finshed my quench tank

[MotoMike]

Recently working on a draw knife. my bucket was not big enough to quench. so the draw knife was on hold while I sorted another solution. After a couple false starts I got a retired oxy tank from the local. here it is finished. Holds 3 gallons oil depth is 22 inches with 7 inches to spare at the top to contain splashing. the flame lid easily flips closed with tongs. It is easy to move to the corner when not in use. What do you think?

 

[Bruno]

As a solution it looks good. I like it.

A couple of minor things you may want to consider:

1. When you are using it AND when it is put away, make sure that this thing cannot fall over if you bump against it. I had a contraption like this fall over when I accidentally bumped against it. You do not want this. Trust me A simply eye that you can lock against something like your bench is something that would work well.
2. Maybe weld the bolts in so there is never going to be a chance of leaking if the bolts get splashed on the inside, also because
3. I would put in more oil. If you quench something, you want it submerged pretty deep and be able to agitate. With the level as low as it is now, this means your tongs have to go in pretty straight, which means your hand is pretty close to the mouth of the tank. With more oil inside, you could keep more of an angle and have easier access. This would also keep your hands a bit further away.

 

[Bruno]

Also because I am paranoid I would have 2 straps holding it to the frame.

 

[MotoMike]

Sounds like sound advice Bruno. I haven't seen just how far from the vertical it must go to tip, but it is a pretty good distance. It is not tippy at all and would take much more than a bump. I think I will put another strap on it and maybe a few blocks at the bottom to lock the base from horizontal movement. the wheels do not contact the floor until you get a couple degrees tilt. the hinge bolts are steel and the tank is aluminum, so some sort of sealer is the option available to me.

 

[Bruno]

Brazing or sautering might work too. Might be worth to check. It's not going to be a major issue, but I know from experience that hot oil running off a quenched blade is very runny and penetrating. It wouldn't be more than an annoyance, so if there is no easy solution it still might not be worth the hassle to really change things.
Btw, the real risk of falling is not that it would tip over if you accidentally bumped it with tongs or so. The risk is mostly if you step away from your forge or anvil or whatever, and walk into it backwards. I once did that, nearly stumbled, and bumped over my quench tank. Big mess