Container Weld Shop build -

[farm boy00]

For the bottle tensioner. Why not just a 1in ratchet strap??

 

[Big Barn]

For the bottle tensioner. Why not just a 1in ratchet strap??

I'm pretty sure Steve is looking for "form" as well as FUNCTION.

I've always been of the mindset that attitudes like. "Why date a supermodel when the girl next door will do?" hinders one in life.

 

[BukitCase]

"I'm pretty sure Steve is looking for "form" as well as FUNCTION."

Farmboy, Terry's right - due to considerable "off-forum" conversations, he's well aware of my OCD side(s) - which is why one of his LESS mean nicknames for me is "Shiny Steve" :laughing:

And thanks for the ratchet strap idea, it's one I'd considered til I found a "shinier" way, but I don't like long tails to find a way to tie up and don't really wanna cut one to solve THAT problem if it's only gonna be temporary -

Between Terry's pics, my NON-availability of cheap/free forklift take-offs and the way this "non-planned" project is shaping up, I'm thinking I'm gonna modify a barn door hinge for the corner post, weld a piece of 1/8"x2" flat bar on that, shape the bar around the tank, bend the END of that bar 90*, drill a hole there, weld a nut on, then weld a piece of angle for the OTHER anchor point, drill a hole thru THAT, and insert a bolt thru to take up the slack -

Not as elegant as Terry's way(s) but I'll only hafta deal with it when changing bottles, and since I traded in my 80 CuFt bottle for a 150 that's only gonna happen every few months. The upside is this plan won't have ANYTHING sticking out to get ripped off or accidentally loosened, EXCEPT for the brief moment while changing tanks - I ALSO won't have anything FLAMMABLE within 10-12 feet of the "sparky thang"... Steve

 

[Oldpath05]

"There, ain't you sorry you asked ??!?" ...Steve<<<<<<<NO, you have interesting stories, and most likely pictures to go with them since you're a simi part time professional camera guy........

"guess I cant get nothing by you" - you probably could, but might hafta work at it;<<<<Great, I like a challenge, give me enough time I should come up with sometning.....

 

[Oldpath05]

I'm pretty sure Steve is looking for "form" as well as FUNCTION.

I've always been of the mindset that attitudes like. "Why date a supermodel when the girl next door will do?" hinders one in life.

I know I would be, I like the way you have your gas bottles clamped, easy on easy off just by moving one lever and holds tight.

 

[Big Barn]

Steve you are right about the handle of a toggle clamp STICKING OUT. As you can see it's not TOO critical in my application, but I don't particularly like it.

 

[BukitCase]

Went looking and found a "slightly used" barn door hinge that'll do for the one end of the tank strap - it'll get "MMM'd" (Mashed, Maimed, Mutilated) and "SS'd" (ShinySteve'd) and painted with the "NQMB" (NotQuiteMillerBlue) paint, so it's all good - grabbed a 3/8 bolt/nut/washer for the tightener;

After lunch I'll cut a piece of 1/8x2 strap, drill a hole in one end, bend a 90* there, weld a nut over the hole, clamp a couple long 5/8 bolts in the vise and "incrementally" bend the strap into a precise 7.5" diameter half-circle, weld the NON-bent end of that to the barn hinge, chop off all but an inch of the OTHER leaf of the hinge, weld the hinge to the corner upright (maybe), then cut a short piece of angle for the OTHER anchor point - if I kin keep it to less than 3 or 4 "do-overs" I might have it done by supper (it's good to have dreams )

Sorry Terry, I REALLY like your bottle clamps; just not enough to spend THAT much time fabbing one from SCRATCH when my feet get numb quicker than the job gets done

Story time - I'd use my slip roll to bend that strap, but it's not back together totally yet - it was a CL find, guy selling it was the SON of the guy that built it for the company I worked for my last 25 years; he built it about 20 years before I worked there.

They used it to roll rings out of 1" thick steel, 14" wide and 48" diameter.
When I worked there they had farmed out THAT part of the job - but I ended up making a Safety Video of the CORRECT process after one of our "dumb and proud of it" weldors screwed that job up and lost his leg from the knee down...

The son of the guy that BUILT the slip roll ran a 3 foot wide piece of 1/4 plate thru it when I wuz looking at it, came out about the same curve as those hose hangers in one of my pics, and the roll didn't even slow down or groan. Probably 'cause that gearbox below the drive roll is 171:1 IIRC - and the motor and gearbox pulleys gear THAT down ANOTHER 3:1...

I didn't like the strange base he had on it so changed it to be compatible with either forks or a pallet jack- but the electrical was kinda funky, so before it goes back together completely I'll need to get a new reversing lathe-type switch - also need to change the top roll for easy on/off.

Still, 18 gauge powered ones that width (50") go for about $6 grand new, so $400 didn't make me cry much :thumbsup: ... Steve

Oh, the driven roll ALSO drives a ring roller that mounts on the far end - has 5-6 dies for that too -

 

[BukitCase]

"Steve you are right about the handle of a toggle clamp STICKING OUT" - Yeah, I haven't found a way around that YET - they do offer some that mount at "right angles", and I would have mounted the toggle the opposite way as your pic, but it STILL didn't "turn my crank" - If my words (on the NEW plan) don't make sense (to me either, sometimes) hopefully pics will (later)... Steve

 

[BukitCase]

OK, finally horsed the tank up on the table to check out the possibilities for the solid lockdown... - and promptly watched every one of my ideas drift off in smoke

Except for PART of ONE...
The brackets are leftovers from a different project, I'll probably do holes a bit closer to the corners, drilled for 3/8" bolts - 'bout 4" long, heads cut off, unthreaded parts welded lengthwise at each end of a 14" long piece of 14 ga. 2" wide, so that the threaded parts stick out the ends - the two bracket locations - side - And front -

This will be flexible enough I can sneak it thru the 1/4" of space between the frame and bottle (did I mention it wuz gonna be a snug fit??!?

Ain't gonna happen tonite tho, once my feet thaw out I'm gonna watch some TV and try again manana - one or two more add-ons and it'll be time to get it down on the floor so I can work on the upper handles, etc... Steve

 

[BukitCase]

This part of the "plan" is actually coming together :thumbsup: as I mentioned before, those two angle brackets are leftovers from a previous project, so the vertical parts will get re-drilled LOWER, and the excess cut off (along with the overhangs on the horizontal legs) - I decided on 16 ga. 1-1/4" wide for the strap, plenty strong enough and easier (possible) to shape to the bottle. Welded 3/8" coupler nuts to the strap instead of bolts, it'll keep a less cluttered look and less snags.

Might get around to the cut/drill/weld part after supper, but at least I know it's gonna WORK - one step closer to puttin' the wheels on and getting it down off the table, then comes handles, hitches, etc... Steve