make a cheap 6" quench tank

jacqueeagonsr

jacqueeagonsr

Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
203
Several of you have seen (and all of us should see) Bruce Bump's project thread on his dagger/pistol - fantastic work!! Anyway, in that thread he had a partial picture of his quench tank(s) and I have been wanting one. He was kind enough to post a picture and descriptions of his 3" and 4" tanks and stated that he wanted a 6" tank. Well, if that's what the master smith wants, that's what I want as well. So, I made one - very cheap. It's simply 2 two pound coffee cans. Cut the bottom out of one and weld them together. Here's a bit of a quote from calculations I had published in Bruce's thread.
"Just FYI, I ran thru some math for anyone who is interested. My tank of ToughQuench is roughly 6.5"x4"x9" or 234 cubic inches. The 4x24 tank holds 301 cubic inches or roughly 1.25 gallons. The 3x22 tank holds 155 cubic inches or .66 gallons. A 6x8.25 tank would hold 1 gallon; 6x12.5 holds 1.5 gallons and 6x16.5 holds 2 gallons. (all measurements are 'full to the brim' and approximate)."
My tank is about 12" tall and, as such, will hold about 1.5 gallons of quench. It's wide enough that, short of kicking it over, I don't think it will need any type of brace. Bruce want's a taller one - three cans might require a brace for stability.
Now, I first tried to weld it together using the #3 tip on my jewelers torch. But, I'm a terrible welder and kept punching little pin sized holes in the sides. I finally decided to stop the leaks with JB Weld. And, if I had this to do over, I'd just temporarily duct tape it together on the inside to hold it together while I JB Weld'ed the outside. I have not used it yet - but, it holds water and, in theory, should work.
Regards,
Jacque Eagon
I did this post about 18 months ago (originally) - this edit is to fix deleted photobucket pics. I've had quench oil in it all that time with no leaks.
12" Bowie
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by a ruler, but the marks are hard to read
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a bad weld and pin holes patched with JB Weld
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more patches, but it doesn't leak
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Jacque, thats a great idea and you can put the lid on it, hey JB weld should do the trick, maybe a coat of duck tape just for looks plus you can write "Tough Quench" on it. I think it needs a stand to help keep it from getting bumped over and having your wife sop up 1.5 gal. of tough quench. The size is perfect.
 
Wow - your wife must be much more sympathetic than mine. She'd just say :eek: "Don't track any in the house after you get it cleaned up!!"

J.
 
That will work - maybe. ( I would worry about leaks.)
A better tank is a piece of 6" pipe welded to a 12" disk of steel. Make a top to sit on it when not in use ( and to put out flare ups). Add side handles so you can move it when done (130-150F tanks are a bit warm to move by grabbing the sides, and it can slip and spill). I'll try and take a photo of one of mine tomorrow.

BTW, anything twice as tall as it is wide can ( and usually will) tip over ( it has to do with the diagonal balance point). JB weld those cans on a piece of plywood or some type of base. You don't want hot ,flammable oil spilling all over the shop floor just as you stick a piece of 1500F steel in it.

Bruce - If you want one, I will weld you up a 6X20 stainless tank with a base plate, side handles, and a lid.
Stacy
 
[Bruce - If you want one, I will weld you up a 6X20 stainless tank with a base plate, side handles, and a lid.
Stacy[/QUOTE]

Stacy, You have mail!!
 
email received - I'll get on it as soon as the knee lets me back in the shop to weld.
Stacy
 
I started this thread about 18 months ago and just discovered the photobucket pictures were deleted. So, I though I'd fix the pictures and throw it back to the top in case any new forgers were looking for a solution to this problem.
J
 
I welded up Bruce a 6"X24" stainless tank with lid. Slapped a shipping label on the side, and sent it to him wrapped in plastic wrap. The guys at the PO got a chuckle out of it. It looked like some sort of big bomb.

One cheap source for a 24X6" tank is a used soft drink tank. They are the stainless steel ones that the hook up to the fountain hoses. Just cut it off at the top. They are pretty thin metal, so making a simple collar of some sort ,to cover the cut edge , will be a good idea. You can often get one of these tanks free, or for a few dollars at the scrap yard. As always, improvise or make some sort of a lid. A #10 can works just right as a cover/lid.

Stacy
 
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I use a Stainless Steel soft drink tank that I modified a little. I melted about 1/2 coffee can of lead, and poured it into the bottom of the tank. Not only does this give it a lot more stability, but it will help keep the bottom from puncture if I drop a large Bowie during the quench. I don't have to move it around very often, so the increase in weight doesn't matter.

Ray
 
bladsmth said:
I welded up Bruce a 6"X24" stainless tank with lid. Slapped a shipping label on the side, and sent it to him wrapped in plastic wrap. The guys at the PO got a chuckle out of it. It looked like some sort of big bomb.

One cheap source for a 24X6" tank is a used soft drink tank. They are the stainless steel ones that the hook up to the fountain hoses. Just cut it off at the top. They are pretty thin metal, so making a simple collar of some sort ,to cover the cut edge , will be a good idea. You can often get one of these tanks free, or for a few dollars at the scrap yard. As always, improvise or make some sort of a lid. A #10 can works just right as a cover/lid.

Stacy
Click to expand...

When do I get mine??
 
One thing about the coffee can for quenching is that it is easy to puncture a hole in the bottom or sides as the metal is very thin. I used one for a while and had this happen to me. However, they are cheap and plentiful so swapping over to a new one was not a big deal.
 
I hadn't thought of what would happen if a dropped a blade and poked a hole in the bottom. I have some 1/4" plate steel laying around - think I'll cut me a circle to fit in the bottom of my coffee can tank. Thanks for pointing out the potential problem.
J.
 
I just found this old thread. Thanks for reviving it. Here is the tank Stacy made and sent me. I'm forever in his debt. I love this thing.

100_4807.jpg
 
How about using a metal ammo can? a .50 cal or 20mm can would be an awesome quench tank, if you could find a tube off of a 120mm sabot pallet that would be good also.
 
Bruce, Glad to see that the tank worked for you.

If you have a welders supply in town that you can get friendly with, they regularly have oxygen (and other) tanks that they are going to scrap. Remove the valve and cut the tank in half - it makes a great quench tank. Scrap yards often have them,too. If the quench tank is going to be tall, weld it to a base plate of sheet steel.

If you leave the top half about 8-16" long (the part that had the valve), and make a hanger with a big eye-bolt. It makes a great dinner bell to hang by the back door so Momma can call you in from the shop. You won't believe how well these "bells" ring.

You can sell these "bells" (and purchase some quench oil with the money). Spray paint them black, forge out either a clapper or a small steel hammer to strike it with.

Stacy
 
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