Cone bottom tanks

[bimbo]

G'day
Due to the fantastic help of members on this forum i now have some oil to play with.
The plan is to filter and then settle and run the oil and possible make bio out of the dregs later down the track.

Anyway i am wanting to make a cone bottom tank and wondering what thickness steel people have used or recomend the cone be made out of?
Anyone ever had one bent up at a sheet metal place and if so roughly what did it cost?

Another idea i had was to use an old gas/LPG cylinder bu have absolutly no idea where you would fine one. Any ideas?

Cheers
James

[joe]

Bimbo,

I got 1.4 mm steel that I marked and cut out my self. I had a sheety roll and weld up the seam for $120.

Looking at an hourly rate you be up for 3-4 hour to do the whole thing so maybe expect to pay 250 - 350.

A lpg bootle is a great idea. Try metal recyclers.

Please make you self aware of the dangers when working with old sealed containers.

All the best

[bimbo]

Thanks for that, I was thinking of cutting out the sheet myself or even getting the sheet metal place to cut and shape, but then i would do all the welding myself. Might ring around and get a rough price.

For those that havnt seen in the classified section there are cone bottomed drums FS which would be great if you didn't have access to the tools or ability to build them yourself.

Any other ideas on where to find gas cylinders?

Cheers
James

[taffy]

Hi buddy..saw a really old lpg tank today at a local lpg installer. Didn't enquire on price but he's a good sort of bloke and I reckon he and others like him would ensure the thing was safe to use. It's really only a matter of knowing that the tank is empty before you start anything and the valve is easy to take out on the old tanks a turn at a time until you know nothing else is coming out then give the inside a good squirt of water replace the valve with any sort of tape or sealer because you are not going to be using it for gas again then take the top off. lpg is combustible but has to be a a fairly specific ratio of gas to oxygen or air to go bang. I know in some cases the inside of old lpg tanks are pretty scaly so there might be a bit of work there. I live in Victoria but if you go the rounds of the wreckers or installers I reckon you'll find something. JUST MAKE SURE IT'S EMPTY BEFORE YOU START CUTTING It's a matter of intelligence and if you are interested in biodiesel you must be somewhere along the track...regards...Taffy

[joe]

Actually makes sure its full of water!!

[Jasper]

Hey Bimbo,

There has been a few discussions here about getting a cone made and there have been a few varying prices. From a carton of beer to $700. Basically, the better equipped the shop (including skills of course) the easier and cheaper it should be to make. I agree with Joe, around $250 is fair. When I had mine done I also got them to weld in the heating element spigot. I picked up a short piece of mild steel 1" threaded pipe from Blackwoods for them to weld into the bottom also.

Regards, Chris

[darren leonadas]

Old Hot water heaters are pretty easy to find these days and often have a hemispherical bottom. Paul Martin's first reactor was made with an old 44g drum and similar grade steel formed into a cone and welded pretty dodgiely on the bottom. The hardest part to find in that scenario was a 1/2 inch threaded pipe, (valve/tap fitting) for the bottom , which by the way would come standard in any old hot water tank.

[MarcCass]

I used an old air compressor tank. Had to get rid of the rust though.

Marc

[marcfell]

Can anyone tell me what the advantage of a cone oppossed to flat bottom tank is???

[quesoburgesa]

They're easier to drain.