Access ports in s/s water tanks - best way?
 

I want to cut access ports into the top of 2 s/s water tanks. I did
this a while ago on my alum diesel tanks and it was easy to put covers
back on the cutouts - the alum is 1/4" thick and takes a 1/4" fine
thread easily with bolts every 2 inches and a 1/8" neoprene rubber
gasket. The s/s is thinner and won't hold a bolt. I'm thinking of
using s/s pop rivets to hold a 1/4" alum collar with 1/4" fine
threaded holes in the collar around the cutouts in the s/s tanks - and
using 1/4" alum plate covers again. Or I could use s/s plates held in
with alum pop rivets and drill them out when I want to gain access
again in another 5 or 10 years. The tanks are 25 years old and have
not had access before - but we're very careful what we put in them -
so this is not a frequent event.

Any other good options?

Access ports in s/s water tanks - best way?
 

304 and 316 weld beautifully with a MIG welder but that may not be an
option with the tanks in place.

NT wrote:
I want to cut access ports into the top of 2 s/s water tanks. I did
this a while ago on my alum diesel tanks and it was easy to put covers
back on the cutouts - the alum is 1/4" thick and takes a 1/4" fine
thread easily with bolts every 2 inches and a 1/8" neoprene rubber
gasket. The s/s is thinner and won't hold a bolt. I'm thinking of
using s/s pop rivets to hold a 1/4" alum collar with 1/4" fine
threaded holes in the collar around the cutouts in the s/s tanks - and
using 1/4" alum plate covers again. Or I could use s/s plates held in
with alum pop rivets and drill them out when I want to gain access
again in another 5 or 10 years. The tanks are 25 years old and have
not had access before - but we're very careful what we put in them -
so this is not a frequent event.

Any other good options?



--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

Access ports in s/s water tanks - best way?
 

I had a similar problem to solve on my tanks, which I made from 316 TI. I
went to a firm that manufactures food processing equipment and they showed
me an access hatch that they buy in Italy for about $150 US. They use the
hatch for tomato processing. The tank hatches are about 14" x 18". They are
2 part with the lids and hold downs all polished. The base is 2.5" tall,
bent from 5/16" plate and brush finished. They are supplied with gasket and
all hardware. They are designed for welding.
Steve

"NT" wrote in message
...
I want to cut access ports into the top of 2 s/s water tanks. I did
this a while ago on my alum diesel tanks and it was easy to put covers
back on the cutouts - the alum is 1/4" thick and takes a 1/4" fine
thread easily with bolts every 2 inches and a 1/8" neoprene rubber
gasket. The s/s is thinner and won't hold a bolt. I'm thinking of
using s/s pop rivets to hold a 1/4" alum collar with 1/4" fine
threaded holes in the collar around the cutouts in the s/s tanks - and
using 1/4" alum plate covers again. Or I could use s/s plates held in
with alum pop rivets and drill them out when I want to gain access
again in another 5 or 10 years. The tanks are 25 years old and have
not had access before - but we're very careful what we put in them -
so this is not a frequent event.

Any other good options?

Access ports in s/s water tanks - best way?
 

You could do the same thing as the aluminum tanks but instead of threading
the bolt down you could thread the bolt up from inside the tank and locktite
them as to give you studs from the outside of the tank. I understand the
tank is thin but the threading would only have to hold the bolt in place
from underneath while you put a nut on. Pop rivets would most likely leak.
Can you buy a plastic flange and cover from maybe Ronco-Plastics? Don't put
aluminum in there if you don't have to.
Phil

"NT" wrote in message
...
I want to cut access ports into the top of 2 s/s water tanks. I did
this a while ago on my alum diesel tanks and it was easy to put covers
back on the cutouts - the alum is 1/4" thick and takes a 1/4" fine
thread easily with bolts every 2 inches and a 1/8" neoprene rubber
gasket. The s/s is thinner and won't hold a bolt. I'm thinking of
using s/s pop rivets to hold a 1/4" alum collar with 1/4" fine
threaded holes in the collar around the cutouts in the s/s tanks - and
using 1/4" alum plate covers again. Or I could use s/s plates held in
with alum pop rivets and drill them out when I want to gain access
again in another 5 or 10 years. The tanks are 25 years old and have
not had access before - but we're very careful what we put in them -
so this is not a frequent event.

Any other good options?

Access ports in s/s water tanks - best way?
 

If you expect to use this access hole more than once, why not install a deck
plate? You cut a 4" hole, install the deck plate collar using flat head
screws with nuts on the inside (you have a 4" hole to reach through to put
the nuts on). The deck plate then screws into the collar and seals with an
O ring.

Only hard part is getting a 4" hole in stainless......


Rod

Access ports in s/s water tanks - best way?
 

This is a very typical aviation application. Call http://www.skybolt.com/
and they can get you the part you need. Basically it is a machine thread
nutplate that you would rivit/pop rivit from the outside. You can use
countersunk pop rivits so that you have a flush finish for the gasket to
seal to.
Good luck
Bruce
"Rod McInnis" wrote in message
...


If you expect to use this access hole more than once, why not install a
deck
plate? You cut a 4" hole, install the deck plate collar using flat head
screws with nuts on the inside (you have a 4" hole to reach through to put
the nuts on). The deck plate then screws into the collar and seals with
an
O ring.

Only hard part is getting a 4" hole in stainless......


Rod

Access ports in s/s water tanks - best way?
 

Check out http://www.seabuilt.com/noflash.html. They make great access
plates. Even if you don't want to buy you will get some good ideas.

Douglas

Access ports in s/s water tanks - best way?
 

WOW!!! $120 for a 6" aluminum plate, 8 bolts and a ring that I could
turn out in 10 minutes with $8 worth of material. I need to stop
selling anchors and spend more time in the shop!

Douglas Nikkila wrote:
Check out http://www.seabuilt.com/noflash.html. They make great access
plates. Even if you don't want to buy you will get some good ideas.

Douglas

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

Access ports in s/s water tanks - best way?
 

WOW doesn't do it. I saw one this afternoon at a marine jewellery
store - highway robbery of stupid people.



On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 21:55:39 -0500, Glenn Ashmore
wrote:

WOW!!! $120 for a 6" aluminum plate, 8 bolts and a ring that I could
turn out in 10 minutes with $8 worth of material. I need to stop
selling anchors and spend more time in the shop!

Douglas Nikkila wrote:
Check out http://www.seabuilt.com/noflash.html. They make great access
plates. Even if you don't want to buy you will get some good ideas.

Douglas

Access ports in s/s water tanks - best way?
 

"Glenn Ashmore"writes:
WOW!!! $120 for a 6" aluminum plate, 8 bolts and a ring that I could
turn out in 10 minutes with $8 worth of material. I need to stop
selling anchors and spend more time in the shop!

You obviously have never been involved in private label women's cosmetics.

Lew

Access ports in s/s water tanks - best way?
 

What size are the tanks? Are you talking about 3" cleanouts for a
pressure washer wand or 16" manholes?
Regards, Boatdreams.

NT wrote:
I want to cut access ports into the top of 2 s/s water tanks. I did
this a while ago on my alum diesel tanks and it was easy to put covers
back on the cutouts - the alum is 1/4" thick and takes a 1/4" fine
thread easily with bolts every 2 inches and a 1/8" neoprene rubber
gasket. The s/s is thinner and won't hold a bolt. I'm thinking of
using s/s pop rivets to hold a 1/4" alum collar with 1/4" fine
threaded holes in the collar around the cutouts in the s/s tanks - and
using 1/4" alum plate covers again. Or I could use s/s plates held in
with alum pop rivets and drill them out when I want to gain access
again in another 5 or 10 years. The tanks are 25 years old and have
not had access before - but we're very careful what we put in them -
so this is not a frequent event.

Any other good options?

Access ports in s/s water tanks - best way?
 

Good idea, but I'd also use a hacksaw to cut a screw driver slot on the end
of the bolt to help the locktite hold the bolt from turning, especially when
opening the tank later.
"Phil" wrote in message
m...
You could do the same thing as the aluminum tanks but instead of threading
the bolt down you could thread the bolt up from inside the tank and
locktite
them as to give you studs from the outside of the tank.

Access ports in s/s water tanks - best way?
 

While $120 maybe a lot for this, it's not out of line. I've been
fabricating for most of my life and I'm here to state that NOTHING like
this can be built in 10 minutes as a "one off". Even if you have the
tooling to punch out the metal and all of the materials at hand it can't be
done in 10 minutes. I have a very well equipped welding/machine shop and if
a customer walked in the door right this second and ordered one of these,
I'd estimated at least 2 hours to gather materials, layout and plasma cut,
punch holes, tack weld bolts and make a gasket. And if I don't have the
right metal, bolts, gasket material, etc. on hand then add the time for a
trip to pick them up. If I plan to make 50 of these then it's a different
story, but then I have to stock them and suffer the loss of use of that
money that is tied up in materials and labor until they are sold. The true
cost of building anything is far more than the cost of the material. I have
a heap of money in machinery, shop building, utilities, etc. that have to
added to the cost of everything that I sell. Otherwise, I just lose money.
I would charge at least the same amount to make one of these.
When someone says to me, "it will only take you 10 minutes to do that" (and
I've heard that often)...I say, "There's the shop. If you can make it in 10
minutes it's free, otherwise you pay me double shop rate"
Quinton

"Glenn Ashmore" wrote in message
news:sNN7c.132$pM.28@lakeread04...
WOW!!! $120 for a 6" aluminum plate, 8 bolts and a ring that I could
turn out in 10 minutes with $8 worth of material. I need to stop
selling anchors and spend more time in the shop!

Douglas Nikkila wrote:
Check out http://www.seabuilt.com/noflash.html. They make great access
plates. Even if you don't want to buy you will get some good ideas.

Douglas

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

Access ports in s/s water tanks - best way?
 

I should clarify. I would not do just one off either. I machine
stainless dinghy clamps 4 sets at a time because setup time is longer
than machining time. I would probably do at least a couple of dozen
each 6" and 8" in a run to get a whole day out of the setup. With well
planned use of the drop I could still keep the material cost under about
$6 for a 6" and maybe $8 for an 8" using McMaster prices for 5056
aluminum, 1/4-20 stainless bolts and adhesive backed Neoprene gasket
sheet. If bought in production quantities it would be a lot less.

These are not a complex machining job and aluminum is a lot easier to
machine than the 316 that I work with and there is no polishing to deal
with. You would need two jigs, a drill press and a mill. My shop is
not very sophisticated but assuming $60/hour: once the jigs are setup,
one man running manual machines could crank out at least 6 an hour so
the total fabrication cost might average $16 to $18 each. Allowing 4X
markup for overhead, profit, distribution and marketing they should be
able to retail them for about $60 to $75 each.

But price has little to do with cost so I guess there are enough people
out there ready to pay "marine" prices.

QLW wrote:
While $120 maybe a lot for this, it's not out of line. I've been
fabricating for most of my life and I'm here to state that NOTHING like
this can be built in 10 minutes as a "one off". Even if you have the
tooling to punch out the metal and all of the materials at hand it can't be
done in 10 minutes. I have a very well equipped welding/machine shop and if
a customer walked in the door right this second and ordered one of these,
I'd estimated at least 2 hours to gather materials, layout and plasma cut,
punch holes, tack weld bolts and make a gasket. And if I don't have the
right metal, bolts, gasket material, etc. on hand then add the time for a
trip to pick them up. If I plan to make 50 of these then it's a different
story, but then I have to stock them and suffer the loss of use of that
money that is tied up in materials and labor until they are sold. The true
cost of building anything is far more than the cost of the material. I have
a heap of money in machinery, shop building, utilities, etc. that have to
added to the cost of everything that I sell. Otherwise, I just lose money.
I would charge at least the same amount to make one of these.
When someone says to me, "it will only take you 10 minutes to do that" (and
I've heard that often)...I say, "There's the shop. If you can make it in 10
minutes it's free, otherwise you pay me double shop rate"
Quinton

"Glenn Ashmore" wrote in message
news:sNN7c.132$pM.28@lakeread04...

WOW!!! $120 for a 6" aluminum plate, 8 bolts and a ring that I could
turn out in 10 minutes with $8 worth of material. I need to stop
selling anchors and spend more time in the shop!

Douglas Nikkila wrote:

Check out http://www.seabuilt.com/noflash.html. They make great access
plates. Even if you don't want to buy you will get some good ideas.

Douglas

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com





--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

Access ports in s/s water tanks - best way?
 

Glenn,

You do DAMN GOOD work too ...why not start a business to compete with
SeaBuilt? Maybe you could also add gasket material that works for gasoline
too. Upon first look, all I saw at SeaBuilt was diesel, water/gray
water/etc, but no gasoline compatible seals. Even if the
gasoline-compatible gasket had to use a sealant and be replaced when
opening/replacing the cover, it would still make sense to have one.

Brian


"Glenn Ashmore" wrote in message
news:sNN7c.132$pM.28@lakeread04...
WOW!!! $120 for a 6" aluminum plate, 8 bolts and a ring that I could
turn out in 10 minutes with $8 worth of material. I need to stop
selling anchors and spend more time in the shop!

Douglas Nikkila wrote:
Check out http://www.seabuilt.com/noflash.html. They make great access
plates. Even if you don't want to buy you will get some good ideas.

Douglas

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

Access ports in s/s water tanks - best way?
 

Would you sell them for this mark up of 4 times? Or is that what the guy
selling them for you is asking? If the retailer marks up your price of $60
to $75 2 times(not an uncommon markup) you get a price of $120 to $150.
"Glenn Ashmore" wrote in message
news:syY7c.242$pM.89@lakeread04...
I should clarify. I would not do just one off either. I machine
stainless dinghy clamps 4 sets at a time because setup time is longer
than machining time. I would probably do at least a couple of dozen
each 6" and 8" in a run to get a whole day out of the setup. With well
planned use of the drop I could still keep the material cost under about
$6 for a 6" and maybe $8 for an 8" using McMaster prices for 5056
aluminum, 1/4-20 stainless bolts and adhesive backed Neoprene gasket
sheet. If bought in production quantities it would be a lot less.

These are not a complex machining job and aluminum is a lot easier to
machine than the 316 that I work with and there is no polishing to deal
with. You would need two jigs, a drill press and a mill. My shop is
not very sophisticated but assuming $60/hour: once the jigs are setup,
one man running manual machines could crank out at least 6 an hour so
the total fabrication cost might average $16 to $18 each. Allowing 4X
markup for overhead, profit, distribution and marketing they should be
able to retail them for about $60 to $75 each.

But price has little to do with cost so I guess there are enough people
out there ready to pay "marine" prices.

QLW wrote:
While $120 maybe a lot for this, it's not out of line. I've been
fabricating for most of my life and I'm here to state that NOTHING like
this can be built in 10 minutes as a "one off". Even if you have the
tooling to punch out the metal and all of the materials at hand it can't
be
done in 10 minutes. I have a very well equipped welding/machine shop
and if
a customer walked in the door right this second and ordered one of
these,
I'd estimated at least 2 hours to gather materials, layout and plasma
cut,
punch holes, tack weld bolts and make a gasket. And if I don't have the
right metal, bolts, gasket material, etc. on hand then add the time for
a
trip to pick them up. If I plan to make 50 of these then it's a
different
story, but then I have to stock them and suffer the loss of use of that
money that is tied up in materials and labor until they are sold. The
true
cost of building anything is far more than the cost of the material. I
have
a heap of money in machinery, shop building, utilities, etc. that have
to
added to the cost of everything that I sell. Otherwise, I just lose
money.
I would charge at least the same amount to make one of these.
When someone says to me, "it will only take you 10 minutes to do that"
(and
I've heard that often)...I say, "There's the shop. If you can make it in
10
minutes it's free, otherwise you pay me double shop rate"
Quinton

"Glenn Ashmore" wrote in message
news:sNN7c.132$pM.28@lakeread04...

WOW!!! $120 for a 6" aluminum plate, 8 bolts and a ring that I could
turn out in 10 minutes with $8 worth of material. I need to stop
selling anchors and spend more time in the shop!

Douglas Nikkila wrote:

Check out http://www.seabuilt.com/noflash.html. They make great access
plates. Even if you don't want to buy you will get some good ideas.

Douglas

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com





--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

Access ports in s/s water tanks - best way?
 

1) Cut an oval hole
2) then make 2 metal pieces larger then the hole for a gasket but small
enough so that one can fit into the tank.
3) bolt or machine screw the pieces together with gasket and stainless tank
sandwiched between.

Use Threadserts they install like pop rivets, but leave you with a reusable
thread sleeve. They come in sizes #6 to 1/4, this is what we use.

NT wrote in news:jp1u50hbp0c6169sctbu1kj216ccp7fh0f@
4ax.com:

I want to cut access ports into the top of 2 s/s water tanks. I did
this a while ago on my alum diesel tanks and it was easy to put covers
back on the cutouts - the alum is 1/4" thick and takes a 1/4" fine
thread easily with bolts every 2 inches and a 1/8" neoprene rubber
gasket. The s/s is thinner and won't hold a bolt. I'm thinking of
using s/s pop rivets to hold a 1/4" alum collar with 1/4" fine
threaded holes in the collar around the cutouts in the s/s tanks - and
using 1/4" alum plate covers again. Or I could use s/s plates held in
with alum pop rivets and drill them out when I want to gain access
again in another 5 or 10 years. The tanks are 25 years old and have
not had access before - but we're very careful what we put in them -
so this is not a frequent event.

Any other good options?

Jasper none wrote in :

Use Threadserts they install like pop rivets, but leave you with a
reusable thread sleeve. They come in sizes #6 to 1/4, this is
what we use.



These are also called Riv-Nuts. Only caveat is that being aluminum they
are both sublect to some deterioration when against SS and exposed to moist
contaminants, and idividually are not very strong.

--
"Let bygones be bygones...send a concilliatory PRETZEL to the Whitehouse!"
"Against stupidity, the very gods themselves contend in vain." - Friedrich
von Schiller
"Ignorant voracity -- a wingless vulture -- can soar only into the depths
of ignominy." Patrick O'Brian