# Fixing Leaking Stainless Tank



## MAXANT (Sep 13, 2008)

take it to a local welder and see if they can fix it


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## Daddy'sBees (Jul 1, 2010)

Stainless steel usually can't be welded very well with stainless steel rods/wire. Try something like JB Weld.


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## G3farms (Jun 13, 2009)

Daddy'sBees said:


> Stainless steel really can't be welded with stainless steel rods/wire. Try something like JB Weld.


:scratch:

So all of the stainless in the world is put together with JB, I always wondered why that stuff was invented.

Take it to a welding shop and have them tig weld it up for you. Would be best it welded on the inside so that there is not a small crack between the parts for the product to hide.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

MAXANT said:


> take it to a local welder and see if they can fix it


If Mr. Maxant says weld it, that's what I'll do. Thanks.


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## Merlyn Votaw (Jun 23, 2008)

It can be welded easy with a mig or tig welder Any local welder could weld it but not stick welded


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## Virginia Bee (May 20, 2010)

Mig or Tig (tig would be better)

PS...certified welder here


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## rocky1 (Jul 19, 2009)

Extractor skin is too thin... mig or tig... preferably tig! I've welded quite a bit of stainless around the shop with stick, but even on you're lowest setting you're going to be patching lots of holes when you get into something like that. 

JB Weld is great stuff, and you might stick it back together with that, but... 

1.) There is enough vibration and flex in the sidewall of an extractor, and the stainless is not porous enough to allow for permanent bond. It will leak again. 

2.) Once you put the JB Weld in there, you'll make it extremely difficult to weld it properly by any other means. 

Find local welder that will stick it back together for you, then pour a little melted wax in the joint behind the weld to make sure.


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## MAXANT (Sep 13, 2008)

DO NOT use JB WELD! NEVER NEVER NEVER!
As mentioned, TIG weld it. Should cost much or take long. 
Good luck.
PS. Not sure what "Daddy'sBees" is talking about? :doh:


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## wdcrkapry205 (Feb 11, 2010)

Was it originally welded or soldered together? I would think that would determine how it needs to be repaired, lot of the older stuff ( some even now ) was soldered together.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Maxant Daddy'Bees is a stick welder "can't be welded very well with stainless steel rods/wire" That 225 amp buzz box is probably too much for sheet stainless if it had a low enough setting.


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## MAXANT (Sep 13, 2008)

Ahhhh, makes sense now.
No stick welding in our shop, thus why I didnt understand what he was saying!


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## G3farms (Jun 13, 2009)

that old AC buzz box will not do it, but yes it can be stick welded with DC and some very small rod. Just slow going and time consuming, especially with your head stuck down inside of the extractor (will get a tad bit smoky on ya!).

Tig would definitely be the way to go though, be sure it is clean and then clean it good with acetone.


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## Skybolt (Jul 6, 2009)

Tig welding is the best way to fix it. You want to weld it using DC straight polarity. Also to do it properly you would need to have a purge of argon gas on the oppisite side from the one your welding on. This is to prevent the atmosphere from getting to the molten metal on the side that is not covered by the shielding gas coming out of the tig torch. Or it will look like burnt sugar on the unshielded side. Which can be ground off.

I spent years welding this stuff in the oilfields.


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Virginia Bee said:


> Mig or Tig (tig would be better)
> 
> PS...certified welder here


P.S. (tig) Tunsten inert gas welding (mig) metal inert gas welding

Please tig weld the leak

P.S. also certified, all rod all position.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Bump - Taken it to two welders who both said can't do it. One sent me to a radiator repair who also said no.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Things I've fixed with JB Weld:

A broken pot metal vacuum cleaner handle. Drilled and wired together with bailing wire and then JB weld over that.

A pot metal carburetor linkage for a Propane conversion. Put a nail on each side and covered it all over with JB Weld.

A gas tank on my van. Reamed out the rusted part, folded a piece of #8 hardware cloth with a piece of baling wire in it and pushed it in the hole and then pulled it back out. Put JB weld in side and pulled the hardware cloth to that and then JB weld on the outside. It was winter and it took a heat lamp to keep it warm enough to set. That was 20 years ago and it still holds gas.

A well pressure tank. Similar to the gas tank. Still working 10 years later.

I think it would work fine...


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## greif (Nov 9, 2010)

call around and find a good stainless welder, you will know they are good if you ask if they will use a new wire brush for cleaning area before welding and say yes as using a wire brush used with steel will deposit steel into the area and it will rust.

JB has some nasty chems in it... do you want that in your honey?
gary


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

Pretty thin stuff; likely cracked next to a heavy section or where lapped or layered. Unless all the crud behind can be cleaned out it will make a bubbly mess when arced. I think you will find J&b weld to be a filled epoxy and not likely to be leached to any extent by honey.


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## fish_stix (May 17, 2009)

The welders may not want to take on the job because the joint is soldered. If it is, you can pretty much count on not getting a good weld which is why they said to go to a radiator shop. If it's soldered a good silver solder will work for repairs; don't use lead solder.


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