[TheForge] report on one small compressed air portable tank experience

[Barking Crow]

Well, Ron was right, the top of the small barbecue type propane cylinder was
tapped with a standard ( 3/4"?) NPT fitting.  I found this out after
finishing my first tank by welding on a T and adding fittings to allow air
input and discovering that my weld had a tiny pinhole leak.  So I ground
down the area and while attempting to repair the weld, burned a hole in the
T and repaired it and burned a hole in the tank and tried to repair it and
got more pinhole leaks so I gave up and started over and now have a nice
portable air tank from a small propane bottle that doesn't require welding
skill.  I washed the tank with hot soapy water after tossing around a bunch
of ball bearings to help break up any crud and then cleaned it with muriatic
acid to remove any rust and perhaps help with removal of any residual
propane and then rinsed it with phosphoric acid to stop any new rusting  and
dried it well with frequent purgings with compressed air.

I bought the $13 manifold from NAPA to allow filling with the built in
schrader valve but in hind sight could have skipped that step and now fill
it with an adapter (also suggested by Ron) made from a male and female quick
disconnect adapters screwed together and used between the end of my air hose
and the quick disconnect on the tank just outside its ball valve.  The
schrader fill required holding the tire filler fitting on for several
minutes but the quick disconnect is hands off and quick.  I used a T adapted
with nipple into the tank with a gauge on one side and the
valve/quick-disconnect on the other and the large T makes a convenient
handle to pick it up.  I haven't used it on a flat tire yet so don't know
how full it will fill a tire.  Certainly the $35 for a commercial compressed
air tank is looking like a bargain, but I had a lot of fun and must be
smarter.

Jeff Valentine