Need advice on building roller

[Ruark]

One last question: will a bi-metal hole saw, properly applied, slowly, with lubricant, etc. make the 2-inch holes in the ends of the tank. I hope so: that's really my only option for the end holes.

 

[LD1]

One last question: will a bi-metal hole saw, properly applied, slowly, with lubricant, etc. make the 2-inch holes in the ends of the tank. I hope so: that's really my only option for the end holes.

Unless I missed something, I thought you were going to use a 1-1/2" shaft.

And I certainly make a 2" hole for that:confused2: WAY too much to fill with weld unless you have a lot of welding under your belt.

 

[Ruark]

Unless I missed something, I thought you were going to use a 1-1/2" shaft.

And I certainly make a 2" hole for that:confused2: WAY too much to fill with weld unless you have a lot of welding under your belt.

Sorry.... I was just using 2" as an example. If I end up finding a 1 1/2" shaft, then of course I'll use a 1 1/2" hole.

Picked up the tank today. It looks great, almost new. Now I need to grind off the legs, etc. and find a way to install a water inlet. I found a very nice 2" rod at a scrap metal yard, but unfortunately it was about 6 inches too short.

It will be interesting trying to figure out how to get the shaft through there. An 8 foot, 2" shaft is HEAVY. So when it's in one end, it'll be hard to get out the other end. There won't be enough sticking out the first end to grab hold of. I'm thinking maybe weld the end of a piece of 1/2" rebar to the end of it. Run it through the holes, then grab the rebar and pull it through. Then cut off the rebar. Just thinking out loud here.

This should be an interesting project. Will post pics as it goes along.

 

[LD1]

I'm thinking maybe weld the end of a piece of 1/2" rebar to the end of it. Run it through the holes, then grab the rebar and pull it through. Then cut off the rebar. Just thinking out loud here.

.

Now your starting to think like the rest of us back-yard fabricators:thumbsup:

 

[moored4]

I'm thinking maybe weld the end of a piece of 1/2" rebar to the end of it. Run it through the holes, then grab the rebar and pull it through. Then cut off the rebar. Just thinking out loud here.

This should be an interesting project. Will post pics as it goes along.

That is what I would do! :thumbsup:

 

[Shield Arc]

BEFORE you do anything with that tank, you better flush it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ruark]

Now your starting to think like the rest of us back-yard fabricators:thumbsup:

Yeah, the more I look at it, the more I start wondering how I'm going to do this and that. Nothing insurmountable, but questions nevertheless. Like on the top, there are 4 threaded openings from approx. 1 to 2 inches in diameter, sticking up about 3/4 an inch. The walls of the protruding parts are probably 3/8 to 1/2 inch think. Hopefully I can grind those down (I can't imagine cutting them) and just weld pieces of 1/8" plate over them.

One thing I haven't figured out is how to get some kind of closeable water inlet in it, to fill and drain water through. Maybe use a brass MPT plug on one of the holes....

 

[Ruark]

BEFORE you do anything with that tank, you better flush it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, I will. The valves were removed YESTERDAY, and he said it still had some pressure in it. I'll run it full of water and let it sit for a couple of days.

 

[moored4]

Yeah, the more I look at it, the more I start wondering how I'm going to do this and that. Nothing insurmountable, but questions nevertheless. Like on the top, there are 4 threaded openings from approx. 1 to 2 inches in diameter, sticking up about 3/4 an inch. The walls of the protruding parts are probably 3/8 to 1/2 inch think. Hopefully I can grind those down (I can't imagine cutting them) and just weld pieces of 1/8" plate over them.

One thing I haven't figured out is how to get some kind of closeable water inlet in it, to fill and drain water through. Maybe use a brass MPT plug on one of the holes....[/QUOTE]
Your last question in this post seems to be answered in the 1st paragraph. you have 4 holes that are proable pipe threaded put some blind/female plugs in them and use them for water access. sticking out 3/4" won't bother the dirt surface that much i don't think! your tires will leave more of an impression than that.

 

[Shield Arc]

Yeah, I will. The valves were removed YESTERDAY, and he said it still had some pressure in it. I'll run it full of water and let it sit for a couple of days.

A lot of people use Dawn dish washing soap. Maybe PM Mark at Everlast he does this all the time.:thumbsup:

 

[Ruark]

A lot of people use Dawn dish washing soap. Maybe PM Mark at Everlast he does this all the time.:thumbsup:

Mark at Everlast? You lost me there.....

 

[LD1]

He is a member here on the board. He sells everlast welders and is in the welding forum frequently:thumbsup:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/members/mark-everlast.html

 

[Ruark]

Here are some pics. First pic shows the tank in back of my truck, well tied down. Second pic has the tractor holding it, payoff from the bucket hooks I welded on a couple of months ago. The third pic shows the threaded holes I was telling you about. For scale, the smallest one has about a 1" opening.

At first, I was agreeing with you that I could just screw in some plugs; it wouldn't matter for just rolling a pasture anyway. But that won't work. The roller needs to have a "scraper bar" going across the front of it, to scrape off mud and stuff that sticks to it while rolling. That won't work if those plugs are sticking out. That biggest one, on the left, sticks out almost an inch, and its walls are about 3/4" thick. I'm not sure how I'm going to get those things off, AND have some kind of pluggable opening for filling/draining water.

Any advice, comments, etc. would be welcome. Do you think I could grind those blasted things off with an angle grinder?

 

[Shield Arc]

It will take several zip discs but you can cut them off with your grinder. All the rollers I've seen have a NPT coupling welding in the end, almost at the top. Rotate the tank / roller where the coupling is on top to fill. Roll the tank / roller where the coupling is on the bottom to drain.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

That tank holds a lot of water; so, you need a good sized drain and vent. I would get a 2" steel pipe coupling, cut two holes a little larger than the outside diameter in the tank end at top and bottom opposite each other and weld in place. Use pipe plugs in the couplings. Will drain and fill fast. If you do not have a torch you can drill a 1/2" hole and use a sawzall to enlarge the hole. Grind off those top fittings and plug with pieces cut from plate with a hole saw, weld flush and smooth out with a grinder, scraper bar will then work.

Ron

 

[Tractor Seabee]

PS: Keep doing these type fabs and you will soon see the value of having a cutting torch. For this project I might even use a torch to weld rather than set up to arc weld. Using O/A, it is a one pass job with no leaks.

As I originally recommended I would use a pipe through the center with a short piece of shafting welded in each end for the axel. You could leave about 4" of the pipe out each end and weld some gussets to spread out the load on the tank ends when that water starts sloshing around. Leave some air space in top of the tank so when it sets out in the sun it doesn't split open from the expanded hydraulic pressure. It is amazing how much water expands when heated. Welds that didn't leak when first filling at 0 psi all of a sudden show up when the water heats up. Filling with water to drive out the gas will work, the steel tank is impervious to the gas but not the smell, just because the tank still smells does not mean the gas is not out.

Ron

 

[Ruark]

Seabee - that's a good point on the water expanding. In any case, it obviously wouldn't hurt to loosen the filling cap a little after using it.

If I'm using a hole saw to make 1 1/2" holes for an axle, I can use that same hole saw to make a hole for a 1 1/2" NPT fitting. It might not fit perfectly on that curve, but I should be able to fill in the gap with a high-deposition rod like 7014.

An alternative is to leave one fitting in place and grind down the others. Then cut a notch in the scraper bar so the fitting will pass through the notch when it rolls around. That might be simpler (and cheaper) than the NPT fitting route.

 

[brokenknee]

This looks like a project I would like try to build also. My question is how do you measure to the center on the ends of the tank that are rounded like a propane tank is?

 

[moored4]

This looks like a project I would like try to build also. My question is how do you measure to the center on the ends of the tank that are rounded like a propane tank is?

Several ways but i would use a large framing square.

 

[brokenknee]

Several ways but i would use a large framing square.

Not sure how I would use a framing square on a round end.