Big Stu
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| posted on 14/7/05 at 09:19 PM |
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Welding a stainless tank.
Hi All,
I am planning on building a fuel tank for my new project out of stainless. It will be a very basic design, simple cube.
How easy is it to weld stainless using a standard mig welder? How much is stainless wire?
Is this a good idea or should I get someone to make me an aluminum one?
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Hellfire
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| posted on 14/7/05 at 09:22 PM |
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The latter...
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Big Stu
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| posted on 14/7/05 at 09:25 PM |
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know anybody?
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mangogrooveworkshop
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| posted on 14/7/05 at 09:30 PM |
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Hugh Paterson does them time to time
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welderman
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| posted on 14/7/05 at 09:45 PM |
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Find yourself a nice engineering firm with a tig welder, they would be happy to weld it for you for a small fee.
Well we would anyway.
Depending on thickness of st/st sheet your using i personally would not use the mig, but try .8mm wire and move pretty fast with the gun.
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mark chandler
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| posted on 14/7/05 at 10:18 PM |
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Tigs the way to go, for a clean job you need to flow gas both sides of the weld.
Trouble with MIG is cold start, micoscopic holes as you strike the arc, even using ordinary steel you will struggle.
Whats your location ?
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Big Stu
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| posted on 14/7/05 at 11:12 PM |
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Central Scotland but up and down to east anglia all the time
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907
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| posted on 15/7/05 at 08:11 AM |
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Hi All,
If you make it from flat peices and weld the corners it will distort,
plus the more welds you have the more chance of leaks.
I made mine from 1 mm 304 and folded it with the weld
seams between the 45 deg bends, (see pic).
The rear of my chassis isn't parallel to the ground,
hence the shape of the bottom of the tank.
I welded the sender flange & inlet to the top first, then welded
the long seams, as Mark says, with backing gas.
Folded baffles were then slid inside and spot welded,
then mounting straps, again spot welded, then the ends fitted last.
The top did ripple a little bit but not too bad.
You could plug weld instead of spot welding, and yes, Tig is the way to go.
Err, sorry, I'v probably put you off.
atb
Paul G
 
Rescued attachment fuel-tank-s.gif
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johnjulie
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| posted on 15/7/05 at 08:21 AM |
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AS already mentioned, find a good Tig welder, it requires gas on both sides of the weld to ensure a good clean weld, plus you won't have the
distortion problems.
Cheers John
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alfasudsprint
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| posted on 16/7/05 at 11:43 AM |
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I had mine made, for free! from stainless, fully welded, no folds, flat top slanting bottom to accomodate chassis, filler neck a curve. Worked very
well, some distortion in tank from heat but ok.
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