Cutting Down A 19 Litre Post Mix Keg For Party Keg?

[SJW]

Would it be possible to cut down a cornie keg with a angle grinder and get it re-welded up so it was approx 7 or 8 litre, aka Party Keg? U would also need to cut the dip tube, but has anyone done this?
I think it would be worth doing as those 5 litre jobs a well expensive.

Steve

 

[troydo]

Depends how good you are at welding... would have to be pretty schmick! i was browsing craft brewer today and see there are some new additions
Keg - 9 litre Cornelius (New) $175.00
http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/default.asp?CID=16

 

[Stagger]

I have done this many times, I have used 3mm S/S for the bottom and welded it on a rotary table. Just make sure you get someone that can weld to do it could be expensive.

Stagger

Would it be possible to cut down a cornie keg with a angle grinder and get it re-welded up so it was approx 7 or 8 litre, aka Party Keg? U would also need to cut the dip tube, but has anyone done this?
I think it would be worth doing as those 5 litre jobs a well expensive.

Steve

 

[kevnlis]

Why not just cut the top off, cut the bottom off and remove the middle section then join the two bits together?

 

[eric8]

I have seen a keg like that, but don't know where he got it done. G&G have a special on those 9l kegs at the moment, save yourself the hassle I think.
eric

 

[Sammus]

Depends how good you are at welding... would have to be pretty schmick! i was browsing craft brewer today and see there are some new additions
Keg - 9 litre Cornelius (New) $175.00
http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/default.asp?CID=16

Any difference between craftbrewers ones and these ones?

edit: yep just noticed... the kegsonline ones arent cornelius, and are a bit squatter.

 

[troydo]

no idea .. never seen that site before

 

[sathid]

You'd want to be careful doing this with a pressure vessel...

Get a decent qualified welder to do it for you.

 

[SJW]

Thats done it SATHID. Start talking safety and sensible talk and I go to custard.
Maybe I won't bother.

 

[sinkas]

Those kegs are not reccomended for serving custard

 

[sathid]

lol

 

[kevnlis]

Safety? It is not a high pressure cylinder, it is a beer keg. So worst case it pisses a bit of beer on the floor... big deal? HTFU!

 

[KGB]

....Unless you are force carbonating and it blows a chunk of shrapnel at you. Unlikely, yes, impossible, no.

 

[MHB]

I regard myself as a competent TIG welder, and dont think is worth the time and effort.

The one point to remember is to make sure that you have it purge-welded. That is filled with Argon before you start welding; otherwise the inside of the weld will be all furry; you can almost guarantee that you will get infections.

Corneys are very thin and they are a PITA to weld, even small pinhole repairs, I have special 0.6mm welding wire and use just enough amps to make a puddle - still get burn-throughs.

Sammus
Those are the same kegs I can get through one of my suppliers - dam near the same price as I buy them Wholesale.

MHB

 

[ausdb]

I regard myself as a competent TIG welder, and dont think is worth the time and effort.

The one point to remember is to make sure that you have it purge-welded. That is filled with Argon before you start welding; otherwise the inside of the weld will be all furry; you can almost guarantee that you will get infections.

Corneys are very thin and they are a PITA to weld, even small pinhole repairs, I have special 0.6mm welding wire and use just enough amps to make a puddle - still get burn-throughs.

Hi Mark

Is that 0.6mm mig wire or are actually getting 0.6mm filler rod? I would not call myself a competent tig welder yet but are considering the experiment as I have two damaged kegs I got for almost noting to try this experiment on. What size tungsten are you using on the thin stuff?

 

[muga]

i did the other... got the top of a 19L keg and put it on a 50L keg...
it can be done.

 

[MHB]

I only have a couple of 0.6mm filler rods left, just ordered in 5kg of 0.9mm I dont find much difference between the 2 and the 0.9 are lots cheaper.
I tried using unrolled 0.6 SS MIG wire, it's not the same at all.

My pins are 1.6mm sharpened and polished to a very fine point with pure Argon (I put 2 flow controls on my reg 1 for purging and the other for the hand piece) and very low amps like 10A.
My welder has high frequency start, but I think if I was buying another TIG I would go for a pulse welder (I watched a guy run a weld down a Coke can with one of them) that would be the best option for welding kegs.

If you want a few of 0.9mm fillers give me a call.

MHB

 

[paul]

If you were going to try this you could use the old coke type kegs (the ones without the rubber handles) as they are thicker and would be fairly easy to weld.

Ive got a plastic rubbish bin that a 19l keg fits in with ice around it thats good for parties. Why not just take a full keg along?

 

[schooey]

I tend to agree with MHB here. Unless you have the gear, really know what you are doing with a TIG and how to properly prepare the joint and purge the weld $157 for a 9 litre brand newy is cheap. someone who is capable of doing the job properly is going to charge you more than $100 to do it anyway more than likely, then you have to factor in the $ 60 - 70 for the cost of the original keg. If it goes pear shaped, you are $ 70 and a keg down or have the potential to own a keg that's an infection incubator.

 

[MHB]

Yes to most of the above, I do have the gear and would (have) spend/spent the money on a new keg. The old Australian made kegs a way easier to weld, the also dont get pinholes very often. I have however repaired several damaged ones without problems.

I know the little 9 and 10 Litre kegs are just so sexy I couldnt resist them but on balance I would go the new keg rather than try the cut and shut.

MHB