AGA-T air hole not lining up & too small??

[frnkj74]

[FONT="]The air hole on my aga-t is too small & it’s not lining up with the wick. What would be the best drill size to drill out a bigger hole in it without being too airy & what would be the best method to lining up the air hole with the wick? I mean I could unscrew it a little to line it up but I’d rather screw it down all the way & have it line up without any looseness in the cap. Any insight to this problem will be greatly appreciated, and a big thank you to everyone that helps out & points me in the right direction, have a blessed day [/FONT]

 

[Thompson]

Sanding down the bottom of the cap is a common fix for the v1. It seems they threaded too high & misaligned. So removing material from the bottom allows the cap to screw down further.

I just ran mine back & forth on coarse grit sandpaper. Wipe out the threads, twist it on to see where alignment was, kept sanding. Rinse & repeat until it lines up.

You want to keep the sanding even at all costs, or it isn't going to sit right.

No idea on drilling the air hole, imo its fine stock.

Faxed in on the Mojo Wire

 

[pdib]

3/64" but try reaming it with an awl or corkscrew first, sometimes a tiny bit makes a big difference. Sand down the bottom edge of the cap in increments until alignment happens. Sandpaper or stone on table top, set cap on it, small circular motions. rotate cap frequently to compensate for imperfect human body

 

[frnkj74]

Sanding down the bottom of the cap is a common fix for the v1. It seems they threaded too high & misaligned. So removing material from the bottom allows the cap to screw down further.

I just ran mine back & forth on coarse grit sandpaper. Wipe out the threads, twist it on to see where alignment was, kept sanding. Rinse & repeat until it lines up.

You want to keep the sanding even at all costs, or it isn't going to sit right.

Thanks for the tip Thompson, will this process take a lot of time? I mean 'cause it's stainless steel.

 

[frnkj74]

3/64" but try reaming it with an awl or corkscrew first, sometimes a tiny bit makes a big difference. Sand down the bottom edge of the cap in increments until alignment happens. Sandpaper or stone on table top, set cap on it, small circular motions. rotate cap frequently to compensate for imperfect human body

Thanks for the insight pdib, even though it's stainless steel will an awl or corkscrew really make a difference? I thought since it's stainless steel that it would have to take something like a drill bit to make a bigger hole. I couldn't even find a 3/64 drill bit in my drill bit box, I found a 1/16 & 5/64 though, but both seem too big..I'm assuming that a 3/64 is smaller than those sizes?

 

[michliu]

One of mine was 1/4 turn past, so I wound some dental floss under the o-ring until the cap screwed down to the right position.

 

[pdib]

Yes 3/64 is smaller. 1/16 is too airy a draw for most folks. Some liked it, but I wouldn't start there. Corkscrew, don't think, try.

BTW if you get into rebuildables, you'll be wanting a 3/64 drill bit (or whatever size ends up suiting your fancy)

 

[Buzzsaw46]

I would buy a numbered drill bit set, that way you can make very fine changes in hole size and work up to just right for you.

 

[pdib]

Buzzsaw, you mean numbered like sized by gauge? I ended up getting some when I was looking for air-hole bits. #57 works great for a single air hole, and #65 for dual air holes. That's about 1.2mm and .8mm, respectively.

 

[StaircaseWit]

I would buy a numbered drill bit set, that way you can make very fine changes in hole size and work up to just right for you.

This is great advice. Even just looking at a drill chart (which typically includes number and letter drill sizes, like this will give you a good idea of all the sizes that are available between fractional drill bits. A good hardware store will sell you individual bits so you can try two or three sizes building up to what you want. You can't (easily) repair a hole that's too big.

 

[StaircaseWit]

Buzzsaw, you mean numbered like sized by gauge? I ended up getting some when I was looking for air-hole bits. #57 works great for a single air hole, and #65 for dual air holes. That's about 1.2mm and .8mm, respectively.

A #57 bit is actually between 1.05 and 1.10mm.

I used a #58 on my IGO, but it's a bit too airy now.

 

[pdib]

Nice chart, dude! Bookmarked. Yeah, the #57 was perfect for my AGA. My IGO has the dual #65. (I only eyeballed with analog calipers, sorry to be off.) So, do I understand this right? Part of what's going on with an air hole is the speed of the air, not just the volume. So two tighter air holes give you more air without loss of the effect that the higher air speed is giving you. I wish they were easier to fill; I'd be trying all kinds of stuff.

 

[WillyB]

One thing to note, when drilling by hand (no press) the hole will always be larger than the official stated size.

I agree with the posters that said it doesn't take much to noticeably change the draw.

I use some some cheap cone shaped diamond burrs (under running water) to open mine up just a tad.

 

[Juiceinator]

Yes 3/64 is smaller. 1/16 is too airy a draw for most folks. Some liked it, but I wouldn't start there. Corkscrew, don't think, try.

BTW if you get into rebuildables, you'll be wanting a 3/64 drill bit (or whatever size ends up suiting your fancy)

1/16 is 4/64. it worked perfect for my aga t+. before i drilled it i thought it was .... and was going to sell it.