Joining two tanks - smoker build

[vartz04]

I've searched and even asked on a smoked meat forum but haven't had any luck. I have a 30 gallon compressor tank and a 10 gallon portable air tank I am making a smoker with a side fire box out of. My question is this

I need to place both of these in a horizontal orientation and connect the two rounded ends of the tank together in an offset manner. Is there an easy way to lay this out? Not scared of math just don't want to do the cut try trim cut try trim ordeal too many times.

Here is a picture I found similar to what I want to do




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[Hornman]

Since both tanks have dished heads the math is not trivial. Defining the intersection on dished heads of two different sizes would probably take longer than the "cut/fit/repeat" method. I can think of two shortcuts: use a short piece of six inch pipe to join the two tanks, much simpler to figure out the penetrations. The second would be the blacksmith method, use a large hammer to make a flat spot on both tanks. From there you can mark both tanks to locate where you cut the holes, then weld them together.

 

[vartz04]

Not a bad idea. When screwing around in the garage tonight I came up with another idea. Let me know if this sounds feasible

Drill a matching hole in each with the appropriate sized hole saw where I want them to mount together

Trace shape of curve of the tank into 4 small pieces of steel plate (scrap i have around ) I should be able to do this as I have cut the doors so I can use the curve of the door as a starting point

Hold the tanks somehow in position and weld the pieces of plate to both tanks to hold them together and seal the gap.


The other idea I had was similar but offset the firebox under the cook tank and just use a pipe to come straight out of the top of the firebox into the tank

I was going to just build a square firebox but the steel alone for that would have cost me close to $125. The portable air tank I have and was free.


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[sberry]

Make patterns of the transition piece from cardboard.

 

[EdT]

The short run of straight pipe would, by far, be the simplest. You could even cut, say, 6" holes and use a piece of pipe or other round stuff to develop the pattern for the transition piece if you feel it has to be that way. When it's in use, nobody but you will know or care how you did it. If you did manage to develop the actual holes representing the intersection of two different sized indeterminate dome shapes you would be faced with welding from inside the tank(s) which is doable, but a PITA.

 

[vartz04]

Looks like the pipe is the way to go. I need to find some 4-1/2 or 5" exhaust pipe. I need a 3' piece of 2" as well for the stack so hopefully I can find a shop with some scraps


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[joe49]

Orient both tanks to each other as they will be. One needs to be able to slide away. Slide them apart then paint one in the area that they touch, push them together this will leave a center mark for your holes center punch and use a divider or compass to make your holes of the size you wish. One hole cut larger will make welding easier.Weld inside or outside.

 

[vartz04]

Good thinking joe. Thanks. I think I will try that. Likely I'll just be doing this with a hole saw if possible so if I have the center for both then I should be good to go.


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[A_Pmech]

Easy as pi.

Get a piece of cardboard. Use it to represent the intersecting plane between the two cylinders. Cut an oval hole in the carboard and adjust it until it fits the smaller of the two cylinders at the correct angle of intersection. Trace the hole onto the tank with a sharpie. Then, transfer the template over to the larger cylinder and repeat.

 

[joe49]

The connection will not be oval, it will be circular. You can prove this by placing any thing with a circular hole against the domed end it will make full contact, a oval will not. If your thought is that the connection is to be at the transition to the sides it would be oval but they would not work out because of the different tank diameters and likely differing radius of the end domes.