VaughnT Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 I don't get to do a lot of welding, so I'm always happy when I project comes along. In this case, I filled an old nitrogen tank with sand, oil and scraps of steel to make a nice heavy dishing stump. No idea how much it weighs right now, but I'm betting it's every bit of 300 pounds, if not more. The base plate is 1/8" mild steel I had cut just a hair undersize. The OD of the tank was about 9.125", so I figured having that little lip would give me a nice clean surface between the plate and the freshly cut end of the tank. I wasn't disappointed. Using 1/8" 7018 with my machine set around 116 amps, I went around the perimeter as good as I could manage. Short bead, then go to the opposite side and run another short bead. Once it was tied down at four points, it was just a matter of filling it in. I still have to grind all the beads down so the stump will sit nicely on the floor, and I might have to do some fill-in work if I see any problems. Overall, though, I think it's water-tight and I won't have to worry about the oil eventually leaking out! Interestingly, I noted that whenever I get into long beads like this, I seem to be better going from right to left rather than left to right. No idea why that is, but.... Oh, and to get warmed up a little bit, I tacked together this neat little adjust able angle contraption I picked up. It comes as a kit and all the pieces are laser-cut. All you have to do is tack it at a few points and then bolt the two pieces together. When I saw it, I thought it would come in very handy when I'm building things, acting as something of a third-hand. Clamp one side to the table and the other side to whatever I need held. Being adjustable, I can swing it to any angle and then lock it tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba682 Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 Looks good i dont know if its the pic or my eyes but it looks like a little perosity on the bottom were you started goin left then right once you grind it down youll know for sure.Got a quik ques not to bust your chops or nuthen why use 1/8 on thin plate and was there any heat warpage.ME i would of used 3/32 but thats me, regardless nice layout and work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted August 5, 2017 Author Share Posted August 5, 2017 Bubba, I'm far from being an educated welder, so it's entirely likely that your way is the better way. I used the rods I had and that I'm familiar with. I've tried some thinner 6013 rods once or twice and it was an absolute nightmare experience. I can't seem to figure out what settings to put on the welder to get that stuff to run right, so I stick with what I know. Porosity? Probably. Could be my technique, the rods, the settings on the welder, or a combination of all three. Getting those three things to line up right..... that's the hard part! Got the adjustable square all painted and looking good. The Super Stump got flipped and I spent a few minutes going over the working face with the angle grinder. I'm going to need to weld up the big stamp down in the bottom of the depression, but she's looking pretty good with the 60-grit finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 The suggestion for starting welder settings is to turn the fractional rod size into decimals. 3/32" = 90 amps and 1/8" = 125 amps. Then adjust as needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 Yeah, that's the rule of thumb to start with. Of course it'd be cheating to ask for the book at the welding supply, they used to be free. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 Books? FREE BOOKS? You can't even BUY books anymore, or maps either, for that matter. But you can get a free download for your phone, or if you are a dinosaur like me, a desktop computer. All it takes is a bunch of YOUR money for the phone and the carrier. (Grumble, grumble. And you kids get off of my lawn!) All of the welding manufacturers have free downloadable apps for the different welding processes. https://www.millerwelds.com/resources/weld-setting-calculators Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 Greetings Vaughn, What might be a factor in your welding success is the tank material. I was told years ago that high pressure tanks like you have are a higher carbon steel some 4140. Maybe John will chime in with more info.. I love cool welding jigs . Have fun. Forge on and make beautiful things. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba682 Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 What i meant with 3/32 is just the rod size for 7018 it uses less amperage and usually very little grinding cause grinding sucks lol.Alot of guys just starting out dont relize that the optimum amperage for operating the rods in ideal conditions is printed on the the box, adjust accordingly.No book required, regarless of books rods or amps nice work and it looks like a nice shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted February 17, 2018 Author Share Posted February 17, 2018 On 8/5/2017 at 7:53 AM, Jim Coke said: Greetings Vaughn, What might be a factor in your welding success is the tank material. I was told years ago that high pressure tanks like you have are a higher carbon steel some 4140. Hello Jim! You might be right about that tank having some cool alloy to it. I noticed when I was welding that there was a "buttery" feel to it as I ran the bead. Everything just went so smooth and fun, and the slag popped right off. Almost got me thinking I was a competent welder for a minute! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 Tanks for high pressure welding gases, even BBQ propane tanks, are HSLA steels. High Strength, Low Alloy, very high purity batches of steel made just for the purpose. Think Kobe beef as a price point. They have to last a long time under less than ideal conditions, and I still regularly see tanks with swastikas, or Property of War Dept. markings. (WD in a shield) Very different to weld on than A36 structural steel, which is the Spam equivalent. Or 3rd world rebar, which is Alpo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranchmanben Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 On 8/5/2017 at 6:26 AM, John McPherson said: https://www.millerwelds.com/resources/weld-setting-calculators This looks like a great resource, thanks John. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 I haven't seen one for a while but after WWII the US confiscated a lot of Oxy tanks that had been used on German Subs. They originally had the swastika on them but were restamped with a box around it changing it to a + within a box. I have one scrapped extra heavy tank where the walls are double thick---save the dishing form made from the dimple on the bottom for personal use; especially for hydraulic presses or large screw presses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted March 22, 2018 Author Share Posted March 22, 2018 The super stump is working like a dream. I still need to find a large plate to mount it to since it seems to like rocking around a lot when you're hammering on it. And, oddly, I haven't had to weld up the big stamp mark at the bottom of the depression. I thought it would get in the way of using the depression, but I haven't had to go down that deep, yet. I also discovered that it makes a nice "catch basin" for all the scale that falls off the steel I'm hammering. Haven't used the Stump too much, but it's nice to have on hand when I need to bend some steel bar. Oh, and I welded up another of those Fireball Tool kits. It's amazing see how precise these things are cut. Makes me wish I had the laser machine they must be using! Quick and simple, even when a less than ideal set up to insure everything was square and plumb. Not I just need to wait for the paint to dry and I can put her into service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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