What are you using to cut holes in your vessels?

[lael]

http://www.lapsun.com/10pcs-1650mm-steel-carbide-tipped-tip-drill-bit-tct-metal-wood-cutter-hole-saw-set_p1125.html

or individual drills here: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Steel-Carbide-Tipped-Tip-Drill-Bit-TCT-Metal-Wood-Cutter-Hole-Saw-Set-Tool-Kit-a-/121105889516?pt=AU_Power_Tools&var=&hash=item1c327938ec which I bought. Cheaper to get the set I think actually...

that hydraulic punch does look amazing though...

 

[Mister Wilson]

All the local ones I found were two to three times the price for the same item. Shipping was pretty quick from the UK.

No shit! Checked out a couple of places today and the prices are probably closer to 3 or 4 times the price from the UK.

Looks like I won't be putting much of the rig together over Easter.

 

[pk.sax]

Sutton bi-metal set at bunnings is advertised at 59 bux. Quite a range of sizes.

The ones wessmith has posted up look great! If they are the chop and the price and ok postage that'd be very good indeed.

I've got a different problem, possibly enlarge a 1/2" bsp hole to 3/4" bsp hole. I hope the new seals work better or I'm gonna have to do it.

 

[nathanvonbeerenstein]

I found the cheaaapest way when making my keggle was to pickup an el cheapo set of three step bits in the tool section of bunnings. At under $8 they were cheap enough not to care if i damaged them but got the job done up to the 15mm hole i needed.
Bit of drill lube and slow speed with firm pressure from the impact drill for torque followed by a bit of a cleanup with a file and fine sandpaper. Remember to clean well and allow it to rebuild its stainless coating though
Worked for me anyway

 

[lael]

No shit! Checked out a couple of places today and the prices are probably closer to 3 or 4 times the price from the UK.

Looks like I won't be putting much of the rig together over Easter.

yep! I was a little shocked too. If you were in Sydney you could borrow mine. A good weekend to get a rig built and brewed on is what I reckon.... Maybe someone near you is feeling nice?

 

[Edak]

The punches that lael linked to are the shizzle, which is why i recommended them in the first place. They arrived very quickly and did the job no problems. About 12-15 holes later and they still look about as good as new. Keep them lubed up in the package (again not your balls) and they will last a long time.

 

[mofox1]

Looking for the same punches... (another electric brewery inspired build).

Would anyone in Melb's east/south east suburbs let me borrow their 1-1/4" punch? Also looking for either a 13/16" or 7/8" (haven't checked the exact OD size of my fittings yet).

I've got two of the pots from wayfair - really, really thin walls, those punches aren't even going to notice they're being used...

Cheers,
Mick

 

[bazfletch3]

Looking for the same punches... (another electric brewery inspired build).

Would anyone in Melb's east/south east suburbs let me borrow their 1-1/4" punch? Also looking for either a 13/16" or 7/8" (haven't checked the exact OD size of my fittings yet).

I've got two of the pots from wayfair - really, really thin walls, those punches aren't even going to notice they're being used...

Cheers,
Mick

Hey Mick

I have 1 punch already (Q-max eBay special from the Uk) and planned on buying another 3 at some stage for another Electric Brewery rip off job. Can't remember the exact size I have already, but it was for mounting a 1/2" bulkhead and valve. For what I've used it for so far it's been great.

If you wanted to do some kind of split job where you buy a couple, I buy a couple and then we swap, I'd be up for that... Only thing is I'm in the other side of Melb (East Keilor) but I'm sure we could work something out- and would still save us both some money for something we're not gonna use more than a handful of times...

Otherwise I was probably going to buy them all myself, and then see if I could flog them off on here later on anyway.

Cheers

Baz

 

[mofox1]

As you say - location. I'm out in baysie, the parts aren't worth the round trips in petrol, or the postage. Cheers for the offer though.

Hopefully someone closer to our respective locations can help out...?

Otherwise, I'll just end up buying the 1.25", and probably use a step drill for the bulkheads/thermometers.

Mick

 

[pk.sax]

The step drills work well for the thinner pots at any diameter and even for kegs at higher diameters. It's at the small diameters that speeding them up causes major work hardening issues.
I've got a cobalt step drill set off eBay that I used to cut the 1-1/4" hole when I did that, works fine. Pilot hole and off you go.

 

[431neb]

For what it's worth I used a Rothenberger knockout punch that we bought to put holes in kitchen sinks and laundry troughs and such.

It's 32 mm and was perfect for whacking a hole in a commercial keg to mount a heating element in.

Just drill a hole for the bolt and tighten it up.

 

[Mall]

For stainless steel is this the go?

http://www.bunnings.com.au/sontax-10-30mm-step-drill_p6320162

 

[sp0rk]

For stainless steel is this the go?

http://www.bunnings.com.au/sontax-10-30mm-step-drill_p6320162

It'll work just fine, just go slow and use plenty of cutting fluid/oil or WD40 (a bottle of cutting oil from Bunnings is worth the investment)

 

[JaseH]

As you say - location. I'm out in baysie, the parts aren't worth the round trips in petrol, or the postage. Cheers for the offer though.

Hopefully someone closer to our respective locations can help out...?

Otherwise, I'll just end up buying the 1.25", and probably use a step drill for the bulkheads/thermometers.

Mick

Mate - get to Keg King and grab the TCT hole saws they have(here on page 28: http://www.kegking.com.au/Downloads/Catalogue%20-%20Retail%20Price%20List.pdf )

I piss farted around with cheap step drill bits, useless! Then got a couple of these and they cut through stainless kegs like butter - I cant understand how they are so cheap.

 

[Rieewoldt]

I used this tungsten carbide jobby from eBay. Works great on1.8mm stainless, 8 holes in and good as new