It's no problem at all driving in the spile. I used plastic spiles that required a 5/16" hole. Supposedly they are more friendly towards the tree than the older, 1/2" taps, although they were used for decades with no ill effects apparently noticed. I drilled into the tree for a depth of about 2.5"
Ken, I slit the pipe elbow all the way around, inserted it through the rim, and bent the sections back flat...not pretty, but locked into place.
