Thanks for the shout back.
I did use 7018 3/32 on some of the welds. It is cleaner and makes a pretty weld. That being said your weld material has to be clean and fit well to get a good weld from 7018. As you know 7018 is a fast fill rod that goes down quick and is used as a cover pass after the root seal pass of 6010 or 6011. Some of this stuff isn't very clean, rust and paint, and some of the fits could have been better. 6011 is a penetrating rod that literally burns through anything. A lot of the welds were vertical up and I know I got good penetration with the 6011. The flux on the 7018 I used did curl up and came off easily. I didn't mind the flux removal on the 6011, but the spatter was terrible because I run it very hot. That required a lot of clean up. But I wanted full pen welds and I'll live with the clean up.
I would like to say one thing about AC welders for the guys who can't afford a DC welder. Get a 225 or 250 amp AC machine, they're cheap. Used 7014. A lot of people don't know about 7014. It welds good AC vertical
down. Back in the 70s I worked for Waltco Truck Equipment Co. in Gardena Ca. and I installed the electro-hydraulic tailgate lifts on new trucks. They were one of the few mfg.s around that made these tailgate lifts. The capacity was up to 6000 pounds. You weld really hot, like 220 amps for 1/8" rod down hand. The new trucks came in with that black tar undercoating and all we did was take a chipping hammer and chip a place to strike an arc and start welding. I remember welding down hand on the truck frame and the flux would peel off while I was still welding. And smooth with no weld spatter. All the tailgates were welded AC with 7014. Here in Ca. a lot of the lift gates are Walco Truck Equipment. They're proof that an AC machine will give you a sound weld.
For your question Shoneyboy I'll tell you what I learned right here at SMF. After your 100% confident that the tank is empty, no propane, leave the valve open for 3 or 4 days. When I got my tank I couldn't tell if it still had propane in it. I hooked up my
turkey fryer and burned it until the fire went out by itself. It lasted 3 hours. I did this again the next night and the fire lasted 15 minutes. This is when I left the valve open. I was this cautious because I couldn't tell where I was at with this tank. When messing with a used propane tank you cannot be too cautious. Then removed all the fittings from the tank. Then fill with soapy water, I used automatic dish washer soap because I heard it was concentrated, but any dish soap will work. Let it soak over night and siphon out. Fill it again with soapy water and let soak over night and siphon out. Now fill with water to a couple of inches of where you first cut will be, which is probably the top of the door. You should cut the top of the door and then install your hinges before cutting the rest of the door. The door is where it should be and there's no hassle fitting a heavy awkward piece of metal later. I used a plasma but you can used abrasives or torch. It all gets the job done. One thing no one mentioned was the need to leave clearance between the door and the tank. I would leave at least a 1/8" to 1/4" all around. That's just me. I welded flat bar inside and out to get a better seal.
I bought 2 sheets of 1/4" plate for a work bench 12 years ago for $300. but since my wife has used it for storage in the garage all these years I won't count that. I bought a trailer a couple of years ago for a different project, $450, so I won't count that. I got a 250 gal propane tank for $150 in October. I ordered $250 worth of flat bar, angle, square tubing, fattened expanded metal, and some sheet metal. I had my Oxygen and Acetylene tanks filled $75. 3 nice temp gauges $50. A fiasco with the air flow into the fire box cost $100. Necessary tools and misc. another $200. Free stuff is good indeed. My job gave me a 3/8" plate. 4" SS product tube to use for the chimney pipe. So it does add up. I'm looking for some red VHT flame proof paint. It's supposed to be silica ceramic 2000 degree paint. It's not gloss but I think it will look nice. You can check recycle yards. Here in Stockton they had nothing, but I heard it's all timing. So ball park I'm into about $1300 and still going.
Lots of luck and go ahead.
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