cutting a hole in DC duct??

[Mike Heidrick]

Nibbler
Air saw
Tin snips

We can get very creative.

[Martin Wasner]

Nibbler
Air saw
Tin snips

We can get very creative.

Plasma cutter
Death wheel in a grinder
Remove the whole section and put it in a 7 axis cnc mill
Careful TNT placement
Torch
Anger and the pointy end of a hammer
Sandpaper if your patient
Church key
Die grinder
K-Bar knife
Cold chisel
Primer cord
Trained rats (my personal favorite so far)
Technically you could probably use your forehead too. (there are days this is the best option)

[Bill Dufour]

Plasma cutter
Death wheel in a grinder
Remove the whole section and put it in a 7 axis cnc mill
Careful TNT placement
Torch
Anger and the pointy end of a hammer
Sandpaper if your patient
Church key
Die grinder
K-Bar knife
Cold chisel
Primer cord
Trained rats (my personal favorite so far)
Technically you could probably use your forehead too. (there are days this is the best option)

No one picked up on my idea of a hot soldering iron, assuming pvc?

[Ole Anderson]

Every project deserves a new tool. In this case I would get an air nibbler... https://www.harborfreight.com/16-gau...ler-46061.html a little over $20 with a 20% off coupon.

[Jim Finn]

BTW, I watched some "professional" HVAC guys cutting in to a metal duct. They took a screw driver and a hammer and wacked the screw driver on it's side to tear a hole. Then they went in with aircraft shears. Badda boom, badda bang. The hole was done in 60 seconds. A couple of years later I was adding a central AC and needed to cut into a plenum. Out comes a screw driver and hammer. Badda boom badda-bang. 60 seconds - - all done.
No need to over think... ;-)

I agree . I am a retired Sheet metal worker and this is how we all do it. I recommend Wiss brand offset tin snips. Most people prefer the red ones.

[Ray Newman]

Gents: gents thanks for the info and apologize for not responding sooner. Last week, ordered the saddle tap from Oneida.



What I am 'gonna' do is take the saddle tap and section of the DC pipe to hold the tap to two local sheet metal shops for ideas. Sometimes green paper with portraits of dead presidents works wonders when you need a helping hand. Thanks again!

[Jim Becker]

Actually, the saddle tap make things pretty easy because the hold in the duct actually doesn't need to be "pretty". Or even evenly round. Place the saddle tap on the duct where it's going to live and oriented the way you want to come off the duct. (should be horizontal, even for "vertical" drops) Mark the boundaries of the saddle tap with a Sharpie market-- don't worry about the lines because you'll seal it up with foil tape afterward. Once you have the boundaries, just cut a hole in the duct any way you prefer. You can drill a hole and then use a metal cutting blade in a jig saw or use snips...whatever. Just stat well "inside the lines" so you have enough area to fasten the saddle tap to the duct afterward using short screws or pop rivets. You can put a bead of caulk down before you fasten the saddle tap permanently, but I'd still use a little foil tape to clean things up and insure a full seal.