be a pro lol.

 

[bad67z]

I just cut a keg for one of my brew club brethren, I have a plasma cutter and it took longer for me to set it up than to cut. I don't have a positioner (a turn table like Yuri's slick set-up) but I do have a welder and welding wire. Sorry for no pictures, but I asked how much of the solder he wold like to remain.

He chose 1 1/2", so I measured it out and took 20" or so of welding wire made a loop that fit the sanke inlet coupler (make sure you remove all the guts so there is no pressure in the keg) then made another tear droped shaped loop for the torch end. I twisted it until it was the correct length. The wire maintained the same line all the way around with a bit of water in the keg to make the clean-up a cinch.

It is a bit of PIA to clean the cut edge but a flap wheel is best. It was a success in my opinion.

Good Luck.

 

[WC87]

Angle grinder, Bobby_M and youtube are your friends!!

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=BobbyFromNJ#p/u/43/LthGdMk_avk

 

[starrfish]

Angle grinder, Bobby_M and youtube are your friends!!

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=BobbyFromNJ#p/u/43/LthGdMk_avk

SWEET A 1/4 keg would do me well!

You may want to add the venting disclaimer to our video heard of a few styles of kegs going kaboom if top and bottom curls aren't vented.

 

[SoopirV900]

I went through this a few months ago- I had a grinder but was worried about the diameter of the wheel- would make for a choppy cut I thought. I also had a dremel, and a friend with a plasma cutter. Reading online I was scared away from the plamsa cutter because several people said that the slag thrown off from the torch would embed itself in the inner wall of the keg and rust. Others said that the mitigation for that was to fill the keg part-way with water. I saw all of that as too much trouble and too much risk (couldn't figure out (even with instructions! ) how to completely remove the spear from my Miller and AB kegs so I could put water in). I opted for the dremel, and while I went through about 2.5-3 heavy duty (fiber reinforced) cut-off wheels per keg, I got amazing results. It did take about 90 minutes per keg, but it wasn't too loud (a la reciprocating saw or grinder), left no residue (ostensible from plasma torches) and yet made a near perfect circle (a doubt I had about 4.5" cutting wheels). Turns out that the regular HD cut off wheels (about 1" in diameter, usually available in packs of 30 or so) did as well as the more expensive reinforced wheels- I think the thinner kerf reduced wear somewhat, although I went through a hell of a lot of them. They're cheaper than the big 2" wheels tho (I bought a pack of 5 of the previously mentioned 2" wheels, but didn't have enough to finish to my second keg- at $10 for 5, I opted to use my inventory of regular wheels...one sleeve was enough to finish a keg). The dremel isn't ideal, but it shouldn't be at the bottom of the list!

 

[brewnickbrew]

When I made my keggle, I just took a string connected to a marker and outlined my circle, then free hand cut it with an angle grinder. I used nothing more than a 4.5 inch grinding disk. Turned out perfect. The trick is to make a shallow pass, then on subsequent passes apply more pressure to cut it out.
I had some clean up to do but not much.

 

[patrck17]

I heard a friend had a plasma cutter and gave them a 6er to hook me up.