Kettel hole punches

[Bbowzky1]

You could use a knockout punch. Not generally a tool every home gamer has though....

I was looking at punch and die set and they cost about 140 for a 48mm and 40 for a 1/2" .

Cheap if I can sell on. Expensive if I cant

 

[Meddo]

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Q-Max-S...664759?hash=item3fa5352b37:g:CCkAAOSwhclbSd12

Edit - sorry these are only up to 16 gauge / 1.3mm.

 

[Bbowzky1]

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Q-Max-S...664759?hash=item3fa5352b37:g:CCkAAOSwhclbSd12

Edit - sorry these are only up to 16 gauge / 1.3mm.

Awesome price though
Itd be awesome if that worked

 

[Bbowzky1]

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Q-Max-S...664759?hash=item3fa5352b37:g:CCkAAOSwhclbSd12

Edit - sorry these are only up to 16 gauge / 1.3mm.

I like that sight glass, I just bought one for my new rig to for the HERMS output/ auto sparge input

 

[The Flyingscrapyard]

It works - just keep the drill slow, and use cutting fluid. I used a hole-saw on the side of a commercial keg - it takes a little patience, but if you're careful, you will be able to drill a neat hole.

Expanding on Pnorkle's post, I would suggest a multi-tooth hole saw, or one of those carbide encrusted hole saws for drilling through tiles. A single tooth cutter will be a recipe for a broken wrist when it grabs (and it almost certainly will). As stated by others, run as slow as possible.
Heat is your enemy when it comes to stainless as it work hardens rapidly. A stream of water is better than nothing at all, but a regular squirt of soluble cutting oil in a squeeze bottle will be a good option. The best cutting compound I have used on stainless is Rocol RTD. It is expensive, but it is by far the best cutting liquid I have tried over the years I have machined stainless. It can be had in a paste or a liquid. Smells revolting, so you know it will do a good job. You may need to stop regularly while drilling and cool the site down, even when using lubricants. If water sizzles on the metal, it is getting too hot.
The other thing with stainless is not to use blunt tools or allow the tool to rub without cutting. It will work harden in seconds. If you can strap the pot under a radial drill and use the hole saw there would be safest (friends with any engineering shops?). If you were really stuck, you could mark out a circle and drill a chain of small holes around the inside of the line so that you can break out the slug in the middle, then use a carbide burr in an air die grinder to grind out to the line (with care). Again, you must use sharp tools or the stainless will punish you badly. If you have to drill with a hand drill, I would suggest clamping the hand drill on its side to a large block of wood or such and have the pot clamped down at the right height relative to your drill. Then use the drill and block to allow you to just feed the drill into the side of the pot without trying to keep things square in every direction. Having the drill break through evenly will stop breaking tools or body parts. Good luck.

 

[dkril]

FYI for cutting fluid, a good brand of hair clipper oil is actually an option. Apparently it has the right properties for the task.

No, but you might get away with it. Just like people have gotten away with using WD40 and all sorts of other things as cutting fluids. Try using diff oil on your hair clippers -- she'll be right .

There are specific substances for different purposes for a reason .

 

[goatchop41]

Expanding on Pnorkle's post, I would suggest a multi-tooth hole saw, or one of those carbide encrusted hole saws for drilling through tiles. A single tooth cutter will be a recipe for a broken wrist when it grabs (and it almost certainly will). As stated by others, run as slow as possible.
Heat is your enemy when it comes to stainless as it work hardens rapidly. A stream of water is better than nothing at all, but a regular squirt of soluble cutting oil in a squeeze bottle will be a good option. The best cutting compound I have used on stainless is Rocol RTD. It is expensive, but it is by far the best cutting liquid I have tried over the years I have machined stainless. It can be had in a paste or a liquid. Smells revolting, so you know it will do a good job. You may need to stop regularly while drilling and cool the site down, even when using lubricants. If water sizzles on the metal, it is getting too hot.
The other thing with stainless is not to use blunt tools or allow the tool to rub without cutting. It will work harden in seconds. If you can strap the pot under a radial drill and use the hole saw there would be safest (friends with any engineering shops?). If you were really stuck, you could mark out a circle and drill a chain of small holes around the inside of the line so that you can break out the slug in the middle, then use a carbide burr in an air die grinder to grind out to the line (with care). Again, you must use sharp tools or the stainless will punish you badly. If you have to drill with a hand drill, I would suggest clamping the hand drill on its side to a large block of wood or such and have the pot clamped down at the right height relative to your drill. Then use the drill and block to allow you to just feed the drill into the side of the pot without trying to keep things square in every direction. Having the drill break through evenly will stop breaking tools or body parts. Good luck.

This is the point where as the average punter, you just '**** it' and find a sheet metal place that will make the holes for you for $20-30 instead. Waaaaaaaaay less hassle

 

[Meddo]

I like that sight glass, I just bought one for my new rig to for the HERMS output/ auto sparge input

Thanks mate, that's actually a 2" jobby on the bottom of my unitank with WLP860 beasties swimming in a soon-to-be Helles. I do have a couple on the brew rig as well though, they're great for viewing the wort clarity and checking that all the air is out of the lines.

 

[Bbowzky1]

I bought a q-max 48mm and a q-max 1/2" punch and die.
They good for 1.6mm so I'm gunna give em a go.
Cost under 100 bucks delivered

 

[pnorkle]

Your helicopters are sideways.

 

[mischa6262]

I bought a q-max 48mm and a q-max 1/2" punch and die.
They good for 1.6mm so I'm gunna give em a go.
Cost under 100 bucks delivered

good buy there mate - ill give you a tip dont drill your starting hole too small, if the bolt size in the punch is 10mm drill at least 11-11.5 mm hole as it will shrink down as the slug bends and grab on the threads, damages the thread and then they are a pita to use again

 

[Bbowzky1]

The Q-max 48mm punch worked a treat.
Easier then drilling the 12.5mm clearance hole for the punches bolt haha.

Made a tidy little hole and now I have myweldless 2" TC bulkheads fitted up like a champ

 

[Meddo]

Good stuff. Where did you find the 2" weldless bulkheads?

 

[Bbowzky1]

Good stuff. Where did you find the 2" weldless bulkheads?

Got them from still dragon, they not cheap, and they suppose to be for a flat lit on some still boiler but they worked a treat on my 165lt nano pot.
Not a leak in sight. And still plenty of tightening available.

https://www.stilldragon.com.au/2-triclamp-ferrule-to-pot-adaptor/

 

[Meddo]

Nice one. Do you know what the ID of those bulkheads is? They can't be full bore if the installation hole is only 48 mm, that's about the nominal ID of a 2" TC port.

 

[Bbowzky1]

Nice one. Do you know what the ID of those bulkheads is? They can't be full bore if the installation hole is only 48 mm, that's about the nominal ID of a 2" TC port.

Kettel is full of water atm, doing a leak check
It doesnt have much material inside of the thread, and it only just fits a 48mm hole.
I'd be surprised if internal diameter was less then 42-44mm

 

[Bbowzky1]

@Meddo I measured the TC now I've emptied the HLT and they are 39.5mm according to my vernier

 

[Bbowzky1]

@Meddo I like your sight glass better to btw. Much more bling.

Here's mine on my MT I just fitted off

 

[Meddo]

Same same, won't deny it looks pretty when full of pale lager though My 1V rig has similar ones to yours, a 1.5" on the bottom drain/pump inlet and 3/4" in line with the recirc loop. The one on the conical in my profile pic is a 2" and they do look more bling as they get bigger (check out the big ****-off 4" one on my conical in my dry hop airlock thread at the other forum).

That's a frickin sweet looking stand, love the tippy dump. Self-built?

 

[Bbowzky1]

Same same, won't deny it looks pretty when full of pale lager though My 1V rig has similar ones to yours, a 1.5" on the bottom drain/pump inlet and 3/4" in line with the recirc loop. The one on the conical in my profile pic is a 2" and they do look more bling as they get bigger (check out the big ****-off 4" one on my conical in my dry hop airlock thread at the other forum).

That's a frickin sweet looking stand, love the tippy dump. Self-built?

Thanks mate. Yeah she a slow growing project. Wow your set up looks hektic as haha.
You write a manual?
Love the sight glass for seeing the wort clarity.

The stand is half half. The tipper is a stolen idea so had it made, the shelving, pump brackets, wort chiller mount and disconnect panel is all me.

Also adding a 4" by 400mm wort strainer with 1.5" TC fittings and a 3D tv bracket for the controller