Welding - Fuel Tank

Futbalfantic

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2006
Location
Charlotte
I have an old 250 gal. Kerosene tank that I need to weld a new fitting on. What is the best/safest way of doing this?

Also, the tank has a thin film of rust in it, what is the best way to get it out?
 
now someone told me that they were told that the only way to weld a gas tank was when it was full, now this does make sense because gas does not burn, the vapors do but still. the fact of 2000 deg steel and highly flammable meetin just dont sound good to me but i would love for someone to ty it and let me know :)
 
Put a hose on an exhaust pipe on your car put the other end in the tank, run car, fill the tank with exaust gas that wont burn. leave car running weld fitting.
 
Fill the tank 99% with water, put the fitting in the highest corner leaving the area to weld dry
 
just be careful and tripple check to make sure the fumes are out. I lost my uncle to an accident sort of like this. He was gutting a big tank up in the ground for removal and the tech guys said that the fumes were gone and it was safe....well it wasn't.
 
I'd try to blast the inside clean with denatured alcohol then let it drain for a day or so, then purge the tank with an inert gas(argon, co2, unimix)
 
Or, better yet, purge it with argon or any other nonflamable gas...

No worries about draining the water, etc. and you don't have to worry about getting the weld area wet.

It is sometimes better to weld with the vessel full, but not one of this size and one that doesn't have any fluild circulating through it. We weld on gas tanks and lines all the time, but only when they are operating (circulating). Otherwise, you'll get yourself into a dangerous situation...
 
sinbad said:
Put a hose on an exhaust pipe on your car put the other end in the tank, run car, fill the tank with exaust gas that wont burn. leave car running weld fitting.
Click to expand...

Seriously?
 
sinbad said:
Yes I have seen it done, but a combo of the two, water and an inert gas, should work nice.
Carbon monixide won't burn.
Click to expand...

I've got a couple that run rich enough to make that dangerous. Also, being that the container isn't sealed the chance for oxygen to enter would worry me. Not saying it can't possibly work, just wouldn't be my first choice. Kinda like the argon or welding gasses mentioned above, it would work, but with taht big of a tank it may be cheaper to buy a new tank than repair that one.

just my $.02
 
Argon/inert gas is cheap. Tape the opening and run a purge hose inside it. We do it all the time at work for pharmaceutical welding...

Water is prob. the cheapest but is messy
Argon/inert gas is more expensive but is not nearly as messy

250 gallon tank is small. You should be able to do that with 1 large gas bottle of CO2 or Argon
 
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