Coffee Can Oil Storage Tanks COMPLETE

In the Art World, they call them "found objects"

Great work, Mike.

Thanks Max, I would be a long a little bit further, but it took me a while to figure out what to make the pipe and ladders out of. Then of course to find where I stashed it for later use. LOL

Mike G.,

Looks like another of your excellent projects moving along.  Hope they turn out as good as the light plant and auto loader ( as I'm sure they will)!  You wouldn't by any chance remember where you sourced the wire?
Thanks,
bd

Hi BD, I don't remember, but I can look around. How much do you need?

BD here is some I found on Amazon. I will keep looking, you might check out the Bay.

Its 1/4" X 1/4" Gavanized.

https://www.amazon.com/Amagabe...X+1%2F4%22+Wire+Mesh

Here is a better deal on the bay!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ALEKO-...8:g:4fIAAOSwSv1XluYK

Good morning Mike, thank you for the response and the links, sir!  I see from the links it's called Hardware Cloth.  This gives me a whole new area to research.  Still searching for the right mix of opening size and filament gauge to fabricate some mesh guard rails.

Thanks again, bd

Mike:

I am not sure what I am going to do with the smaller 2 tanks I built. Either keep them up right or lay them done on a home made stand.

Maybe grain silos?

Joe

Bd, You are mort then welcome. If you have a picture of what your looking for maybe I can help.

Joe, I didn't think of that, when I build my layout it is going to travel to the mid west. So that just might work. Thanks

Bd, Drop me an email. I have some pictures to send you that might work.

Mike, thank you sir.  E-Mail sent.

bd

You can find hardware cloth at an any local HW store (not big-box) and buy it by the foot instead of purchasing a whole roll online.

don

Hi All, well I got a little done today. I was able to build my ladders with the supports to go against the tanks, got the 3 coat of wall mud on and sanded then I primed them to see how they would look. I might try another coat or just a few more coats of primer. Got the tank pipes and ladders painted today. Hopefully I can get the tanks painted tomorrow.

Processing petroleum and gases uses lots of different shapes of tanks, vertical and horizontal.

That gives me an idea, I think I have seen some oatmeal cans that my wife throws away and they are cardboard and smooth from top to bottom.  About as tall as those coffee cans.  They are smooth sided so you would just need to paint them.    Course you wouldn't be able to lean on them.

Adriatic, I am still thinking about using the small one for the storage area, maybe closer to the tracks.

Aussteve, I would have used cardboard cans then I wouldn't have had to put joint compound on the out side of the cans and do all that sanding. But it is what it is!

Excellent work!

Peter

Peter, Thank you very much!

Today was another productive day. I started by painting the tanks with a high gloss white and while that was drying, I decided to get started on the containment ponds for the tanks. I used Plexi glass, some paper printed bricks, and some off the wall screw heads for the overflow spill outlets. The outlets and vent pipes still need a few more coats of paint. I hope to get that done tomorrow so I can get the ladders mounted, the catwalk in the smaller tank pond and the stairs built. You never know but we will see what happens tomorrow. I also built stands for the smaller tanks with the idea I might put them closer to the tracks.

Here are a few pictures.

super idea! Nice work!

As always, amazing work! Looking forward to following your progress. 

Mike,

Those look great!! I actually have three coffee cans sitting in the garage the I had the same idea for!

Do you do anything to the cans prior to adding the mud? My thought is that it wouldn't stick, because of being to smooth.

Chris

Pete, Thanks for the comment!

Chris, Thank you for the comments also. As far as prep for the cans I sanded them so they were a little rough, but it still took 3-4 coats of mud. The first 2 were just to get stuff to stick, and the last 2 were to finish it off, If I was really into detail I would have done 5 or 6 coats. But they look ok to me.

Not a real productive day, worked on the cat walk for one storage pond, worked on some railings but that takes a while when your using old model parts trees. You have to cut all the nubs off then sand and glue them to the shape you need. Cut out risers for 3 sets of stairs from Plexi glass and got one put together, but still needs painted. here are a few pictures from today.

Quick question for everyone, RED LED's on top of thanks? YES or NO!

Yes

I'm not sure they are tall enough. White work lights though

Come to think of it the storage tanks that were near here had them long ago.

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Thanks guys, I don't have any flashing red led's, you think solid one would be ok?

Mike,

Just food for thought ... installing the LEDs now, and making sure the wiring has sufficient length, would allow for easy installation of a flasher circuit later.  If you determine you don't like the constant 'on' you could just disconnect the power,  Perhaps even have an electrician on the ladder on his way to change out the bulb.    If you feel adventurous I found this link some time ago that I want to modify for a blinking LED atop my water tower.  Or possibly one of the many electronically astute folks on the forum could help with a simple circuit design.

http://wild-bohemian.com/electronics/flasher.html

Hope this helps.

bd

I think red solid would look great.

Ken M

Thanks for the input guys, I think I will put 4 per tank near the edges and leave enough wire so if down the road I want to put an inline flasher unit.

Hi all, Not much work today, Momma has me getting ready for a yard sale. But I did manage to get the catwalk, handrail and stairs done. I also glued the pipes to the tanks and used rubber bands to hold them in place. Not the best idea, you can now see where they were. I think I am going to have to tape off the pipes and repaint. here are 3 pictures from today. Enjoy.

Very nice work, Mike!!

Thanks Chris, I hope to get some work done today between the yard sale and trying to put the LED's in the top of the tanks. Once I get the holes drilled for the LED's I will put one more coat of paint on them, hopefully it will be the last one. And If I have time finish up the stairs and railings.

Good work Mike

But then Marines do always have a way to improvise and over come

Larry

Mike,  Your work has gotten me off my duff.  I've had four cans sitting on the work bench for two years waiting for an inspiration.  Now I can get moving.  Thank you,  John in Lansing, ILL

Larry Thank you Sir, I think I could have done better, but then I think to myself why get stressed over it.

John, I am glad I have inspired someone! LOL  To me there is nothing better then seeing something coming together that was built by your own hands.

Today was a good day, I got all the railings made and painted, and got 2 of the tanks LED's installed and working. Tomorrow I hope to get the other 2 tanks wired up and everything set into place in there spill ponds. Sorry no pictures today, but will have some tomorrow.

I learned a new trick to me today, if your gluing something together and have to lay it flat as I did with my railing, just put some masking tape under the project, use your super glue and when it all dried pull the masking tape away and sand the extra glue away! I got lucky learning this one!

Everyone have a great night!

After about two years of striking out for free Sunoco stickers at the gas station, you inspired me to throw a vintage STP sticker on the side of my single large tank and group my empty butane refill canisters with my oval dice cup tanks as butane and ???? storage. I never knew what was in the prototype tanks next to the proto butane.

Want those rails even straighter in the future? Set them in the V of something straight. Pipe welding, you clamp the pipe into the V of angle iron to keep it straight till the weld is done enough to not pull it crooked as it cools and the metal contracts in size.(if you let it). It works on hot rod driveshafts too. One didnt even need rebalancing when I was done. Smooth even over 100mph.

Adriatic, sounds like you have everything you need, I hope you will post some pictures of it as you go along.

Thanks for the tip on the rail building, I will have to give that a try on whatever my next project will be.

Hi All, I completed the Oil Storage Tanks today. Please take a look and give me your thoughts good or bad! Its been a fun adventure!!!

They look great, Mike. 

Could I suggest that you switch the camera flash off?

It's a bit more work, but well worth the improvement.

Cheers

Nice job, Mike,

Now I know where to go if  I'm in a need for a Drill. 

Good luck, John