Drilling a Keggle

[BrewForMe]

For any noobs like me that will be drilling a hole in their keggle for a ball valve for the first time, don't be intimidated. I was worried to death because i thought stainless steel was going to be really hard to drill with a hole saw, turns out it isn't. SWMBO picked up a 7/8" Dewalt Impact Ready Hole saw (part # D180014IR) for me today. I measured (twice ) and center punched for the hole. Then, as a bead of sweat began to drip from my forehead, I started drilling slowly. 10 seconds later, my hole was finished. I am still amazed at how well this saw cuts. I am not sure if other methods work just as well or not, but I just wanted to let you know how well this did. Happy Brewing!

 

[passedpawn]

I used a step bit. I've done 4 keggles, plus 1 1/4 hoels for electrical elements. I will never use a step bit again on SS. What a pain in the ass.

You did right. Good luck with the rest of your build.

 

[joeybeer]

I second that passedpawn.. I burned up a $300 cordless drill with a step bit.. Pain in the a55

 

[Maltose]

Found a local machine shop who punched about 12 holes in my kettles for $20.

 

[TonySwank]

I didn't have too many issues using a step bit, just start with a small bit, go slow and use lots of oil. 7/8 holes typically took me about one minute, but I do have a really beefy drill. Cleaning up the edges took longer than drilling. Using a high quality step bit makes a huge difference.

I do really like the machine shop idea if you have one close.

 

[chipsah]

I also used a step bit. With the cheap a$$ bit I got from the local hardware big box it took FOREVER. I ordered the step bit from BargainFittings.com and it tore through the remaining kegs. Like others have said, slow going is the key and oil certainly helps.

 

[Grahambo]

95% of the time cordless tools should be avoided, they suck. My 10+ year old dewalt tears through SS like it's nothing with basically dull bits 3/16 to 5/16 to 7/16 etc.

 

[Jota21]

I second that passedpawn.. I burned up a $300 cordless drill with a step bit.. Pain in the a55

Festool?

What do you do for a living? I never understood the prices of some tools... Dont get my wrong, I'm only a DIYer but i spurge on things that will last, ie: Milwaukee, Makita, Dewalt, and Bosh, but $300 for a drill seems insane!

/threadjack

 

[passedpawn]

Festool?

What do you do for a living? I never understood the prices of some tools... Dont get my wrong, I'm only a DIYer but i spurge on things that will last, ie: Milwaukee, Makita, Dewalt, and Bosh, but $300 for a drill seems insane!

/threadjack

Milwaukee makes a very expensive LiIon cordless. Maybe that.

Cordless tools are great for many jobs; can't see how anyone can deny that. But when a lot of torque is necessary, you can't beat a high-amp corded drill with a large chuck.

 

[pm5k00]

There is nothing wrong with cordless drills, you should however be using one with at least an 18 volt battery. Also you should be using an impact drill as a standard will not go through Stainless Steel easily. FYI, I am a Sheet Metal Worker and work with galvanized steel, stainless steel, black iron, aluminum, and copper daily.

 

[NickN72]

maybe i'm just lucky, but i don't understand why everyone has so much trouble drilling a keggle. I have a cheapo 14.4 volt drill and it took me a whole 30 seconds to do. I had a dewalt bit, drilled about a 1/4 inch whole, then used a cheapo step bit i got in a 3 pack at menards for $12. Didn't use any oil or anything. I've done 2 of them and I had the valve on and done in less than 5 minutes each.

 

[Berniep]

There is nothing wrong with cordless drills, you should however be using one with at least an 18 volt battery. Also you should be using an impact drill as a standard will not go through Stainless Steel easily. FYI, I am a Sheet Metal Worker and work with galvanized steel, stainless steel, black iron, aluminum, and copper daily.

My 12 volt dewalt will easily drill several holes in a keggle on one charge.
I gave a 24 volt rigid but the 12 volt gets more use because it's smaller and lighter.
Never tried using the hammer function on metal.
If it's turning and it's not making chips you need to stop. Stainless work hardens immediately and becomes a drill bit wrecker if it gets smushed around by a dull bit.

 

[steppenwolph]

maybe i'm just lucky, but i don't understand why everyone has so much trouble drilling a keggle. I have a cheapo 14.4 volt drill and it took me a whole 30 seconds to do.

This was my experience as well, though I used a corded drill. It was even a previously used step bit. With the keg lying horizontal on the ground and my boy sitting on the keg to stabilize it, I was able to use all my upper body weight to push the drill. Lots of pressure, low drill RPM's. Got a nice clean hole in no time at all.

 

[Grahambo]

Cordless tools are great for many jobs; can't see how anyone can deny that.

Clearly you have never had to rely on one for day to day use. Great for doing one thing for 5 minutes. Useless in reality. Buy corded tools. Last longer, work better, cheaper. Period.

 

[passedpawn]

Great for doing one thing for 5 minutes. Useless in reality.

Uh... OK.

I've been around a long time, so I think I can say with confidence you are talking out your arse. While a corded drill is necessary for some jobs, cordless ones are great for many more.

Of course, for drilling SS, corded is the only way to go unless you want to burn up the cordless.

 

[lschiavo]

I have had the same cordless makita 14.4v I believe for about 4 years. I use it mainly for driving screws and use it at work as well as at home. I try to avoid using it for high torque work. Cordless tools are just not built for that. The best tool I have for high torque jobs is my Milwaukee right angle drill. Slow rpm and lots of power.

 

[dmfa200]

Working with power tools has been a part of my job for the last 21 years.
You should never have to use excessive force when using a power tool. If excessive force is necessary, then your using the wrong tool, a worn tool, or just abusing the tool.
I'm not criticizing anyone, just trying to inform.

 

[milesvdustin]

I have the milwaukee m18 cordless drill/driver, and it has served me well so far.

 

[jeepinjeepin]

Clearly you have never had to rely on one for day to day use. Great for doing one thing for 5 minutes. Useless in reality. Buy corded tools. Last longer, work better, cheaper. Period.

I rely on 2 cordless drill/drivers for daily use. I am a mobile mechanic working for my local school system. I have a hitachi hammer drill but no generator to run it on the side of the road. My small 12v Li ion and 19.2v drills are used nearly everyday. Good bits, sharp drill bits, and a fresh battery makes the difference.

 

[Malticulous]

The key to using a cordless drill all day is (good) batteries. On some jobs I can use them constantly all day and I need three batteries and two chargers. It still beats pulling a cord all day. If you want the battery to last don't drain it past 50%. But than that has nothing to do with drilling stainless steal. I'd pull out the corded 1/2 inch Milwaukee for that. If it jammed that thing would twist my arm off.

 

[Stevo2569]

There is nothing wrong with cordless drills, you should however be using one with at least an 18 volt battery. Also you should be using an impact drill as a standard will not go through Stainless Steel easily. FYI, I am a Sheet Metal Worker and work with galvanized steel, stainless steel, black iron, aluminum, and copper daily.

I use impact corded and air drills as well as cordless versions and I dont see why you would want to use a impact on thin sheet metal. I use them for high torque situatons like bolts, lags and screws not drill bits.

 

[Berniep]

Clearly you have never had to rely on one for day to day use. Great for doing one thing for 5 minutes. Useless in reality. Buy corded tools. Last longer, work better, cheaper. Period.

I have not but I know several folks who rely almost entirely on cordless tools In very heavy use. Maintenance and construction. They wouldn't be using them if the tools didn't perform.

 

[pm5k00]

I use impact corded and air drills as well as cordless versions and I dont see why you would want to use a impact on thin sheet metal. I use them for high torque situatons like bolts, lags and screws not drill bits.

when using your non impact drill for drilling holes and that bit gets caught up in the metal and jerks your arm around , then you'll see why.

 

[passedpawn]

when using your non impact drill for drilling holes and that bit gets caught up in the metal and jerks your arm around , then you'll see why.

Man, I thought my arm was gonna get ripped of many times while cutting. You are exactly right.

 

[Stevo2569]

when using your non impact drill for drilling holes and that bit gets caught up in the metal and jerks your arm around , then you'll see why.

Been there done that. Heard of a firm grip. I work for a living. An impact drill will slow speed and raise torque when needed. Ever use a lathe or mill? Increase speed , lower feed. That means lower the pressure on the drill. Let the tool do the work, not you. If you use an impact or any drill for that matter( depending on the thickness of the metal) it could deform it instead of removing it with too much feed. Know your tools and they will do the job they were meant to do. Ever heard of a impact drill press? No,Me Neither.

 

[Stevo2569]

To elaborate on my last post, when you get close the the end of the hole, ease up dramatically and finish smooth. Other wise you'll end up deforming the metal and you'll need to file the edges, not to mention as quoted about ripping your arm off

 

[pm5k00]

Been there done that. Heard of a firm grip. I work for a living. An impact drill will slow speed and raise torque when needed. Ever use a lathe or mill? Increase speed , lower feed. That means lower the pressure on the drill. Let the tool do the work, not you. If you use an impact or any drill for that matter( depending on the thickness of the metal) it could deform it instead of removing it with too much feed. Know your tools and they will do the job they were meant to do. Ever heard of a impact drill press? No,Me Neither.

I know my tools as I work with an impact drill everyday (just like every other sheet metal worker in this country) and it doesn't deform the metal. Yes the metal can get deformed if your pushing too hard, but that's the case with any drill. With even pressure you can drilling into as light as 28 gauge steel without any damage to it. Working with sheet metal for a living over the last 10 years I've learned how to get things done the right way and the fast way, and guess what.... it's the same way.

 

[Stevo2569]

I know my tools as I work with an impact drill everyday (just like every other sheet metal worker in this country) and it doesn't deform the metal. Yes the metal can get deformed if your pushing too hard, but that's the case with any drill. With even pressure you can drilling into as light as 28 gauge steel without any damage to it. Working with sheet metal for a living over the last 10 years I've learned how to get things done the right way and the fast way, and guess what.... it's the same way.

Well I don't work with sheet metal everyday. But I have drilled millions and millions of holes, and if I'm drilling through sheet metal, I'm grabbing my Rigid corded drill(not impact), so we will just disagree I guess. Cause I don't like to do extra work cleaning a hole deformation cause I don't know how to use the right tool. So if your scared or to weak to hold the drill, use an impact drill( rated by most manufacturers for high torque operations, not high speed). Or if your a real man and do quality work use the right tool for the right job.

 

[hillhousesawdustco]

So if your scared or to weak to hold the drill, use an impact drill( rated by most manufacturers for high torque operations, not high speed). Or if your a real man and do quality work use the right tool for the right job.

Haha, you kids are too much. Believe it or not, there might be more than one way to drill a hole.

 

[Stevo2569]

Haha, you kids are too much. Believe it or not, there might be more than one way to drill a hole.

No there is only one way, my way. Just messin around.

 

[hillhousesawdustco]

Yeah I'm just joshin' as well. For what it is worth for the original point of this thread, I use either an 18v cordless Dewalt (nonimpact) or 18v cordless Riyobi (nonimpact) drill and a step bit. Both work (and have worked for years) like a charm.

 

[Stevo2569]

Yeah I'm just joshin' as well. For what it is worth for the original point of this thread, I use either an 18v cordless Dewalt (nonimpact) or 18v cordless Riyobi (nonimpact) drill and a step bit. Both work (and have worked for years) like a charm.

Which do like better? De or Ry?

 

[hillhousesawdustco]

I've had the dewalt a lot longer. I got the ryobi as part of a big kit of 18v tools 4 years ago and for the most part I absolutely love it (especially the magentic plate to holds screws or bits or whatnot). I was expecting it to crap out pretty soon but I use it pretty much every day and didn't have a problem till I switched over to lithium batteries....and surprisingly they kind of stink. Still for the price, I imagine it would be hard to beat the Ryobis for a casual, use once a season kinda drill. The Dewalt is pricey....but it's practically an heirloom tool. New batteries every couple years, but otherwise it is a beast.

 

[Stevo2569]

I've had the dewalt a lot longer. I got the ryobi as part of a big kit of 18v tools 4 years ago and for the most part I absolutely love it (especially the magentic plate to holds screws or bits or whatnot). I was expecting it to crap out pretty soon but I use it pretty much every day and didn't have a problem till I switched over to lithium batteries....and surprisingly they kind of stink. Still for the price, I imagine it would be hard to beat the Ryobis for a casual, use once a season kinda drill. The Dewalt is pricey....but it's practically an heirloom tool. New batteries every couple years, but otherwise it is a beast.

I had a ryobi kit years ago and they sucked a##. I sure they've improved since then. Dewalt 18V and Rigid18V are good. My favorite for everyday use is the Rigid impact. I screw around alot. Litterally.

 

[pm5k00]

I came here to offer my opinion and try to to help out with a little information that has served me well. I 'm not joking around, and I'm slandering anyone, or calling them scared, weak, not a man, etc... You all may think its funny or entertaining, I don't.... If you want to talk about being a real man, how about disagreeing without using childish tactics. There are multiple ways of doing something, not every way works for every person, the process i mentioned works for me.

 

[BrewForMe]

My original post was just to let people know that havent drilled their ss pot or keggle yet that this Hole Saw made by Dewalt works extremely well. I have heard in the past how difficult it can be to make these holes and i was a bit worried about it before i did it for the first time. I used a "regular" 18v dewalt cordless drill (not impact) but the holesaw is from there Impact ready series of bits. It cut the ss very quickly and extremely clean, no deburring was necessry. If anyone needs to make a hole, i highly recommend this method, thats all. Happy Brewing.

 

[Stevo2569]

I came here to offer my opinion and try to to help out with a little information that has served me well. I 'm not joking around, and I'm slandering anyone, or calling them scared, weak, not a man, etc... You all may think its funny or entertaining, I don't.... If you want to talk about being a real man, how about disagreeing without using childish tactics. There are multiple ways of doing something, not every way works for every person, the process i mentioned works for me.

Relax man, drink another homebrew.

 

[TonySwank]

Haha, you kids are too much. Believe it or not, there might be more than one way to drill a hole.

Woah, slow your roll. That type of reason has no place on the forums.

 

[steppenwolph]

I just had an interesting opportunity to compare step bits, and found that there can be major differences between them. A friend and I got together to have a couple brews and to convert a couple kegs, one for each of us. When it came time to drill the 13/16" hole for the bulkhead fitting, my friend broke out a two pack of brand new, never been used titanium nitride coated step bits from Harbor Freight (didn't see a brand name). I had a somewhat used Irwin step bit. We both made a 1/4" pilot hole no problem, but when my friend tried to drill with his step bit, he got nowhere and very quickly smoked it. We routed out the hole with a carbide rotary file and tried again, but it was very slow going, and my friend's bit was smoked a couple times over and we resorted to the rotary file a couple more times to get the hole drilled. The bit would either get stuck in the hole when using a lot of pressure or spin and smoke if not using a lot of pressure. And yes, cutting oil was used. It provided a lot of smoke on its own. My friend was wondering if 'these new kegs use a much harder version of stainless steel.' In contrast, my Irwin bit ate effortlessly through the side of my keg, doing in 20 seconds what the two of us using both the other bits (yes, we used up both the new bits) could not accomplish at all. If all we had were those stupid gold titanium nitride bits, we would not have been able to drill our kegs. We used a corded drill, but that really didn't matter. It was the bit, man!:rockin:

 

[Berniep]

I have bought TWO 7/8 drill bits from tractor supply maybe a year apart. That were absolutely completely wrong on the angle of the tip of the bits. If you tried to drill out a pilot hole the part of the bit hat contacted the material was 1/8 inch back from the cutting edges. Had to take them to a grinder to make any use of them at all. Of course I found this out at 10pm on Saturday night. Both times. The second time I thought to myself what are the odds that I will get a bit the same as last time. Pretty good apparently.