I have a 30 gallon Dayton tank, about 25 years old. It developed a
crack right next to where a leg is welded on. The tank had the failure
early in it's life at about 5 years old. It's been sitting ever since.
Grainger wants $600 now, I think I paid $200. It has a 5hp Kellog
American 2-stage pump that has very few hours on it after a re-deux. At
one time it was hooked up to the system as a 3rd tier back-up and the
tank was bypassed. It only ran during a monthly test.

I'm thinking of adding it as an air supply on the far side of the shop,
about 150' as we are making additional work cells there.

Can I repair it and get it certified or should I Send it out to be
repaired? I've seen exploded tanks and I hope to avoid that.

Tom Gardner wrote:
I have a 30 gallon Dayton tank, about 25 years old. It developed a
crack right next to where a leg is welded on. The tank had the failure
early in it's life at about 5 years old. It's been sitting ever since.
Grainger wants $600 now, I think I paid $200. It has a 5hp Kellog
American 2-stage pump that has very few hours on it after a re-deux. At
one time it was hooked up to the system as a 3rd tier back-up and the
tank was bypassed. It only ran during a monthly test.

I'm thinking of adding it as an air supply on the far side of the shop,
about 150' as we are making additional work cells there.

Can I repair it and get it certified or should I Send it out to be
repaired? I've seen exploded tanks and I hope to avoid that.


Send it out to a certified shop. That way you are covered if it fails. I
don't trust most compressors and locate them either outside the normal
work areas or inside a separate room. That also allows for much quieter
shop floor and usually cleaner air since you can install larger filters.
My current compressor is set up in a small 8X8 shed located next to the
shop. I also keep the spare parts like oil and belts in there as well.

--
Steve W.

In article ,
"Steve W." wrote:

Tom Gardner wrote:
I have a 30 gallon Dayton tank, about 25 years old. It developed a
crack right next to where a leg is welded on. The tank had the failure
early in it's life at about 5 years old. It's been sitting ever since.
Grainger wants $600 now, I think I paid $200. It has a 5hp Kellog
American 2-stage pump that has very few hours on it after a re-deux. At
one time it was hooked up to the system as a 3rd tier back-up and the
tank was bypassed. It only ran during a monthly test.

I'm thinking of adding it as an air supply on the far side of the shop,
about 150' as we are making additional work cells there.

Can I repair it and get it certified or should I Send it out to be
repaired? I've seen exploded tanks and I hope to avoid that.


Send it out to a certified shop. That way you are covered if it fails. I
don't trust most compressors and locate them either outside the normal
work areas or inside a separate room. That also allows for much quieter
shop floor and usually cleaner air since you can install larger filters.
My current compressor is set up in a small 8X8 shed located next to the
shop. I also keep the spare parts like oil and belts in there as well.

I concur.

Erik

In article ,
"Steve W." wrote:

Tom Gardner wrote:
I have a 30 gallon Dayton tank, about 25 years old. It developed a
crack right next to where a leg is welded on. The tank had the failure
early in it's life at about 5 years old. It's been sitting ever since.
Grainger wants $600 now, I think I paid $200. It has a 5hp Kellog
American 2-stage pump that has very few hours on it after a re-deux. At
one time it was hooked up to the system as a 3rd tier back-up and the
tank was bypassed. It only ran during a monthly test.

I'm thinking of adding it as an air supply on the far side of the shop,
about 150' as we are making additional work cells there.

Can I repair it and get it certified or should I Send it out to be
repaired? I've seen exploded tanks and I hope to avoid that.


Send it out to a certified shop. That way you are covered if it fails. I
don't trust most compressors and locate them either outside the normal
work areas or inside a separate room. That also allows for much quieter
shop floor and usually cleaner air since you can install larger filters.
My current compressor is set up in a small 8X8 shed located next to the
shop. I also keep the spare parts like oil and belts in there as well.

Tanks also last longer if the compressor is not mounted to them. Mount
the compressor on vibration mounts to a solid foundation, give it a nice
long cooling run to the tank with a drain leg, and save the tank a bunch
of vibratory fatigue stress. Me at least 3 for keeping it outside to
minimize noise and the extent of bad things that can happen (borrow from
boiler houses and design your shed with strong walls and a weak roof if
you want to be even more cautious about tank explosions.)

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by
Please don't feed the trolls. Killfile and ignore them so they will go away.

On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 23:55:42 -0400, Tom Gardner wrote:

I have a 30 gallon Dayton tank, about 25 years old. It developed a
crack right next to where a leg is welded on. The tank had the failure
early in it's life at about 5 years old. It's been sitting ever since.
Grainger wants $600 now, I think I paid $200. It has a 5hp Kellog
American 2-stage pump that has very few hours on it after a re-deux. At
one time it was hooked up to the system as a 3rd tier back-up and the
tank was bypassed. It only ran during a monthly test.

I'm thinking of adding it as an air supply on the far side of the shop,
about 150' as we are making additional work cells there.

Can I repair it and get it certified or should I Send it out to be
repaired? I've seen exploded tanks and I hope to avoid that.

And amidst all this discussion about welding and siting of tanks and what
not, be thankful that we don't just read topic titles on this group.

'cause if we did, you'd have a bunch of DEA agents and young unemployed
men with hoodies and baggy pants hanging around outside your shop...

--
Tim Wescott
Control system and signal processing consulting
www.wescottdesign.com

On 2012-06-20, Tom Gardner Mars@Tacks wrote:
I have a 30 gallon Dayton tank, about 25 years old. It developed a
crack right next to where a leg is welded on. The tank had the failure
early in it's life at about 5 years old. It's been sitting ever since.
Grainger wants $600 now, I think I paid $200. It has a 5hp Kellog
American 2-stage pump that has very few hours on it after a re-deux. At
one time it was hooked up to the system as a 3rd tier back-up and the
tank was bypassed. It only ran during a monthly test.

I'm thinking of adding it as an air supply on the far side of the shop,
about 150' as we are making additional work cells there.

Can I repair it and get it certified or should I Send it out to be
repaired? I've seen exploded tanks and I hope to avoid that.

The cheapest would be to buy another used compressor and use its tank.

i

On 2012-06-20, Tim Wescott wrote:
On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 23:55:42 -0400, Tom Gardner wrote:

I have a 30 gallon Dayton tank, about 25 years old. It developed a
crack right next to where a leg is welded on. The tank had the failure
early in it's life at about 5 years old. It's been sitting ever since.
Grainger wants $600 now, I think I paid $200. It has a 5hp Kellog
American 2-stage pump that has very few hours on it after a re-deux. At
one time it was hooked up to the system as a 3rd tier back-up and the
tank was bypassed. It only ran during a monthly test.

I'm thinking of adding it as an air supply on the far side of the shop,
about 150' as we are making additional work cells there.

Can I repair it and get it certified or should I Send it out to be
repaired? I've seen exploded tanks and I hope to avoid that.

And amidst all this discussion about welding and siting of tanks and what
not, be thankful that we don't just read topic titles on this group.

'cause if we did, you'd have a bunch of DEA agents and young unemployed
men with hoodies and baggy pants hanging around outside your shop...


He already has those men in hoodies and baggy pants hanging outside
his shop.

i

On Jun 20, 8:38*am, Ignoramus30212 ignoramus30...@NOSPAM.
30212.invalid wrote:
On 2012-06-20, Tom Gardner Mars@Tacks wrote:

I have a 30 gallon Dayton tank, about 25 years old. *It developed a
crack right next to where a leg is welded on. *The tank had the failure
early in it's life at about 5 years old. It's been sitting ever since.
* Grainger wants $600 now, I think I paid $200. *It has a 5hp Kellog
American 2-stage pump that has very few hours on it after a re-deux. *At
one time it was hooked up to the system as a 3rd tier back-up and the
tank was bypassed. *It only ran during a monthly test.

I'm thinking of adding it as an air supply on the far side of the shop,
about 150' as we are making additional work cells there.

Can I repair it and get it certified or should I Send it out to be
repaired? *I've seen exploded tanks and I hope to avoid that.

The cheapest would be to buy another used compressor and use its tank.

Ditto. Good, near-new tanks show up on CL regularly. I've bought 2
very nice 60-gallon tanks for $50 each. The motors or pumps usually
fail much earlier than the tank.

"Ignoramus30212" wrote in message
...
On 2012-06-20, Tom Gardner Mars@Tacks wrote:
I have a 30 gallon Dayton tank, about 25 years old. It developed a
crack right next to where a leg is welded on. The tank had the failure
early in it's life at about 5 years old. It's been sitting ever since.
Grainger wants $600 now, I think I paid $200. It has a 5hp Kellog
American 2-stage pump that has very few hours on it after a re-deux. At
one time it was hooked up to the system as a 3rd tier back-up and the
tank was bypassed. It only ran during a monthly test.

I'm thinking of adding it as an air supply on the far side of the shop,
about 150' as we are making additional work cells there.

Can I repair it and get it certified or should I Send it out to be
repaired? I've seen exploded tanks and I hope to avoid that.

The cheapest would be to buy another used compressor and use its tank.


He's too stupid to figure something like that out on his own.

On 6/20/2012 10:57 AM, PrecisionmachinisT wrote:
"Ignoramus30212" wrote in message
...
On 2012-06-20, Tom Gardner Mars@Tacks wrote:
I have a 30 gallon Dayton tank, about 25 years old. It developed a
crack right next to where a leg is welded on. The tank had the failure
early in it's life at about 5 years old. It's been sitting ever since.
Grainger wants $600 now, I think I paid $200. It has a 5hp Kellog
American 2-stage pump that has very few hours on it after a re-deux. At
one time it was hooked up to the system as a 3rd tier back-up and the
tank was bypassed. It only ran during a monthly test.

I'm thinking of adding it as an air supply on the far side of the shop,
about 150' as we are making additional work cells there.

Can I repair it and get it certified or should I Send it out to be
repaired? I've seen exploded tanks and I hope to avoid that.

The cheapest would be to buy another used compressor and use its tank.


He's too stupid to figure something like that out on his own.



Awww, is your cheese-check late? Need a few quick 40's to calm your
nerves? Is your drug dealer not giving you credit and you're jonesing
fox a fix? It's so sad to have you laying around your mother's trailer
waiting to steal her crazy check leaving harsh marks on her furniture,
she BEGS you to wear pants or at least underwear even if they're filthy.
For God's sake WEAR PANTS!

On 6/20/2012 9:38 AM, Ignoramus30212 wrote:
On 2012-06-20, Tom Gardner Mars@Tacks wrote:
I have a 30 gallon Dayton tank, about 25 years old. It developed a
crack right next to where a leg is welded on. The tank had the failure
early in it's life at about 5 years old. It's been sitting ever since.
Grainger wants $600 now, I think I paid $200. It has a 5hp Kellog
American 2-stage pump that has very few hours on it after a re-deux. At
one time it was hooked up to the system as a 3rd tier back-up and the
tank was bypassed. It only ran during a monthly test.

I'm thinking of adding it as an air supply on the far side of the shop,
about 150' as we are making additional work cells there.

Can I repair it and get it certified or should I Send it out to be
repaired? I've seen exploded tanks and I hope to avoid that.

The cheapest would be to buy another used compressor and use its tank.

i


That's the first thing I did, it seems like tanks or complete
compressors are at a premium here right now. The cheapest I found was
an 80 gal. for $500 with a pump that "needs work". Freight from out of
town is a killer.

On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 23:55:42 -0400, Tom Gardner Mars@Tacks wrote:

I have a 30 gallon Dayton tank, about 25 years old. It developed a
crack right next to where a leg is welded on. The tank had the failure
early in it's life at about 5 years old. It's been sitting ever since.
Grainger wants $600 now, I think I paid $200.

Whoa! Replacing a 30 gallon tank is serious business! Surely Gunner
has a premium replacement for $5 that's as good as new and only barely
used by a little old lady from Pasadena. AND he has the inside track
on the roving bands of cullers. Need I say more? You'll have your new
tank by the end of the year FOR SURE. I'm picturing several scruffy
Aholes in the back of a ****box pickup. One of them riding your tank
Major Kong style and another wearing camo face paint and carrying one
of these. http://tinyurl.com/7k2f2ma (don't miss second review) In
exchange for the free transport of the tank the cullers might want to
stay over though. You should bring in a porta potty for them otherwise
they'll use your bathroom which could be troublesome. Or at least get
a good quality plunger ahead of time. If you have any difficulty
locating one of those then start another thread to ask for help with
the mission.

On Wed, 20 Jun 2012 12:08:45 -0400, Tom Gardner Mars@Tacks wrote:

On 6/20/2012 9:38 AM, Ignoramus30212 wrote:
On 2012-06-20, Tom Gardner Mars@Tacks wrote:
I have a 30 gallon Dayton tank, about 25 years old. It developed a
crack right next to where a leg is welded on. The tank had the failure
early in it's life at about 5 years old. It's been sitting ever since.
Grainger wants $600 now, I think I paid $200. It has a 5hp Kellog
American 2-stage pump that has very few hours on it after a re-deux. At
one time it was hooked up to the system as a 3rd tier back-up and the
tank was bypassed. It only ran during a monthly test.

I'm thinking of adding it as an air supply on the far side of the shop,
about 150' as we are making additional work cells there.

Can I repair it and get it certified or should I Send it out to be
repaired? I've seen exploded tanks and I hope to avoid that.

The cheapest would be to buy another used compressor and use its tank.

i


That's the first thing I did, it seems like tanks or complete
compressors are at a premium here right now. The cheapest I found was
an 80 gal. for $500 with a pump that "needs work". Freight from out of
town is a killer.

It will only be high while you need it. Soon as you're done, you'll
see one for give away. VBG

Another possible is 100 lb. LP tanks. The valve just threads off and
you have 3/4 NPT. Makes a great surge tank and little floor space.

Karl

My only experience with with a tank was as follows: I got a crack in the
same area. I thought that I would weld a patch over it. When I hit it with
the wirefeed, it blew a hole. I got a small piece of plate, and patched it
oversize to the leak. I cleaned all the paint off, etc. I welded it on,
and it looked pretty good. It still leaked. I ended up selling it at a
yard sale, with a sign that the tank leaked, and it was for parts only. I
don't know, maybe the guy who bought it got it fixed.

As said before, there may be some liability in fixing one, and it may be
something that comes back to bite you. If I ever have another go out, I'll
just go get another. Fixing them is a toss up. It may last for years, and
it may blow up tomorrow. And they always die at the worst time.

Steve

On 2012-06-20, Tom Gardner Mars@Tacks wrote:
On 6/20/2012 12:42 PM, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Wed, 20 Jun 2012 07:28:36 -0400, Ecnerwal
wrote:



Send it out to a certified shop. That way you are covered if it fails. I
don't trust most compressors and locate them either outside the normal
work areas or inside a separate room. That also allows for much quieter
shop floor and usually cleaner air since you can install larger filters.
My current compressor is set up in a small 8X8 shed located next to the
shop. I also keep the spare parts like oil and belts in there as well.

Tanks also last longer if the compressor is not mounted to them. Mount
the compressor on vibration mounts to a solid foundation, give it a nice
long cooling run to the tank with a drain leg, and save the tank a bunch
of vibratory fatigue stress. Me at least 3 for keeping it outside to
minimize noise and the extent of bad things that can happen (borrow from
boiler houses and design your shed with strong walls and a weak roof if
you want to be even more cautious about tank explosions.)

--

Im not sure its going to be worth it to put a cracked 30 gallon tank in
for repair and then plumb it in. Given the huge number of 100-500
gallon verticle/horizontal air tanks out there for free or close to
it...Id suggest sending it to the scrappers and picking up at least a
100 gallon for reserve.

Gunner



I've been looking for a month now, rare as hen's teeth just now...maybe
later the used machine supply houses will be glutted with them. I'd
prefer an 80 for this application.

Damn, it's just a little crack on a weld on a leg. I assume the
vibration from the big pump and motor were too much for that little tank.


Was the compressor ever dropped in the legs, during installation etc?

We had the same problem, my guy welded it, had a pinhole like Steve B,
welded over the pinhole, it is fine now.

i

On Wed, 20 Jun 2012 12:12:15 -0500, Karl Townsend
wrote:

On Wed, 20 Jun 2012 12:08:45 -0400, Tom Gardner Mars@Tacks wrote:

On 6/20/2012 9:38 AM, Ignoramus30212 wrote:
On 2012-06-20, Tom Gardner Mars@Tacks wrote:
I have a 30 gallon Dayton tank, about 25 years old. It developed a
crack right next to where a leg is welded on. The tank had the failure
early in it's life at about 5 years old. It's been sitting ever since.
Grainger wants $600 now, I think I paid $200. It has a 5hp Kellog
American 2-stage pump that has very few hours on it after a re-deux. At
one time it was hooked up to the system as a 3rd tier back-up and the
tank was bypassed. It only ran during a monthly test.

I'm thinking of adding it as an air supply on the far side of the shop,
about 150' as we are making additional work cells there.

Can I repair it and get it certified or should I Send it out to be
repaired? I've seen exploded tanks and I hope to avoid that.

The cheapest would be to buy another used compressor and use its tank.

i


That's the first thing I did, it seems like tanks or complete
compressors are at a premium here right now. The cheapest I found was
an 80 gal. for $500 with a pump that "needs work". Freight from out of
town is a killer.

It will only be high while you need it. Soon as you're done, you'll
see one for give away. VBG

Another possible is 100 lb. LP tanks. The valve just threads off and
you have 3/4 NPT. Makes a great surge tank and little floor space.

Karl
That's what I have for my compressor tank. Might not pas department of
labour or OHSA muster though.

On 6/20/2012 9:14 PM, Ignoramus30212 wrote:
On 2012-06-20, Tom Gardner Mars@Tacks wrote:
On 6/20/2012 12:42 PM, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Wed, 20 Jun 2012 07:28:36 -0400, Ecnerwal
wrote:



Send it out to a certified shop. That way you are covered if it fails. I
don't trust most compressors and locate them either outside the normal
work areas or inside a separate room. That also allows for much quieter
shop floor and usually cleaner air since you can install larger filters.
My current compressor is set up in a small 8X8 shed located next to the
shop. I also keep the spare parts like oil and belts in there as well.

Tanks also last longer if the compressor is not mounted to them. Mount
the compressor on vibration mounts to a solid foundation, give it a nice
long cooling run to the tank with a drain leg, and save the tank a bunch
of vibratory fatigue stress. Me at least 3 for keeping it outside to
minimize noise and the extent of bad things that can happen (borrow from
boiler houses and design your shed with strong walls and a weak roof if
you want to be even more cautious about tank explosions.)

--

Im not sure its going to be worth it to put a cracked 30 gallon tank in
for repair and then plumb it in. Given the huge number of 100-500
gallon verticle/horizontal air tanks out there for free or close to
it...Id suggest sending it to the scrappers and picking up at least a
100 gallon for reserve.

Gunner



I've been looking for a month now, rare as hen's teeth just now...maybe
later the used machine supply houses will be glutted with them. I'd
prefer an 80 for this application.

Damn, it's just a little crack on a weld on a leg. I assume the
vibration from the big pump and motor were too much for that little tank.


Was the compressor ever dropped in the legs, during installation etc?

We had the same problem, my guy welded it, had a pinhole like Steve B,
welded over the pinhole, it is fine now.

i


Not to my knowledge. I think the pump/motor are too big for that tank
and too much vibration was the culprit. I would make a soft mount if I
get it fixed. It sure recovers quick!

On 6/20/2012 9:57 PM, BQ340 wrote:
On 6/20/2012 9:14 PM, Ignoramus30212 wrote:

Was the compressor ever dropped in the legs, during installation etc?

We had the same problem, my guy welded it, had a pinhole like Steve B,
welded over the pinhole, it is fine now.

i


Solder also seals pin holes in compressor tanks. (If it is not a
structural crack)

MikeB


I thought about that. I'd feel guilty for some reason.

On Jun 20, 7:28*am, Ecnerwal
wrote:
In article ,
Me at least 3 for keeping it outside to
minimize noise and the extent of bad things that can happen (borrow from
boiler houses and design your shed with strong walls and a weak roof if
you want to be even more cautious about tank explosions.)

Hey all,

Air compressor tanks exploding???

Is that a real problem???

In my limited experience, when compressor tanks go bad, it has been
with a "hiss" rather than a "bang".

I'm all for keeping them in a shed outside for the noise, etc.
though.
Wish I could here, but my neighbors would be awfully ****ed I'm sure.

Steam Boiler's are a whole different thing. Of course they can blow up
with great force.

Curious if you all have horror stories of "exploding" air compressor
tanks?

Should I be a lot more worried about sitting next to a 60-gallon,
vertical, 2-stage pump/tank that's at about 165 PSI right now?

--

T'Care
PaulS

On 2012-06-21, Tom Gardner Mars@Tacks wrote:
On 6/20/2012 11:56 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 20 Jun 2012 18:08:51 -0400, Tom Gardner Mars@Tacks wrote:

On 6/20/2012 12:42 PM, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Wed, 20 Jun 2012 07:28:36 -0400, Ecnerwal
wrote:



Send it out to a certified shop. That way you are covered if it fails. I
don't trust most compressors and locate them either outside the normal
work areas or inside a separate room. That also allows for much quieter
shop floor and usually cleaner air since you can install larger filters.
My current compressor is set up in a small 8X8 shed located next to the
shop. I also keep the spare parts like oil and belts in there as well.

Tanks also last longer if the compressor is not mounted to them. Mount
the compressor on vibration mounts to a solid foundation, give it a nice
long cooling run to the tank with a drain leg, and save the tank a bunch
of vibratory fatigue stress. Me at least 3 for keeping it outside to
minimize noise and the extent of bad things that can happen (borrow from
boiler houses and design your shed with strong walls and a weak roof if
you want to be even more cautious about tank explosions.)

--

Im not sure its going to be worth it to put a cracked 30 gallon tank in
for repair and then plumb it in. Given the huge number of 100-500
gallon verticle/horizontal air tanks out there for free or close to
it...Id suggest sending it to the scrappers and picking up at least a
100 gallon for reserve.

Gunner



I've been looking for a month now, rare as hen's teeth just now...maybe
later the used machine supply houses will be glutted with them. I'd
prefer an 80 for this application.

Damn, it's just a little crack on a weld on a leg. I assume the
vibration from the big pump and motor were too much for that little tank.
If it was for "MY" home shop use"I" would clean up the cracked area
real well and BRAZE the crack, using high strength brazing rod,
building up a good 1/16 to 1/8 of brass a good half inch around the
crack site in all directions.

Not saying YOU should do it.


Wink, wink.


These tanks are welded, to begin with, they are made to be welded.

On Thu, 21 Jun 2012 10:00:58 -0700 (PDT), Paul Schiller
wrote:


Hey all,

Air compressor tanks exploding???

Is that a real problem???

No but this is Usenet where it costs nothing to warn people to choose
rubber zippers lest their wang get caught in a metal one. Sure you
might be willing to take a chance on metal but what if some
unsuspecting soul borrows your pants? That's where the expression
"suing the pants off" comes from.

Should I be a lot more worried about sitting next to a 60-gallon,
vertical, 2-stage pump/tank that's at about 165 PSI right now?

That's REALLY dangerous! You should have your chair legs X-rayed
immediately.

On 6/21/2012 1:00 PM, Paul Schiller wrote:

In my limited experience, when compressor tanks go bad, it has been
with a "hiss" rather than a "bang".


One of my uncles used to be district manager for 'Bay' Gasoline
stations in Florida. One station had a compressor's tank rupture and
blew a hole in the wall. Some of the shrapnel killed someone. This was
back in the early '60s. After that, all the station's compressors were
moved outside, and into concrete block sheds to reduce or stop future
damage. He had an old station compressor in his garage, but it was only
turned on when he needed air, and never let it run up to full pressure
if anyone was inside the building. He didn't have enough room to build a
similar shed, since the garage was right next to the property line.

On 6/21/2012 1:24 PM, Ignoramus17625 wrote:

These tanks are welded, to begin with, they are made to be welded.


Are you certified to weld them, and do you have the equipment to
x-ray the repair? There is a reason tanks have certification requirements.

On Thu, 21 Jun 2012 12:24:45 -0500, Ignoramus17625
wrote:

On 2012-06-21, Tom Gardner Mars@Tacks wrote:
On 6/20/2012 11:56 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 20 Jun 2012 18:08:51 -0400, Tom Gardner Mars@Tacks wrote:

On 6/20/2012 12:42 PM, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Wed, 20 Jun 2012 07:28:36 -0400, Ecnerwal
wrote:



Send it out to a certified shop. That way you are covered if it fails. I
don't trust most compressors and locate them either outside the normal
work areas or inside a separate room. That also allows for much quieter
shop floor and usually cleaner air since you can install larger filters.
My current compressor is set up in a small 8X8 shed located next to the
shop. I also keep the spare parts like oil and belts in there as well.

Tanks also last longer if the compressor is not mounted to them. Mount
the compressor on vibration mounts to a solid foundation, give it a nice
long cooling run to the tank with a drain leg, and save the tank a bunch
of vibratory fatigue stress. Me at least 3 for keeping it outside to
minimize noise and the extent of bad things that can happen (borrow from
boiler houses and design your shed with strong walls and a weak roof if
you want to be even more cautious about tank explosions.)

--

Im not sure its going to be worth it to put a cracked 30 gallon tank in
for repair and then plumb it in. Given the huge number of 100-500
gallon verticle/horizontal air tanks out there for free or close to
it...Id suggest sending it to the scrappers and picking up at least a
100 gallon for reserve.

Gunner



I've been looking for a month now, rare as hen's teeth just now...maybe
later the used machine supply houses will be glutted with them. I'd
prefer an 80 for this application.

Damn, it's just a little crack on a weld on a leg. I assume the
vibration from the big pump and motor were too much for that little tank.
If it was for "MY" home shop use"I" would clean up the cracked area
real well and BRAZE the crack, using high strength brazing rod,
building up a good 1/16 to 1/8 of brass a good half inch around the
crack site in all directions.

Not saying YOU should do it.


Wink, wink.


These tanks are welded, to begin with, they are made to be welded.
Yes, they are made to be welded - and then X-Rayed and
hydrostatically tested. Brazing, unlike welding, does not run the risk
of undercutting or "burning" the steel - it adds a ductile material
which bonds TO the surface, not menting the substrate. A GOOD welder
can weld it and pretty well guarantee the repair is as strong as, or
stronger than the base metal. Most , even on this list, can not.
With brazing, you can.

wrote

These tanks are welded, to begin with, they are made to be welded.
Yes, they are made to be welded - and then X-Rayed and
hydrostatically tested. Brazing, unlike welding, does not run the risk
of undercutting or "burning" the steel - it adds a ductile material
which bonds TO the surface, not menting the substrate. A GOOD welder
can weld it and pretty well guarantee the repair is as strong as, or
stronger than the base metal. Most , even on this list, can not.
With brazing, you can.

A lot has to do with what is wrong with the tank. If it is leaking because
the mount has been bent, and the wall compromised, then yes, it can be fixed
easily. But, if it is due to corrosion, then it is more difficult because
of thinner wall thicknesses, and the probability that there is more than one
site of compromise.

Steve

Paul Schiller wrote:
Air compressor tanks exploding???

Is that a real problem???

I seem to remember Teenut posting about exploding _cast iron_ tanks. A
totally different animal, but if one didn't remember the "cast iron"
part and just remembered the "exploding air tank" part, a misleading
story could be told.

On Thu, 21 Jun 2012 15:19:05 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:


wrote

These tanks are welded, to begin with, they are made to be welded.
Yes, they are made to be welded - and then X-Rayed and
hydrostatically tested. Brazing, unlike welding, does not run the risk
of undercutting or "burning" the steel - it adds a ductile material
which bonds TO the surface, not menting the substrate. A GOOD welder
can weld it and pretty well guarantee the repair is as strong as, or
stronger than the base metal. Most , even on this list, can not.
With brazing, you can.

A lot has to do with what is wrong with the tank. If it is leaking because
the mount has been bent, and the wall compromised, then yes, it can be fixed
easily. But, if it is due to corrosion, then it is more difficult because
of thinner wall thicknesses, and the probability that there is more than one
site of compromise.

Steve

I believe we are talking about an almost new compressor unit with a
crack close to where the foot was welded on - considered to likely be
due to vibration (metal fatigue) which would lead me to believe the
initial welding of the foot was not stress relieved - resulting in a
crack at the edge of the heat affected zone. Welding is more likely to
make that worse, while brazing, if done correctly, is more likely to
anneal the area around the crack - and the brass will strengthen the
area, where a bead of weld is likely to make the problem worse. Of
course it IS possible to lay a few beads over the area to build it up
with a stick welder to get the same effect, more or less - but brazing
is simpler and a lot less likely to CAUSE a problem down the road.
Could even "sweat braze" a patch over the crack, depending where it
is (not applicable as I understand the failure in this case).

On 2012-06-22, wrote:
I believe we are talking about an almost new compressor unit with a
crack close to where the foot was welded on - considered to likely be
due to vibration (metal fatigue) which would lead me to believe the
initial welding of the foot was not stress relieved - resulting in a
crack at the edge of the heat affected zone. Welding is more likely to
make that worse, while brazing, if done correctly, is more likely to
anneal the area around the crack - and the brass will strengthen the
area, where a bead of weld is likely to make the problem worse. Of
course it IS possible to lay a few beads over the area to build it up
with a stick welder to get the same effect, more or less - but brazing
is simpler and a lot less likely to CAUSE a problem down the road.
Could even "sweat braze" a patch over the crack, depending where it
is (not applicable as I understand the failure in this case).

How do you anneal a braze?

On Thu, 21 Jun 2012 10:00:58 -0700 (PDT), Paul Schiller
wrote:

On Jun 20, 7:28*am, Ecnerwal
wrote:
In article ,
Me at least 3 for keeping it outside to
minimize noise and the extent of bad things that can happen (borrow from
boiler houses and design your shed with strong walls and a weak roof if
you want to be even more cautious about tank explosions.)

Hey all,

Air compressor tanks exploding???

Is that a real problem???

In my limited experience, when compressor tanks go bad, it has been
with a "hiss" rather than a "bang".

I'm all for keeping them in a shed outside for the noise, etc.
though.
Wish I could here, but my neighbors would be awfully ****ed I'm sure.

Steam Boiler's are a whole different thing. Of course they can blow up
with great force.

Curious if you all have horror stories of "exploding" air compressor
tanks?

Should I be a lot more worried about sitting next to a 60-gallon,
vertical, 2-stage pump/tank that's at about 165 PSI right now?
See links below.
http://www.stategazette.com/story/1252787.html
http://www.dli.mn.gov/ccld/BoilerIncidentsAir2.asp
http://www.layitlow.com/forums/25-ai...-crap-out.html
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=69953
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/stateface/ca/05ca010.html
http://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/ne...143896476.html

On Thu, 21 Jun 2012 22:55:00 -0500, Ignoramus17625
wrote:

On 2012-06-22, wrote:
I believe we are talking about an almost new compressor unit with a
crack close to where the foot was welded on - considered to likely be
due to vibration (metal fatigue) which would lead me to believe the
initial welding of the foot was not stress relieved - resulting in a
crack at the edge of the heat affected zone. Welding is more likely to
make that worse, while brazing, if done correctly, is more likely to
anneal the area around the crack - and the brass will strengthen the
area, where a bead of weld is likely to make the problem worse. Of
course it IS possible to lay a few beads over the area to build it up
with a stick welder to get the same effect, more or less - but brazing
is simpler and a lot less likely to CAUSE a problem down the road.
Could even "sweat braze" a patch over the crack, depending where it
is (not applicable as I understand the failure in this case).

How do you anneal a braze?
Brazing helps anneal the steel (heat to dull cherry red and cool
slowly) while welding is more likely to harden the steel (high heat,
and cool quichly)

Don't quench either a welded or brazed patch.

On 6/21/2012 1:24 PM, Ignoramus17625 wrote:
On 2012-06-21, Tom Gardner Mars@Tacks wrote:
On 6/20/2012 11:56 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 20 Jun 2012 18:08:51 -0400, Tom Gardner Mars@Tacks wrote:

On 6/20/2012 12:42 PM, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Wed, 20 Jun 2012 07:28:36 -0400, Ecnerwal
wrote:



Send it out to a certified shop. That way you are covered if it fails. I
don't trust most compressors and locate them either outside the normal
work areas or inside a separate room. That also allows for much quieter
shop floor and usually cleaner air since you can install larger filters.
My current compressor is set up in a small 8X8 shed located next to the
shop. I also keep the spare parts like oil and belts in there as well.

Tanks also last longer if the compressor is not mounted to them. Mount
the compressor on vibration mounts to a solid foundation, give it a nice
long cooling run to the tank with a drain leg, and save the tank a bunch
of vibratory fatigue stress. Me at least 3 for keeping it outside to
minimize noise and the extent of bad things that can happen (borrow from
boiler houses and design your shed with strong walls and a weak roof if
you want to be even more cautious about tank explosions.)

--

Im not sure its going to be worth it to put a cracked 30 gallon tank in
for repair and then plumb it in. Given the huge number of 100-500
gallon verticle/horizontal air tanks out there for free or close to
it...Id suggest sending it to the scrappers and picking up at least a
100 gallon for reserve.

Gunner



I've been looking for a month now, rare as hen's teeth just now...maybe
later the used machine supply houses will be glutted with them. I'd
prefer an 80 for this application.

Damn, it's just a little crack on a weld on a leg. I assume the
vibration from the big pump and motor were too much for that little tank.
If it was for "MY" home shop use"I" would clean up the cracked area
real well and BRAZE the crack, using high strength brazing rod,
building up a good 1/16 to 1/8 of brass a good half inch around the
crack site in all directions.

Not saying YOU should do it.


Wink, wink.


These tanks are welded, to begin with, they are made to be welded.


Have you welded one? I won't tell!

On 6/21/2012 6:19 PM, Steve B wrote:
wrote

These tanks are welded, to begin with, they are made to be welded.
Yes, they are made to be welded - and then X-Rayed and
hydrostatically tested. Brazing, unlike welding, does not run the risk
of undercutting or "burning" the steel - it adds a ductile material
which bonds TO the surface, not menting the substrate. A GOOD welder
can weld it and pretty well guarantee the repair is as strong as, or
stronger than the base metal. Most , even on this list, can not.
With brazing, you can.

A lot has to do with what is wrong with the tank. If it is leaking because
the mount has been bent, and the wall compromised, then yes, it can be fixed
easily. But, if it is due to corrosion, then it is more difficult because
of thinner wall thicknesses, and the probability that there is more than one
site of compromise.

Steve



It's cracked right next to the weld on the leg. It's a tiny crack, you
can only hear it with everything shut down in the whole shop.

On 6/21/2012 8:28 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 21 Jun 2012 15:19:05 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:


wrote

These tanks are welded, to begin with, they are made to be welded.
Yes, they are made to be welded - and then X-Rayed and
hydrostatically tested. Brazing, unlike welding, does not run the risk
of undercutting or "burning" the steel - it adds a ductile material
which bonds TO the surface, not menting the substrate. A GOOD welder
can weld it and pretty well guarantee the repair is as strong as, or
stronger than the base metal. Most , even on this list, can not.
With brazing, you can.

A lot has to do with what is wrong with the tank. If it is leaking because
the mount has been bent, and the wall compromised, then yes, it can be fixed
easily. But, if it is due to corrosion, then it is more difficult because
of thinner wall thicknesses, and the probability that there is more than one
site of compromise.

Steve

I believe we are talking about an almost new compressor unit with a
crack close to where the foot was welded on - considered to likely be
due to vibration (metal fatigue) which would lead me to believe the
initial welding of the foot was not stress relieved - resulting in a
crack at the edge of the heat affected zone. Welding is more likely to
make that worse, while brazing, if done correctly, is more likely to
anneal the area around the crack - and the brass will strengthen the
area, where a bead of weld is likely to make the problem worse. Of
course it IS possible to lay a few beads over the area to build it up
with a stick welder to get the same effect, more or less - but brazing
is simpler and a lot less likely to CAUSE a problem down the road.
Could even "sweat braze" a patch over the crack, depending where it
is (not applicable as I understand the failure in this case).


You got it exactly I do believe.

On 6/21/2012 1:00 PM, Paul Schiller wrote:
On Jun 20, 7:28 am, Ecnerwal
wrote:
In article ,
Me at least 3 for keeping it outside to
minimize noise and the extent of bad things that can happen (borrow from
boiler houses and design your shed with strong walls and a weak roof if
you want to be even more cautious about tank explosions.)

Hey all,

Air compressor tanks exploding???

Is that a real problem???

In my limited experience, when compressor tanks go bad, it has been
with a "hiss" rather than a "bang".

I'm all for keeping them in a shed outside for the noise, etc.
though.
Wish I could here, but my neighbors would be awfully ****ed I'm sure.

Steam Boiler's are a whole different thing. Of course they can blow up
with great force.

Curious if you all have horror stories of "exploding" air compressor
tanks?

Should I be a lot more worried about sitting next to a 60-gallon,
vertical, 2-stage pump/tank that's at about 165 PSI right now?

--

T'Care
PaulS


Usually you WILL just get a hiss but just be aware of what can happen
and make sure the tank doesn't rot from the inside. Why are you running
165? Crank it down if possible, it takes a lot more energy to get those
last 50 psi that the first 100. I run 95-120.