Worked up quite a sweat.

.
.
Not that I did all that much.  I drilled the holes into one bucket, then marked and drilled the other bucket.  I did check the drill bits before I started, comparing them to the pipe, and went with the one that seemed to be the best.  I drilled two holes and was about to go on when... I knew better.  So I checked.  Yeah, no.  Too small.  Luckily I had the next size up, and that did work.  However, getting a mostly drilled hole, in such soft material, to finish drilling was tricky.  Ugly too.  But it'll work.  the inner sleeves will hold it, and some hot glue.  So I finished drilling the holes.  Easy enough.

The next part, I knew, was going to be a bear.  I had to use the sawsall to cut the lid.  But I couldn't really get a good read on what to cut, how far.  I just don't have calipers that big, and the perimeter of the fan is at an angle to boot.  I just did what I could with the saw.  Both cuts were too small, but there really wasn't enough structure remaining against which to try to do more cutting.  So I got out the smaller snips.  Not quite tin snips, more like very heavy wire snips.  And, to it.  One of them just would not fix.  I kept trimming two eights of an inch around, did that twice it seems, and... it still looks like it needs two eights off.  Gah!  So I grabbed the ugly one, the one that isn't as neat, and went to work on it.  When it looked like it needed an quarter inch, I gave it what seemed like an half inch.  Actually... that worked.

Oh, but before I went and glued broken fans in, I decided to test them.  They work.  So I stripped off the bases, and have one read to fit as soon as the glue heats up.  I've never used a glue gun before.  Here is to doing a dozen things for the first time while I'm too tired to probably legally drive!  Hmm... maybe more beer?  Maybe after.  Once the fan is fitted, I will grab some of the inner fittings, to see if I can get the pipes in, perhaps sealed with enough glue, and ready to dry/cure/whatever before the trial tomorrow.  The other lid?  Yeah, I'll wait on that.  But, this time, quarter inch snips.  I'm not going to bother trying to be nice.  Good thing I have been working my grip muscles.  *snip*

Still with the acid stomach.  I hope I can get to the post office, then the grocery store tomorrow.  Antacids of some sort, and more milk/cream... for now.  A little spoiling when I'm making major changes just seems to help.  Later.  Or most likely good night.