Best material for water tank

[MVDarlin]

JB Weld 2 part epoxy is amazing stuff.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by MVDarlin

JB Weld 2 part epoxy is amazing stuff.

J-B Weld is non-toxic [when fully cured], but contains BPA.
J-B Weld is not [FDA ] rated food-safe, and is not recommend for use on areas that directly touch food, or beverage.
➥ https://www.jbweld.com/faqs

J-B WaterWeld is nontoxic, and approved, by the National Sanitation Foundation [NSF], for use with potable water.
➥ https://www.jbweld.com/product/waterweld-epoxy-putty

[more]

Originally Posted by Dave9111

Stainless is easy to weld.
If you can get a clear shot at the crack, use a portable Tig welder with argon and reweld it in the boat. Harbor freight has a 165 amp DC tig welder on sale for $500. Need a cylinder of Argon. Many welders have similar portable setups. Not expensive compare to boat parts and new tanks.

in reality this is dump sugestion.

why dont use Stainless Steel Stick Electrodes 304or 316L

https://www.ebay.com/itm/324261265407

and if don't have welder or AC inverter connect boat battery in series gain 24V DC and simply connect positive to tank negative on end electrode and weld.

i weld in emergency 2 time

but today mini inverter welder is under 50€ you simply need 2o-30V 30-50A to weld 1,6 mm electrode.
always stick electrode is strongest ws any argon tig welding.
tig welding is nice looking and need big skill

[Mickeyrouse]

The problem with trying to repair metal tanks- stainless, monel, whatever -is that metal gauge ( thickness) is often 14-16 Ga. The heat necessary to melt the rod or the feed coil is also great enough to melt the base metal, in essence making a hole in order to fill it. Experienced welders can be challenged by this, and often the workable solution is to tack a patch plate over the effected area. Can get tricky in seams though, where welded tanks often develop leaks.

[betwys1]

Wow! NOW you're talkin'! Inconel & titanium. Where money is no object, this is THE way to go! Titanium perhaps marginally cheaper.

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by betwys1

Wow! NOW you're talkin'! Inconel & titanium. Where money is no object, this is THE way to go! Titanium perhaps marginally cheaper.

And more fun to weld

[Leee]

Two 23 year old stainless tanks on my vessel well embedded under cabinetry therefor difficult to replace. One developed a pin hole leak about four years ago that took months to find. A dab of caulking did the trick. Just make certain the caulking is high quality, suitable for the substrate and potable water rated. If your leaks are in a corner, apply the caulking the same way you would on a countertop/wall joint. Clean thoroughly, perhaps a light sanding and cleanup, spray on an evaporating cleaner, tape each edge, apply caulking, smooth away excess immediately, let dry and remove tape. Done. One benefit of this was that I now have large enough access covers so both tanks are easy to drain and clean as needed.

[Bycrick]

I built fiberglass tanks for my first boat. I spent many months trying to find out how to actually do it. Most of the time, it was "What kind of resin? Why the kind in those barrels. What’s the difference?"

I ultimately got to talk with a guy at the company that actually made all the resins. After 4 hours on the phone, I had a list of 4 different kinds of glass, 3 different resins, 3 different additives, and different layups, and some epoxy finishing. The tanks turned out great, but it was a big job.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Bycrick

I built fiberglass tanks for my first boat. I spent many months trying to find out how to actually do it. Most of the time, it was "What kind of resin? Why the kind in those barrels. What’s the difference?"

I ultimately got to talk with a guy at the company that actually made all the resins. After 4 hours on the phone, I had a list of 4 different kinds of glass, 3 different resins, 3 different additives, and different layups, and some epoxy finishing. The tanks turned out great, but it was a big job.

If you had to do it again would you still go with fiberglass?

[Bycrick]

I wanted to do it "right." I discovered that even the people who built fiberglass tanks commercially didn’t really know what they were doing, or why. They basically used whatever materials they could get cheap. I’m now 40 years older and don’t have to be perfect anymore. No, I wouldn’t do it again. My point was to reinforce the statement upthread: Don’t build fiberglass tanks using whatever boat yard supplies you can get. There really is a lot of science behind it.