Baking Tanks

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gwrdriver
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Baking Tanks

Post by gwrdriver »

I'm thinking of trying to soft-solder a pair of brass side tanks in my kitchen oven. Both tanks will fit into my oven with room to spare and my thinking is to prep well and butter everything with solder paste and simply bake them for a while.

Has anyone tried this before and what were the results?

It's occurred to me that it might be better to break the tanks down into assemblies, which I could do, to insure good solder penetration and avoid solder pooling or filleting where it isn't wanted.
(Tank photo coming.)
GWRdriver
Nashville TN
jscarmozza
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Re: Baking Tanks

Post by jscarmozza »

I'd be interested in hearing how it works out for you.

I did a rather complicated flashing job a few years ago, I tinned the the mating surfaces and soldered them together by gently heating the joints with my spot welder...it worked like charm. Always interested in a better mousetrap.
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Dick_Morris
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Re: Baking Tanks

Post by Dick_Morris »

I've done silver soldering in an oven for lost wax burn out and it worked fine.

Does your kitchen oven get hot enough to melt solder?
rkcarguy
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Re: Baking Tanks

Post by rkcarguy »

I typically focus the heat where I want the solder to go, and I'm not sure your oven will get hot enough so I don't think it's a great idea. The soft solder I use for instance has a melting temperature of 485*, but I run hotter than that and move faster for a better joint.
Propane torches are less than $20 anymore.
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LVRR2095
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Re: Baking Tanks

Post by LVRR2095 »

I’m guessing a minute in the microwave won’t cut the mustard??
😊
Keith
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Bill Shields
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Re: Baking Tanks

Post by Bill Shields »

eh....theoretically it is an ok idea -> but in practice...…

you are REALLY GOOD with a torch......
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
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gwrdriver
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Re: Baking Tanks

Post by gwrdriver »

LVRR2095 wrote: Sat Jun 09, 2018 10:57 amI’m guessing a minute in the microwave won’t cut the mustard?? 😊 Keith
Keith,
That's fine for frozen burritos . . . where I'm not particularly concerned about uneven thermal expansion or fireworks! :D
.
.
Attachments
Occasionally I'll make shirt-cardboard mock-ups, to see how the proportions look.
Occasionally I'll make shirt-cardboard mock-ups, to see how the proportions look.
Early stages of construction - all plate-&-angle.
Early stages of construction - all plate-&-angle.
Not too far from closing up . . with filler hatches on just for the "photo op."
Not too far from closing up . . with filler hatches on just for the "photo op."
GWRdriver
Nashville TN
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Bill Shields
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Re: Baking Tanks

Post by Bill Shields »

seeing where you are headed....understand your concern.....
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
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gwrdriver
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Re: Baking Tanks

Post by gwrdriver »

The front ends are fairly simple in construction, but at the back things get more complex. There's the step-down in top height, but there's also a step in width near the back (the notch in the base seen in Photo 2) to pass piping, and then in the vertical of the top step-down there will be a heaving gauge plate for bolting on the spectacle plate. Lots going on in a limited space.
GWRdriver
Nashville TN
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Builder01
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Re: Baking Tanks

Post by Builder01 »

Very nice brass plate work! I also put my tanks together with screws and angle. 1/4" brass angle with 2-56 flat head screws. I did the final assembly using high-temp RTV. The top of the tanks were attached with the screws and a 1/64" gasket so the top can be removed to service any of the connectors or the hand pump. The left hand tank has a cutaway to clear the reversing gear reach rod which made the inside face of the tank a bit complicated. I was not enthusiastic about bringing all of this up to soft solder temperature. The RTV seems to work well. I did not go crazy with the RTV, a small bead just large enough to do the job, applied to well fitting joints.
DSCN1535 - reduced.jpg
DSCN1543 - resized 4.jpg
David
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gwrdriver
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Re: Baking Tanks

Post by gwrdriver »

RTV . . Hmmm food for thought, and I had given some kind of "glue" (as opposed to a sealer) some thought, but the last time I did that (many years ago) the result was a mess. I'm sure adhesives are superior to what they were then, still . . . I'd counted on solder to seal and allow the screws to be filed away once soldering was completed. Perhaps there's composite construction in these tank futures.
Likewise my tank tops will be removable and I haven't decided whether to use model hex bolts or allow F.H. screws (. . but only just this once, of course.)
I've included a couple of baffles, to reduce sloshing, although I don't know how much "sloshing" there might actually be in a tank of this size. (Approx 6"h x 12"L x 3"w) That's one of those "OK, you have the material, might as well, while the tanks are open" decisions.
GWRdriver
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LVRR2095
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Re: Baking Tanks

Post by LVRR2095 »

Harry, are these for your Tich?

Keith
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