Need project advice

[Ruark]

I recently returned to a project I've been working on: converting a 250 gallon propane tank to a pasture roller.

The tank is empty, and all the fittings ground off and covered with 1/8" plate. The water fill/drain plug has been installed.

The next step is some kind of axle. The most obvious way is to drill a 2" hole in each end and run a 2" round bar through it. Then weld each end where the bar comes out of the hole, to make it solid and so the water won't leak out. Then build the frame around it, using pillow bearings on the round bar.

Thing is, that's a pretty expensive and somewhat "fancy" way to build it. That 2" steel bar alone will run $100 - $200. I've thought about welding the head of a 1" bolt to the end, but I'm afraid that would break off under the strain of pulling a 3,000 pound roller over uneven ground.

Any creative types have a better way to do this?

 

[Anonymous]

Why not weld some black iron pipe caps to each end. Then framework with round ends that the caps can ride over. Kind of a yoke type set up. That way you don't have to thru drill and hope to seal anything else

 

[M5farm]

Ive got one borrowed from our FFA I will get some picks for you tomorrow.

 

[greybeard]

Get 2 pieces of 2" cold roll shaft about 12" long. Cut a hole in each end of the tank, insert a shaft in about 1" and center and plumb 'em up and weld in place.
Fasten a 2" 2 hole pillow block bearing to each shaft. http://www.dultmeier.com/products/0.2654.4166/10325
Bolt whatever hitch yoke you want to the bearings.

Just weld it good and with 10" sticking out, you might have room to add some gussets for strength.

 

[B&M Farms]

Go to a salvage yard and pick up rear spindles and bearings from a front wheel drive car. Just weld the spindles to the tank with 1/2" plate reinforcement pads. No reason for an axle to go all the way through the tank. The tank can be the axle. Just trim the brake disc down with a torch and weld your hitch setup to both. Rear end parts on front wheel drive cars are not a hot item. You should be able to pick them up pretty cheap.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Spend the hundred or so and put the shaft all the way threw the drum. Or redo it when you tear one end or the other off of it.

 

[highgrit]

Well you aint going to tear a mobile home axle cut 6" from the spindle welded on the ends of the tank. Use the hubs and bearing asembly, pull the tire off the rim and weld your frame work to the rim. Built plenty and never had a problem. Easy and cheap. You can also make a chopper using channel and old grader blades

 

[Ruark]

I appreciate the advice. Right now I'm moving more towards the idea of using 2" or maybe even 2 1/4 or 2 1/2" black iron pipe instead of the cold rolled steel bar. My main concern is that it HOLD. Once it's run through the tank and welded at the holes, it would be a ***** to replace if it broke off.

 

[M5farm]

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

I think i will run a shaft all the way thru the drum just to be sure. I no for sure them don't get tore loose. Just my thinking.

 

[greybeard]

I appreciate the advice. Right now I'm moving more towards the idea of using 2" or maybe even 2 1/4 or 2 1/2" black iron pipe instead of the cold rolled steel bar. My main concern is that it HOLD. Once it's run through the tank and welded at the holes, it would be a ***** to replace if it broke off.

Just make sure you can get a bearing to fit over the 2" or 2 1/2" pipe. Those are IDs and the OD of pipe is often a bastard size and there's no guarantee the bearing will snugly fit over it and lock down to it. There's nothing very precise about pipe ODs.

 

[Ruark]

Looks like the Sch. 80 black pipe isn't an option. It's pretty expensive. For example, Grainger has 10' lengths for $183 plus shipping. The biggest Lowe's has is puny 1" junk.

I kinda like the idea of using spindles and hubs, but I would really need to see a picture of how that would work. Mounting it on a flat plate would be problematic, because the end of the tank is rounded.

 

[B&M Farms]

Looks like the Sch. 80 black pipe isn't an option. It's pretty expensive. For example, Grainger has 10' lengths for $183 plus shipping. The biggest Lowe's has is puny 1" junk.

I kinda like the idea of using spindles and hubs, but I would really need to see a picture of how that would work. Mounting it on a flat plate would be problematic, because the end of the tank is rounded.

The way I built mine was to grind a bevel on the end of the spindle to be welded to the tank. This will allow good penetration and a better weld. Use 7018 stickrod or a 70 wire instead of 60 series. Cut a 1/2" round plate out about 6" in diameter with a hole the same diameter as the spindle in the center. After welding the spindle on the tank, slip the plate on the spindle and weld to spindle and tank. You can weld the repad to the spindle then heat it with torch and hammer down to tank. I have never had a problem. Even though its heavy, its free spinning and setting on the ground. There is not that much pressure on the spindles. 10,000lb trailer axles are nothing more than 3" pipe with spindles inset a few inches and welded on the end that have to hold up the weight. A propane tank will make a fine axle rolling on the ground.

 

[Ruark]

OK, different approach. Forget running a pipe through the tank. Here's a picture of something that might work. All welds would be done with 1/8" 7018AC stick, which I'm fairly good with and is my standard go-to rod around the farm.

Weld a short length (say 3 inches) of 3 inch pipe (maybe just plain oilfield-type pipe) on each end.

Weld a short length of a slightly smaller pipe onto the frame. This goes inside of the pipe welded to the end of the tank. Keep a good glob of grease inside there.

Wouldn't this work? I'm open to advice on specifics, e.g. - should the frame pipe be inside the tank pipe, as in the drawing, or outside? Would 3" and 3 1/2" be good enough, or should it be larger or smaller? What about the frame? I'm thinking something like 3 inch square tubing. In any case, this would be a helluva lot easier and cheaper than messing with spindles, or running rod through the tank and using pillow bearings.

 

[B&M Farms]

The pipe would work fine if the roller doesn't see an extreme amount of use. I would drill and tap the 3 1/2" pipe to install grease zerks. I would still weld a plate on the tank first (to reinforce the tank) before welding on the pipe. Propane tanks are not real thick and this will give it more strength. Make sure the 3" pipe is not long enough to come it contact with the plate to preven binding and it will work fine. 3 1/2" pipe ID and 3" OD will fit tight. You may have to take some emory cloth and shine the 3" pipe up first if its a little out of round.

 

[Ruark]

I would still weld a plate on the tank first (to reinforce the tank) before welding on the pipe.

That is my concern as well - when I drilled the hole for the water inlet, I noticed the end thickness appears to be 1/4", POSSIBLY 5/16" but no more. But how would you weld a flat plate onto the rounded end?

 

[dun]

Mine looks like this using a hunk of 4 inch OD pipe as th axle. For Bushings we used oak with a hole the right diameter to fit the pipe.

 

[B&M Farms]

I would still weld a plate on the tank first (to reinforce the tank) before welding on the pipe.

That is my concern as well - when I drilled the hole for the water inlet, I noticed the end thickness appears to be 1/4", POSSIBLY 5/16" but no more. But how would you weld a flat plate onto the rounded end?

Weld your 3 1/2" OD pipe to the tank. Bevel the end to get good penetration. Cut out about a 6 1/2" diameter round plate and cut a hole 3 1/2" in the center of the plate. Slip it over the 3 1/2" OD pipe and weld to the pipe. Use a rosebud on a cutting torch and start heating the plate until it starts turning red. Hammer it down a little at a time until you get it to touch the tank. Start tacking it and hammering it down until you get it tacked all the way around. It shouldn't take much. Let it cool down on its own then weld it out.

 

[Ruark]

Thanks, B&M, but I don't have all that cutting equipment. In any case, I'm leaning more towards running a hollow 3" pipe through the tank, then welding it in place. Then the frame can have inserts like in the drawing. Zerk fittings would keep it lubricated.