| Author |
Message |
mark (66.43.13.4)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 2:37 pm: | |
I'm getting ready to order the stainless, but thought I had better check with some of you that know more about this than myself!
I plan on 16 guage sheet metal (which is almost 1/16th of an inch thick)
My tank dimensions are 5'x3'x1' (112 gallons)
Is 16 guage heavy enough?
Thanks!
mark
75 gillig 636D |
Henry R. Bergman, Jr. (Henryofcj) (63.224.197.10)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 3:12 pm: | |
Wow, your sizes are about what I want to use also. Are you going to baffle the tank and if soosss, how many and how far apart?
Seems to me (what do I know?) that 16 gage is plenty if the tank has several support points on the bottom.
Someone also told me 308 SS was the "perfect" stuff, but I do not know why. Maybe someone can enlighten me. Good luck. |
H3JIm (68.107.62.94)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 3:30 pm: | |
I know you have chosen the stainless for a reason, and the size for space reasons, and I admit I know nothing of your situation.
I just purchased 4 tanks from www.ronco-plastics.com, in Tustin Ca. and I am very happy with the tanks, and very happy with the way they do business. Al;though they make many sizes, they make a tank that is 59 3/4 x 18 1/2 x 11 3/4. Two would give you pretty close to your size. they list for $250 each. Ronco will give discounts of between 25% to 50%, making that very competitive. Included in the price is adding spun welded fittings for inlet, outlet and vents in any location you want.
I have no interest in the company, I am just very satisfied for the value I got, and would like to spread the word. Is this OK Ian? |
Sam Sperbeck (204.248.119.254)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 3:45 pm: | |
Hi Mark,
If your tank will be laying on one of it's 3'X 5' surfaces, with a depth of 1' you should be OK with 16 gauge without baffles, but if it is sitting on a 1' X 5' side I would suggest 14 gauge and two equally spaced baffles. Mine are about the same size as yours and stand on one of the smaller sides, made with 14 gauge and two baffles and there is some bulging, but have never leaked. I put a 1" thick piece of rigid styrofoam under my tanks for both freeze protection and to provide a solid surface for them to set on, instead of just settind them on the ribbed bagage compartment floor. Good luck.
Thanks, Sam Sperbeck
La Crescent, MN |
James Maxwell (Jmaxwell) (66.81.60.148)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 10:12 pm: | |
H3jim: If it ain't ok it SHOULD be! I think that is the same place a friend of mine recently got his at for his 102A3. Good quality, good price. |
Adame (129.82.52.225)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 1:04 am: | |
More important than the gage is how the joints are done. Stainless steel has a tensile strength of (I'm guessing here) around 60,000 pounds per square inch so it's plenty strong for your purpose even in the lighter gages. If your fabricator can only shear and butt weld the edges together at 90 degrees then 16 gage sounds adequate if the weld is well done. A better way to build a tank is to make shallow pans to be the tank ends. Push these pans into the ends of the outer wrap whether it be 3 sided with a separate top or a 4 sided, one piece wrap. Spot weld these pans and top in place then edge weld the edges of the wrap to the end pans. By doing it this way the weldor has material to fuse together with out having to add any filler rod except at the corners. Also the force against the weld is in bending as well as shear and so it makes a much stronger joint. |
FAST FRED (4.245.218.193)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 5:30 am: | |
If a plastic tank is OTS in your size , it certanly would be my first choice.
Crevace corrosion is a problem with all SS welded items that stay wet.
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Why build in long term hassles?
FAST FRED |