How to build tanks?

A lot of folks start with PVC plumbing fittings. They come in interesting shapes.  Here's an example:

Al Graziano builds beautiful scale industrial/chemical projects and would be one of the best folks to answer this question. Plastruct components are where I'd start especially if money were no an issue (building for someone else on commission, for example).

I take cans of the appropriate size and carefully steam bend card stock around them, gluing with Liquid Nails; then making the ends out of .040" sheet styrene. Piping is Plastruct and the hoses are solder.

jackson

You might find a lot of useful stuff on the Plastruct web site starting out searching under "refinery" and going from there.

Re-purpose toilet paper rolls, wrapping paper rolls, tin cans, Christmas tree balls, drinking straws (piping), prescription pill bottles and PVC pipe.

That oil facility looks great! Excellent weathering!

Sorry if I screw up my reply, I'm new at this.

I like what I see. Pete Avanti - How did you make the end caps?

Thanks for the pointer. I just looked at the Plastruct site and it is very confusing. I am not sure what you mean by surch under refinery, I will need to figure this out. 

-Richard

PVC end caps from Home Depot:

(the "weld lines" near the ends were added.  The only real seam is in the center.)

There's a Search tab off to the upper left of the home page.  Put "refinery" into the catalog description box and click on Search.  Lots of stuff available and while I usually agree to make it yourself, there are times when your time vs. buying specific items has to be balanced.....

PVC end caps from Home Depot

Very useful aisle at HD to visit,

here is the plastruct refinery:

Here is the Plastruct grain silos. 

http://valleymodeltrains.com/c.../images/570-1025.gif

You could use the bins/ tanks and haqve to build the steel framework from I beams!

AZroads - I took a look at the photos you posted. All tanks are smaller diameter so you can easily build them with Plastruct TB -X tubing. Plastruct will sell ABS round tube up to 6 inch diameter which is well with your parameters. They also have different style domes (VHE, VHH, VHD etc) that will fit the tubing depending on the look you want.

WRT piping I would suggest you look at TB-6 or TB-8 and all the related fittings.

Basically Plastruct sells everything I could see in the photos to build the Hydrocracking Unit.

Joe

I used 3 inch plastic pipe to make my oil field 300 barrel oil and water tanks. I purchased a 10 inch plastic pipe cap and used for a large oil tank in a tank farm that had the 2 tanks made by Lionel in it.  Alan Arnold showed how to made large round propane/chemical tanks in O Gauge Railroading magazine a few years back. Added detail is from Plastruct and junk box.

I built this water tower out of 4"pvc end caps ,1/2 cpvc water pipe and small plastruct pipes .

Guy

 Depending on how big you want it, an empty butane container would have the right hydrocracker proportions too. Already looks like one really, few mods would be needed.

Some Great ideas, especially the PVC end caps

AZRoads,

Sorry I got to the party so late.

I would say your best bet is to use Plastruct materials. They are made for constructing industrial structures.The materials cost more but the results will be better than anything else available. I have found that building things out of similar materials ( plastic to plastic or wood to wood) has always provided the best results for me.  As an example, the ABS tubing comes in sizes from 3/8 inches up to 6 inches in diameter. Unlike PVC, there are no scratches on the surface of the tubing. This avoids a lot of sanding or a lot of scratches coming through the painted surface. You can buy all your structural attachments, piping and valves from them also.

Whatever you do, I hope you have fun constructing.

Alan Graziano

AZroads,

You can buy individual parts from them for each project. You do not have to buy the whole refinery kit.

Alan Graziano

i like the 4" PVC pipe and caps from Lowes stores. Here is a few that I have staged to get a look at the possibilities I do like the flat caps vs the rounded ones at the depot.

Great tips in this thread, thanks to all for the photographs, the details on end caps and the tip about making hoses with solder.   

I build tanks both ways - using PVC couplers / pipe and also using Plastruct tubing. I will use Plastruct where I can due to ease of building. different style caps are available to fit the tubing w/o modification.

On occasion to keep costs down for the customer I will use Lowes/Home Depot PVC couplers and tubing (white) on some tank configurations and especially grain elevator silos.

The only issue as Alan Graziano has pointed out on prior threads is that when using PVC one has to sand the edges to get a good seam. One needs to sand the tanks once assembled to get out all scratches (includes using Squadron putty for the mold divots) and especially to avoid decals having dark spots the tanks need to be sanded up pass 320 grit and an over spray (Dullcote or Krylon Crystal Clear) used to prepare the surface. I do not use the caps any more due to excessive time needed to sand out the raised lettering. I make all tanks flat top with 40 mil styrene sheet.

Plastruct makes tubing and caps for up to 6 inch diameter which will cover about anything except the larger storage tanks. In this case thin styrene needs to be use to make the shell (Alan Graz excels at this).

Hope this helps

Joe

I thought you might like to see the final result"

Excellent!

Please tell me how did you make the chain link fence?

Joe

From the subject line, I almost expected seeing something like this:

It is a kit, very life-like and easy to work with.

http://www.brennansmodelrr.com...=119&productid=6

It got me too. Your thinking Lees, Grants and Shermans. I thinking Abrams and Pattons( M60 series ) It just gives away our mind set. Good thread though

The funny thing is I only served in a heavy mech units in my Army career and was around Abrams, Bradleys, and the like every single day. I was also rated to drive everything in our Brigade as a Master Driver officer in one Batt I was in. Heck, I even drag-raced a M-1A1 against a shop officer in a Bradley in a motor pool, and I left him in the dust (one of the many things I never mentioned to people until I left active duty).

But when you mention tanks, I still think of Stuarts and Shermans. I've always been a huge history fan more so than anything else.

See what an odd image this made when I'd drive my 1944 Willys MB Jeep onto the post!