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Nice lookin’ tank restoration! I also have trouble soldering stuff like that. It’s like trying to solder on a big heat-sink. I find that using a soldering iron tip that clamps on the end of a propane torch flame helps, and lots of acid flux, but I still kind of suck at doing it. Maybe an old-time large-head iron with a lot of mass to it that you set in the bracket on top of an old-time gasoline torch with the end in the flame until it’s really hot would help do the job. I once watched a guy use one of those to seal up seams after rerouting large steel air feeder pipes that fed air to racks of music pipes on a vintage church pipe organ. I have my grandfather’s old gasoline torch, but not the big iron. Photo below of the kind of torch I’m talking about – the “hook” on top and notch in front above where the flame comes out held the soldering iron in place while it heated up.
In the 2nd photo, the biggest irons is what I’m thinkin’ to use with the old torch. On the other hand, maybe I won’t ever have to solder another tank? Ha!
Dave
Great job. How did you unsolder and separate the halves without getting them too hot? There is a long area of solder joint to undo.
Do you think an old time radiator repair shop could solder it for some folks like me that may not be good at soldering joints?I use a propane torch turned down pretty low. Then as soon as the solder melts I blow it out. You can only get around an inch at a time but it goes pretty quick. Then find a place where the tank is separated and apply pressure. Moving around the tank melting places where its still stuck. I think the big iron would work well going back together but I don’t have one. I believe that is what the Buccaneer used to solder the tank he made. I have this really small propane torch that’s almost too small but is better than too big. Tubs
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