Fuel Tank

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Hello All, Some pics of a fuel tank I put straps on. not proud of the beads Iam still working on going over my tach welds. Was trying to keep it from lifting and pulling on me sooo many tacks and diff direction a couple of places. Used a ratchet strap to help hold them tight to the tank. Comments welcome. First pic is of completed tank straps all around the tank. Pic 2 not so purty beads. Pic3 straps oxidized the tank, it is in the hog and chicken feedmill business. It took me some time to get it clean.Went back about a wk ago to ck on it. All is good  Thanx Dale Attached ImagesLast edited by power; 05-09-2012 at 10:14 PM.
Reply:Better than a lot of the local "pro" work I see to be honest....certainly nothing to be ashamed of there for a home welder at all. Good Job! "Anybody can talk $h!t behind a monitor, I let the quality of my work speak for itself"Lincoln Square Wave 255 and 355 Tig Lincoln 255 Power-Mig w/ spool gun Koike 5 x 10 CNC plasma Hyd-Mech DM-10 bandsaw Ineco QB-76 NC tube bender
Reply:Originally Posted by CoupebuilderBetter than a lot of the local "pro" work I see to be honest....certainly nothing to be ashamed of there for a home welder at all. Good Job!
Reply:Looks good with all the oxidation you had to work with! keep up the good workLincoln Precision Tig 225Lincoln Power Mig 255 XTMiller Bobcat 225Thermal Dynamics Cutmaster 102
Reply:I agree, looks good. Be happy with that work. I know I would be. Just need a little work on consistency with travel speed and filler consumption, but not much. The harshest critic will always be yourself. I can lay a bead about as well as you can, and I know I gotta work on consistancy myself. Keep up the good work. I think it's amazing. Just about all my TIG welds have been done on flat plate and fillet welds. The few times I have done them on round materials they looked a bit worse than yours.Offering CNC Plasma cutting and welding projects.Follow me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/nobigdeal.fabSupport those that support WW.
Reply:That's not going anywhere fast......zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Those beads look great.  Nice job.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Thanx for all the comments fellas. Happy welding everyone!!
Reply:power,just a note of caution about the poultice corrosion strips around the aluminum cylindrical tanks shown.The original tank was corroded by a condition called poultice corrosion where the area under the original strap was polluted with some organic material and water.The combination created an anaerobic/acidic paste that robbed the underlying aluminum alloy of oxygen that created a cell which would rob the aluminum oxide of oxygen and therefore the defensive layer.The cell was wetted over and over so it evolved into the picture you posted which shows the advance of the cells' acidic corrosion. If you put the covers on this the cell is still 'working' unless you #1 neutralized the cell with a base and tested with ph strips? or #2 sand blasted the base area to create a white metal area that could 're-oxidzie' or #3 you air tested the seal welds to a few psi in order to insure there are no vacuum leaks to allow moisture back in to reactivate the cell's acidic ph?This type of corrosion is common when any water is held near almost all alloys of aluminum by capillary action in a narrow space where the water's oxygen can be robbed, initially, by the aluminum's oxide layer.To test the welds just TIG a fitting onto the surface and fit and air hose and soap or 'Snoop' the seams, & weld up the air leaks, to avoid reintroducing the water that powers these cells.If these steps were not/are not taken the cell will get moisture by vacuum and then it will penetrate the tanks and if you didn't pressure test the outside weld your repair will leak.The tanks should be mounted in ribbed vinyl strips inside the metal band holding them to the truck so the metal to water interface cannot/does not hold water.another method is to paint the mount strips with zinc chromate primer so there is a chemical film interface and the water inside the mount band is not able to react directly with the parent alloy.Cheers,Kevin MorinKenai, AK
Reply:Thanx Kevin, I cleaned the bad areas with a brush before installing the straps.I pressurized the tank at 5psi and checked the welds with soapy water. Thanx for the information on the chemical make up and alloys of the corrosion.Alot to consider for the next time. Dale