# Cutting The Top Off A Keg



## arsenewenger (12/5/06)

Today I cut the lid off a Keg(legally purchased) to make my kettle. 

I used many jigsaw blades and ruined many drill bits before I got the metal cutting blade on the angle grinder intos it and the used the nibbler to round it off a bit.

I work in a school property services dept so all the tools were not mine so I guess that why itried them all . 

Now that question is how did anyone else cut theirs because i am sure that i still have not done it the esay way

Cheers
AW


----------



## sah (12/5/06)

I've use a cutting disc on a 100mm angle grinder and finish off with a grinding disc. Not a problem. I then coat the cut area with stainless steel cleaner (can't remember chemical) to promote the protective surface oxide.

An angle grinder doesn't come within cooee of a plasma cutter if you have access to one of those.

Scott


----------



## arsenewenger (12/5/06)

Cheers Pumpy that is an excellent link !


----------



## Franko (12/5/06)

As Sah said angle grinder but used the new thin type cutting dics there about half the thickness of older type cutting wheels


----------



## sah (12/5/06)

Pumpy said:


> This site shows you how
> http://www.texanbrew.com/article.php?story=20021110200202146
> [post="126031"][/post]​



Bloody hell that looks painful. Cut 3.7 hours off the 4 hours and use a bigger tool.

Don't cut the hole too big. The smaller the hole the less boil off and the bigger batches you'll be able to manage. Its often quoted that 10% boil off is more than enough.

Scott


----------



## Bobby (12/5/06)

use an angle grinder. it is difficult to get into the right position sometimes though. use a thin disc and it will chew threw it. let the disc do the work and wear PPE(ear muffs and eye protection)!!


----------



## Screwtop (12/5/06)

Similar to above. 1st: use the loop of string and pencil to scribe the circle. Make sure the diameter is less than whatever you intend to use for a lid (ie: 30cm glass frypan lid from K-Mart) 2nd: Use an angle grinder, go around the scribed line making a shallow cut (not right through) on the first pass. Let the disk cut do not force it. 3rd: Make a second and then third pass cutting right through on the third pass. You don't want to burn/discolour the metal by remaining in one place for too long so a couple or three passes is better and reduces the stepped appearance in a circular cut. 4th: Use a grinder disk to remove the burred edges from the inside and outside edge of the cut, light pressure mostly. 5th: Use some coarse emmery tape to rub the edges back to a smooth rounded edge.

Note: If you have an immersion chiller, make sure the hole is large enough to fit the chiller through (Phew, was I lucky)

Edit:Typo


----------



## Jazman (12/5/06)

piss easy a 115 mm angle grinder with a cutting disk then cleaned up with a new griding disk i did use new disk to keep the area clean and i cleaned up with a stone as well


----------



## mika (12/5/06)

As an aside, any type of cutting of Stainless Steel can result in rust forming (yes, even 316 marine grade will rust if mistreated)
It is an oxide layer formed on the surface of the steel that gives Stainless it's rust resistant abilities. Hot sparks from a grinder cutting iron close by can penetrate the oxide layer and result in rust spots. Generally this is fairly rare, but it can happen, especially if you're close to an industrial area where there may be alot of airborne iron particles.
I would suggest if you're cutting stainless to visit you're local hardware store and purchase some pickling paste (mild acid/base of some description) that protects the stainless while the oxide is reformed.

Be careful people, rust spots on stainless look c#$p.. note this is extreme case YMMV... just a warning


----------



## Batz (13/5/06)

It's nitric acid,I treat all stainless cuts and welds with it.
Of course you must treat acid with respect,it's nasty stuff.

And as Jazz said angle grinder,cut-off wheel then clean up with a grinding wheel.
All done and finished within a hour easy.

Batz


----------



## Andyd (14/5/06)

Can anyone shed light on a good source of nitric acid in Melbourne. I've tried quite a few of the usual haunts in the past couple of months and had no luck to date...

The most common response is a quizzical look, and "so just _what_ did you want to do with that?..."

AndyD


----------



## stephen (14/5/06)

You don't have to use any acid - just make sure that you haven't burnished the edges etc after grinding; the natural oxidisation of the steal will set in in about two weeks. 

The burnished edges will be dark in colour. If this has happened just use a scotchbrite pad and polish any dark areas, by hand, until they are normal silver/grey colour and leave for two weeks. Apparently welds can be treated the same, although you may need some wet and dry to achieve this.

Steve


----------



## Ash in Perth (14/5/06)

ive been cutting some kegs up recently aswell. and although they rust more around the blacker bits, the silver cuttings have begun to rust and there is even some rust forming on uncut surfaces. looks like pickling paste for me. any idea wo sells it in perth? i was going to try a welding supply place on monday.

Btw, make sure you use iron free cutting blades.

Cheers! Ash


----------



## yardy (15/5/06)

If you can't access a Plasma Cutter, the 1mm Cutting Wheels are the next best thing, instead of finishing off with a Grinding Wheel try a Flap Wheel, a few extra bucks but the finished edge is superior to that of a grinding wheel.

cheers

yard


----------



## Trough Lolly (15/5/06)

My trusty DeWalt grinder did the job in one disk - just flip the grinder upside down to you so you lean the topside of the grinder body against the handrail and that way you get an even shaped hole as you move around the keg - no need to mark before cutting here - we're not building a space shuttle people!

Cheers,
TL


----------



## FNQ Bunyip (15/5/06)

I'm with you on that one TL , Though I used a Metarbo...I've done this to 4 sofar, well under a disk each and you can have a brew in it in under an hour. 

:beer:


----------

