Go Back   Alberta Outdoorsmen Forum > Main Category > General Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 03-31-2014, 11:03 AM
Snowdog's Avatar
Snowdog Snowdog is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rural Sherwood Park
Posts: 534
Default how to clean a tidytank.

I found a 100gal tidytank at the dump the other day, looked in ok shape, so I bought it home and thawed it in the garage. The next day about 5gal of very rusty water with large flakes of rust and sludge came out.

Is there any way to clean the inside effectively?

thoughts?
__________________
you can be right or you can be married but you cant be both.

guns dont kill people, fathers with attractive daughters kill people.

"every bullet from a 30-06 is guided downrange by God himself" - Huntinstuff
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 03-31-2014, 11:13 AM
Taco Taco is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Claresholm, Ab
Posts: 4,022
Default

Don't, IBME it will shed rust flakes forever. Either that or lay in a gross of fuel filters
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 03-31-2014, 11:22 AM
CaberTosser's Avatar
CaberTosser CaberTosser is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Calgary
Posts: 19,417
Default

First I'd soak it with a degreaser (TSP perhaps, maybe ) followed by a blast from a 90 degree nozzle on a pressure washer to be able to blast all the sides through the small access. Then a soak in rotating positions with EvapoRust would take care of the corrosion. After the EvapoRust I'd rinse it with some gas or methyl hydrate and collect that for disposal or burning. The exterior refinishing would be obvious. Prior to all of this I'd tap around it with a hammer to locate of there's any dangerously thin spots that are almost corroded through, and abandon the project if its unsafe.
__________________
"The trouble with people idiot-proofing things, is the resulting evolution of the idiot." Me
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 03-31-2014, 11:46 AM
norwestalta norwestalta is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Hythe
Posts: 4,354
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Taco View Post
Don't, IBME it will shed rust flakes forever. Either that or lay in a gross of fuel filters
Lol ain't that the truth. Thought I was getting a good deal on a tank. Filled it up and headed to the coast. Pumped fuel from tank into truck at Hinton and by blue river my truck had a noticeable power shortage. Limped it to Clearwater and found a fuel filter but like a simpleton fueled up the truck again. Three filters later and I made it to Vancouver. So not only did I spend $100 in fuel filters I had a useless 100gal tank with 75 gal of scrappy fuel.

If it's in the dump its more than likely there for a reason.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 03-31-2014, 11:58 AM
elkdump elkdump is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: In a tree near ALTA
Posts: 3,061
Default

What happins into the dump,

Stays in the dump !
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 03-31-2014, 12:01 PM
twofifty twofifty is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: S.E. British Columbia
Posts: 4,579
Default

Great way to stall out expensive machinery!
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 03-31-2014, 12:08 PM
FreeLantz FreeLantz is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: In a van, down by the river.
Posts: 815
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowdog View Post
I found a 100gal tidytank at the dump the other day, looked in ok shape, so I bought it home and thawed it in the garage. The next day about 5gal of very rusty water with large flakes of rust and sludge came out.

Is there any way to clean the inside effectively?

thoughts?


If the opening is large enough, sandblast the inside and wash it out with varsol or gasoline. Then repeat until you are satisfied.

Worked on several old crusty hydraulic tanks for me, and hydraulic systems tend to be pretty finicky and not take well to contaminants. As has been said, make sure the tank is still in useable shape. Giver the tap test with a hammer to make sure the walls aren't to thin.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 03-31-2014, 12:21 PM
deanmc deanmc is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Whitecourt AB
Posts: 3,867
Default

If it's that rusty it will leak on you in short order. I wouldn't use it.
__________________
"........In person people are nice, because you can punch them in person. Online they're not nice because you cant."
—Jimmy Kimmel
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 03-31-2014, 01:05 PM
4thredneck 4thredneck is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Mons Lake
Posts: 2,262
Default

Sounds to me like you shouldn't go to the dump unsupervised!
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 03-31-2014, 01:17 PM
j m's Avatar
j m j m is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 346
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowdog View Post
I found a 100gal tidytank at the dump the other day, looked in ok shape, so I bought it home and thawed it in the garage. The next day about 5gal of very rusty water with large flakes of rust and sludge came out.

Is there any way to clean the inside effectively?

thoughts?
Find a use for it other than holding fuel. It was thrown out for a reason and probably has a leak.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 03-31-2014, 01:18 PM
troutbug's Avatar
troutbug troutbug is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: The Bush
Posts: 2,795
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by j m View Post
Find a use for it other than holding fuel. It was thrown out for a reason and probably has a leak.
This,

It will cause you more grief then needed
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 03-31-2014, 01:40 PM
FreeLantz FreeLantz is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: In a van, down by the river.
Posts: 815
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by j m View Post
Find a use for it other than holding fuel. It was thrown out for a reason and probably has a leak.
I salvaged an L-shaped tidy tank from the dump with a little crack in the corner. Fashioned a hook up for an air-compressor through the bung and set it up to blow air steady at 10 psi for a weekend and washed it out good with water, then welded her up. For a little effort, a piece of scrap turned into a useable fuel vessel, still used today. A little leak is no reason to junk it.
If the walls are thin, you are probably spinning your wheels though.

Some of my best "treasures" came from the dump! People throw all kinds of good stuff away, never ceases to amaze me.
And no....I'm not a hoarder lol. I just like repurposing things.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 03-31-2014, 07:42 PM
Snowdog's Avatar
Snowdog Snowdog is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rural Sherwood Park
Posts: 534
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by FreeLantz View Post
I salvaged an L-shaped tidy tank from the dump with a little crack in the corner. Fashioned a hook up for an air-compressor through the bung and set it up to blow air steady at 10 psi for a weekend and washed it out good with water, then welded her up. For a little effort, a piece of scrap turned into a useable fuel vessel, still used today. A little leak is no reason to junk it.
If the walls are thin, you are probably spinning your wheels though.

Some of my best "treasures" came from the dump! People throw all kinds of good stuff away, never ceases to amaze me.
And no....I'm not a hoarder lol. I just like repurposing things.
Agree, I have had some great finds at this dump, including a 20t bottle jack that just needed jack oil. I was looking for ideas on cleaning not whether to use it or not, I will make that determination, it is water tight so that is a good start.
__________________
you can be right or you can be married but you cant be both.

guns dont kill people, fathers with attractive daughters kill people.

"every bullet from a 30-06 is guided downrange by God himself" - Huntinstuff
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 03-31-2014, 08:46 PM
MrDave MrDave is offline
Suspended User
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Innisfail
Posts: 1,073
Default

Maybe do a low pressure air test. Plug the holes and put maybe 40 psi to it. See if its still sealed. No sense cleaning it if it won't hold air. Certainly worth trying as I have pulled like new stuff from the dump. Including a brand new ghetto blaster that makes mp3s from FM.

Good luck.
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 03-31-2014, 09:03 PM
coreya3212 coreya3212 is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 2,984
Default

I am picturing a tidy tank as about thrre foot tall dome tank? Please don't pressure test one to 40 psi. Full of diesel the pressure would be less tha 1.5 psi. 40 would be a lot to put to it and it may cause injury if it bursts.
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 03-31-2014, 09:35 PM
RedLabel's Avatar
RedLabel RedLabel is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Calgary
Posts: 496
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by MrDave View Post
Including a brand new ghetto blaster that makes mp3s from FM.

Good luck.
I don't think anything made to convert FM is in the realm of New..

Best of luck with the tank but I'd bring it back to where you found it, dirty fuel and leaky tanks are Bad News Bears.
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 03-31-2014, 10:00 PM
jungleboy's Avatar
jungleboy jungleboy is online now
Moderator
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Stony Plain
Posts: 6,569
Default

If it was me, I would fill it with water .Then take a zip cut and cut a large openning in the top of thank .Then drain it ,pressure wash it inside then sandblast the inside clean it out good and weld it back up and should be good to go............ but that's just me. i wouldn't tell you to do that in case you got hurt cuz then I would feel bad.
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 03-31-2014, 11:30 PM
dale7637's Avatar
dale7637 dale7637 is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: High Level
Posts: 2,237
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by coreya3212 View Post
I am picturing a tidy tank as about thrre foot tall dome tank? Please don't pressure test one to 40 psi. Full of diesel the pressure would be less tha 1.5 psi. 40 would be a lot to put to it and it may cause injury if it bursts.
If you put 40 psi in that thing it will turn into a bomb.

I don't know what you would pressure test to, but a couple psi would be all that I would put to it.
__________________
Beer- Because good stories never start with a salad.
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 04-01-2014, 06:38 AM
jd7mmultra jd7mmultra is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 170
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by MrDave View Post
Maybe do a low pressure air test. Plug the holes and put maybe 40 psi to it. See if its still sealed. No sense cleaning it if it won't hold air. Certainly worth trying as I have pulled like new stuff from the dump. Including a brand new ghetto blaster that makes mp3s from FM.

Good luck.
3.5 PSI will blow the top of a 45 gallon drum. DO NOT put 40 psi in that tank.
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 04-01-2014, 08:15 AM
Lildog Lildog is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Fort saskatchewan
Posts: 213
Default

Yah, I wouldn't go more then 5 psi
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:46 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.5
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.