A few keg conversion questions

[foomench]

IAWTBC, I should be buying a few reject kegs from a local brewery this week for keggle conversion, and I'll soon have access to a plasma cutter. Welding of stainless will be done at a local shop. So I was wondering:

1. Does anyone have a tried-and-true design for a jig to cut out the top with a plasma cutter? My current plan was one piece of wood with a circle cut out to put over the neck of the keg, another piece of wood with a small hole for the tip of the plasma cutter, and these connected with a bent piece of metal to match the curve of the keg top, connected to the wood pieces with slip joints (is that the term? probably not) so I could fine tune the radius of the cut.

2. For the fittings I figure a stepper drill bit will give a better hole than the plasma cutter. Is this correct? Would my life be easier if I started the holes with the plasma cutter?

3. What fittings can I use to connect a copper coil to the keg wall? I want to make a new HLT for a HERMS. I have a 50' copper coil, 1/2" in diameter that I want to put in one of the keggles. Here's a picture that is pretty much what I want to do. What fittings are those? What are they called, and can I find them in stainless?

If you're close by and want to join in, let me know and I'll see if I can get more kegs.

[kezgin]

unless you're really set on using a plama cutter, an angle grinder with a stainless cutoff wheel works just as good. just orient the guard on the grinder so it rests against the top skirt of the keg and you'll have an almost flawless cut. just be careful not to twist the wheel, or it'll shred

[Mylo]

+1 Fuck the plasma.

A quick search on YouTube and you will see some dude that built a 90* wooden jig to hold the grinder with the cutoff wheel vertically. A 2" hole saw is bolted to one side, allowing you a precise radius. Go slow, and you will have a smoother cut than a plasma cutter. 5 min with a file to remove burrs and you are done.


Mylo

[Lars]

+2 FUCK the plasma!

I had one keg cut with a plasma cutter and spent countless hours cleaning up the mess it left on the inside of the keg. I've cut many others with a angle grinder, and it only takes about 30 mins to cut and clean the edges. Just make sure you use a cutting disc designed to cut metal, and you'll be fine.

[BeerPal]

Fuck DIY. If you're gonna take the kegs to a welder anyway, why not let them do the cutting? It won't add a lot to the bill and the finished product will look completely tits.

[foomench]

O.k., I got the part about the plasma cutter. What about the fittings, question #3?

[BeerPal]

Those are compression fittings on the coil side. You could have full couplers welded in to the keg wall and then screw in anything you want, including compression fittings.

[Droodles1]

2. For the fittings I figure a stepper drill bit will give a better hole than the plasma cutter. Is this correct? Would my life be easier if I started the holes with the plasma cutter?

.

just use a small drill bt to drill a starter hole for the Step bit