Can I weld to a compressor tank

[Gittyup]

Thanks for the inputs again. I certainly will grind off the galvo before welding.

I took the compressor off the tank today. Then I could see that the handle tubing is only about 20 gauge. My welder recommends the lightest weight for flux core welding to be 18 gauge. Don't know what I'm going to do now. the unistrut is about 1/8" thick. If I set my welder to the lowest setting and point the puddle mainly on the unistrut, could I do it without blowing holes in the tubing?

I have a CO2 bottle and gauges. But the fittings on the CO2 bottle are different than the gauges (bottle came off a kegerator). If I could get this hooked up, I'd mig weld it.

Maybe I should just use u-bolts and try and clamp the unistrut to the handle. Just concerned whether this would hold up to the tugging of a 50' hose reel.

 

[Wheatland KB]

You might think about wearing a mask when grinding the stuff too. Zinc poisoning is nasty.

 

[2manyrocks]

If you can find Ubolts to fit, they should hold up. You probably want to put loctite or something on the threads so the vibration from the compressor doesn't loosen the nuts.

Welding isn't always the answer. For example, I had a metal tool box on my truck with a piano hinge that had separated from the box. The sheet metal was too thin for my flux mig. So I drilled holes and used steel rivets to reattach the hinge to the box years ago and haven't had any trouble since.

 

[greenmule]

I can weld down to 1/8 thick pretty well with my stick machine and 3/32 rods.

I can dab thinner. If you put the thin metal on another heavier piece of steel tight,you'll have better luck welding it with out blowing it up,[course,somethings you can't do that],now tig you can go much thinner,and mig you can go pretty thin,flux core,well.Flux core was made for heavy stuff,mig was made for thinner stuff welding down hill.

 

[Gittyup]

As much as I don't want to, I've pretty much decided to abandon this project and just mount the hose reel and filter/lubricator to the wall. Why don't they make these "portable" compressors with a hose holder?

 

[greenmule]

My compressor is portable but I don't use it as such,yet,got it in my shop,hole through wall,hang hose outside,that way I can lock it up.

You can make a hose reel,get you some2,3,4,6 inch pipe,cut it in half[length wise] now you got the the two ends for wrapping your hose,than you weld you some end plates on one end to keep hose on. plates on other end welded on in such a fashion as to allow bolting on to your air compresser,might have to get some angle iron and attach angle iron to compressor by u bolts or something than weld hose hangers to it??,,,might even be easier to get you some 1/2 or 3/4 inch round stock, if you got a torch you can heat and bend,weld onto the angle iron thats bolted to compressor?? just some ideas,lowes sells about every thing you'd need to do this,,but would be a lot easier just to wrap it around compressor in someway.