Welding Gas Tanks

2_DONE_THE_TON

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Hey guys!

So I´m a total noob to welding and my aim is to be able to weld (mainly cutting pieces out of tanks and strecthing or narrowing steel gas tanks) gas tanks.
What is the proper method for welding gas tanks?

I already have a inert gas welding machine in my shop, which I didnt activate yet...but I heard that these are not fit to weld so thin steel parts...

Hope you can point me in the right direction!

Thanks!
 
You cant do that without 10 000 hours practice or 1000 kgs of plastic padding ryan
Best method for welding tanks is either tig or oxy-acetylene, and practice is the only way here, with good teachers. I have been welding professionally for over ten years, and i always get the joyful task of sealing up novices leaky tanks.
 
Just watched a video of a guy narrowing a tank and it was AMAZING how much knowledge goes into it...wow...so I guess I have to stick to my stock tanks or dinging other tanks and trying to make them fit.. :D
 
Ryan Stecken said:
Just watched a video of a guy narrowing a tank and it was AMAZING how much knowledge goes into it...wow...so I guess I have to stick to my stock tanks or dinging other tanks and trying to make them fit.. :D
Hell no, if you want to have a go, just use some scrap metal to begin with, then start making cubes to pressure test with said scrap pieces, then try to repair the leaks, then ask me or other welders how to make it 100% air tight, then try stretching and welding on a few scrap moped tanks or whatever, then ask for more help with whatever problems you encounter, then in a few years, you will be able to make amazing shit without bondo or jb weld! Its like life before and after finding out the secrets of steel man.
 
datadavid said:
Hell no, if you want to have a go, just use some scrap metal to begin with, then start making cubes to pressure test with said scrap pieces, then try to repair the leaks, then ask me or other welders how to make it 100% air tight, then try stretching and welding on a few scrap moped tanks or whatever, then ask for more help with whatever problems you encounter, then in a few years, you will be able to make amazing shit without bondo or jb weld! Its like life before and after finding out the secrets of steel man.

Sound advice. TiG would be the welding process you would want, and like datadavid said, for what you are trying to accomplish, there is no short cut. Hours and hours beneath the welding hood.
 
datadavid said:
You cant do that without 10 000 hours practice or 1000 kgs of plastic padding ryan
Best method for welding tanks is either tig or oxy-acetylene, and practice is the only way here, with good teachers. I have been welding professionally for over ten years, and i always get the joyful task of sealing up novices leaky tanks.

I agree, I use d-a/oxy as I don't have TIG.
Easiest way to modify a tank is cut the bottom with mountings out of the one that matches frame then cut bottom out of the one your going to use, match top to bottom and weld away. I guess it should be possible to use MIG if you have a lot of experience and get everything real clean. Majority of people I've seen starting with MIG though use wrong current and too high wire feed so would be better off using JB Weld as the 'weld' is just laying on the surface and can be peeled off pretty easy. Main advantage of TIG is localised heat so less distortion
 
I've welded and modified at least a dozen tanks with MIG. None of them leak. It's not impossible, but it's much harder to do with MIG. At the time I got the MIG, TIG prices were still through the roof. They've come down significantly since then.
 
irk miller said:
I've welded and modified at least a dozen tanks with MIG. None of them leak. It's not impossible, but it's much harder to do with MIG. At the time I got the MIG, TIG prices were still through the roof. They've come down significantly since then.
Yes, i have a very hard time welding thin sheet 100% air tight with the mig, its just not the best procedure for it. Short hot beads with very little feed is the trick for me at least.
 
Yep. Literally a thousand little tacks in rows. Then check with bright light. About a hundred tacks to fill the missed holes. Check with light again. About 10 more tacks to fill more holes. LOL. Check with light again. Jap tanks are the worst for sheet gauge. It's far from ideal. At the time I got my MIG, it was $600 for a good Hobart that could run off 120v/20amp service. A good TIG was $1500 plus and iirc there wasn't a 120v option. I still MIG and oxy/acet most sheet. TIG is still in my dreams.


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Your right Eric, tig prices have dropped crazy amounts in the last handful of years. $1400 will now get you a ready to go Lincoln square wave 200 ac/DC (aka aluminum and steel) inverter with 120v and 220v capability. About $600 will get you a Chinese everlasting DC (steel only) tig that in my experience is more than adequate for us garage builders, if you can do without aluminum capability.

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I got a nice danish Migatronic tig welder from work, for free. Single phase 140A. Can weld most anything including bronze with the pulse function. One day i will get one of the 3 phase Lincolns (or an old Kemppi)with square wave AC, damn they are nice to weld alloy with
 
datadavid said:
I got a nice danish Migatronic tig welder from work, for free. Single phase 140A. Can weld most anything including bronze with the pulse function. One day i will get one of the 3 phase Lincolns (or an old Kemppi)with square wave AC, damn they are nice to weld alloy with
I agree, the new AC inverters are all the rage and nice machines, but the old transformers buzzing at 60 htz (at least on this side of the pond) do a fantastic job as well in the right hands. They will out last the inverters of today to boot

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Ryan Stecken said:
Just watched a video of a guy narrowing a tank and it was AMAZING how much knowledge goes into it...wow...so I guess I have to stick to my stock tanks or dinging other tanks and trying to make them fit.. :D

... or just ask a certain someone nicely. ;)

But I do agree with the others. TIG is the cleaner and easier way to do it. But a few years back, I used the welding machine that you now have to weld tanks.
 
der_nanno said:
... or just ask a certain someone nicely. ;)

But I do agree with the others. TIG is the cleaner and easier way to do it. But a few years back, I used the welding machine that you now have to weld tanks.

I want to learn that ish :)

Lets see if I can make that XS500 tank fit my fat humangous XS 750 frame :)
 
crazypj said:
There are good cheap options on the tig side nowadays that work perfectly for garage use, the one i use professionally for pipe welding and have done for many years is 8-900 euros, paid for itself first job it did i think.
 
If/when I eventually get one I want ability to do aluminium as well as steel. Need to get some shield gas bottles as well, Argon/Helium for alloy and 'argoshield' for steel
 
crazypj said:
If/when I eventually get one I want ability to do aluminium as well as steel. Need to get some shield gas bottles as well, Argon/Helium for alloy and 'argoshield' for steel
Buy straight argon first. You can use it on aluminum just fine. Helium makes it hotter but isn't always necessary. I pipe in helium sometimes when I'm at my max amperage, but still need a bit more, but 99% of the time i just use pure argon

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Same here. Clean Argon gets pretty much every job done. Helium is only required, when you're welding aluminium that's too thick and simply pre-heating and v-grooving won't cut it.
 
So you guys basically saying, if I invest enough cash into a TIG welder with Argon and A LOT OF practice will get me the results i´m looking for?
Or is it advisable to start with my CO2 welder and learn the basics...
I still have a wedding present from my wife open so I could go for a nice TIG welder....

What I worry about also is the fuse rating...the house I work in is OLD (19th century)!...how much fuse rating do these TIGs have?

My plan was to take a XS stock tank tunnel and weld another cut up tank to it...
 
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