Parafin/Rosin Tank

[Jeffzhear]

I'm close now to dipping equipment, and am wondering, do I really need to put a drain valve on my tank? Is the purpose to lighten up the load to make it easier to move the tank? Will it make a difference to the rosin and/or wax if I heat it up as one solid block or many small ones added one at a time.

Do any of you that dip your equipment in Rosin and Paraffin just let the mixture cool down in the tank after you're done and just reheat it again when you need to?

Thanks

[BULLSEYE BILL]

I used to leave it in the tank but I had to get help to move it. I sold that tank to MB and had a larger one made and it really did need a valve. I'm glad to have one.

[Michael Bush]

It would be a lot less messy to empty with a valve.

[Grant]

I used to leave it in the tank but I had to get help to move it. I sold that tank to MB and had a larger one made and it really did need a valve. I'm glad to have one.

What material was it made out of? Who did you get to make it for you, or did you make it?

Grant
Jackson, MO

[BULLSEYE BILL]

I have a welder that does all my steel repairs on the shooting range. He made my present tank that I was using on an electric stove. He is now making a stand with skirts to hold the tank and I will use a 110,000 btu propane deep fry burner for heat.

Steve is available to make tanks to your specifications, he made mine with a lid, handles, and a drain valve out of 10 gage (1/8") cold rolled steel, he will make it out of stainless if you want to pay for it.

E-mail your specifications to me and I will coordinate with him and get you a price.

[My-smokepole]

How about a photo Or some measurements.
My-smokepole

[BULLSEYE BILL]

I knew someone would ask. The only pictures I have are of the one I sold to MB. The current one is at the welders getting the new stand made for it. I plan on using it the weekend after this so I will take pictures of it in use and post them on myspace.

I THINK the dimensions are 24w x 26l x 26h, I wanted it just large enough to stack my largest piece of equipment with an inch on either side, and tall enough for three mediums stacked and two on end with at least six inches above that.

I was trying to keep it at a minimum size so I wouldn't have to buy and store so much paraffin and rosin yet be efficient.

[Jeffzhear]

My 55 gal. drum worked like a charm, on top of a cut down propane turkey broiler. I was a bit impatient waiting for the temp to come up...and before I knew it, the contents was at 300 plus.

Things I noticed:

- 100 pounds of Paraffin and 50 pounds of Rosin does a lot of equipment but I need another 100 pounds of paraffin and I am glad I have another 50 pounds of Rosin in reserve. I think if I started with 200 pounds of Wax and 100 pounds of rosin the tank would have been just over 3/4 full.

-I think I'll add enough paraffin and rosin to cover the bottom boards by a couple of inches and keep the contents at about that level. That will keep the weight down and offer a barrier for splatter.

-When I get a pricey tank in the future, I will make sure I can stack the boxes one on top of the other. I had to stack the boxes on end, 2 mediums fit fine next to one another. Nucs fit perfect in the tank and I could stack three (one full depth and two mediums) at a time, one on the other to cook them.

- If you don't have enough contents in your tank, and you have to flip the boxes over to get the part that didn't get cooked the first time...your time doubles...I will ensure that I have enough contents in the future.

- Make sure you have adaquate lighting if you are doing this after dark...By accident I cooked a new primed and painted NUC medium...It looks kinda funny....blistered latex, however the primer didn't blister and the yellow color faded . Actually, I think maybe my safety glasses need to be cleaner...vs the lighting, or maybe both need to be improved.

- If you accidentally curl your fingers (in your gloves) around the box to pull it out of the tank and happen to touch the liquid YOU CAN'T GET YOUR GLOVES OFF TOO FAST! Live and learn....I NOW USE my hooked steel handle thingy to pull all the boxes way up out of the liquid before grabbing them. All's good, no burns...

- If you fry a baseball (one that overwintered under the bushes and was raked out this spring)... the cover boils right off and the string begins to unwind. It doesn't float and the shovel that was used to retreive it out the tank by youngest son won't rust for the time being...

- my tank had been painted inside, some paint flakes were floating around when the contents first got hot enough to liquify; a homemade strainer was quickly made by stapling a fabric material from an old outdoor chair to a 3 inch NUC Box (SHIM) and it worked like a charm to get the paint flakes out. Next 55 gal drum won't have paint inside...but then...there shouldn't be another drum other than this one in the future!

- It was a bit windy, so I used a few scrap pieces of plywood to block the breeze.

- Four medium pallets were perfect for placing boiled woodenware on top of while they cooled.

If I think of other things, I'll post them...

[Jeffzhear]

I'm not sure what it is about inner covers, the type with masonite, but when I boiled them in rosin/paraffin, the tank foamed up quick! I overflowed the tank, and shut my burner off quick to avoid a fire. After the overflow partially solidified I scraped it all up off the ground, threw it away and turned the burner back on. I found that by putting a few covers in the solution at a time, then adding another....it kept the foaming down...but I had my hook to reach in and pull them out quickly if it looked like the tank was getting close to boiling over. After a minute or two the tank settled down...then I cooked the covers for 7 mins...and pulled out when finished.

[Dan Williamson]

I'm close now to dipping equipment, and am wondering, do I really need to put a drain valve on my tank? Is the purpose to lighten up the load to make it easier to move the tank? Will it make a difference to the rosin and/or wax if I heat it up as one solid block or many small ones added one at a time.

Do any of you that dip your equipment in Rosin and Paraffin just let the mixture cool down in the tank after you're done and just reheat it again when you need to?

Thanks

I never drain my tank. I can move my tank with steel chain and my tractor. I think it weighs close to 600lbs when full. If you don't need to move it then there is no need to drain it! You can see pics under my signature. I always use welding gloves and can usually dip my fingers into the 300 deg wax if necessary. Although the gloves are worthless by the end of the day. Better to use a hook! ;-)

It took me 2 days to dip all of my stuff a couple of weeks ago.

Definately better to put in less than you think you will need and then add more later. You definately don't want it boiling over.... not only for the fire hazard but just the waste of material. I found that anything that had moisture in it was quick to get the foam going.

oh....Don't ever dip in the rain!

[BULLSEYE BILL]

oh....Don't ever dip in the rain!

Wasn't my intention, it just happened to turn out that way this weekend. I did get all 116 pieces done, took all day Saturday, and a good part of Sunday.

I also got those pictures but I don't have them on myspace yet.

I was concerned if a 20 pound tank would be enough gas for the job. It turned out that it was partial to begin with, I dipped all day Saturday and about 9pm when the rain got too intense, I turned the heat way down thinking that it would burn out soon. The next morning it was still going and the wax was ready in a few minutes!

I used that tank till mid afternoon and still had gas (propane) when I was done. I was amazed how long that tank lasted.

[Dan Williamson]

Wasn't my intention, it just happened to turn out that way this weekend. I did get all 116 pieces done, took all day Saturday, and a good part of Sunday.

I also got those pictures but I don't have them on myspace yet.

I was concerned if a 20 pound tank would be enough gas for the job. It turned out that it was partial to begin with, I dipped all day Saturday and about 9pm when the rain got too intense, I turned the heat way down thinking that it would burn out soon. The next morning it was still going and the wax was ready in a few minutes!

I used that tank till mid afternoon and still had gas (propane) when I was done. I was amazed how long that tank lasted.

BB.... Funny part of that is... I didn't even read your post about the rain... I was just recalling my own experience! LOL.... Whenever I know I will need to dip for more than one day, I watch the weather for that 2day window. It saves so much propane and time when you have wax that is already warm to begin with. Typically when I shut down my heat and come back about 12hrs later it is still liquid. I just recently added a second burner under my tank which reduced the cold wax heating time from 4hrs down to 2hrs. I started running 2 propane tanks this year because I ran out the last two times. I am using a jet burner and obviously a much larger tank so it takes alot of energy to get it up to temp.

[BULLSEYE BILL]

I finally got my pictures of my dipping tank, stand and burner loaded on myspace under the equipment album, page three.

[Keith Jarrett]

I just recently added a second burner under my tank which reduced the cold wax heating time from 4hrs down to 2hrs. I started running 2 propane tanks this year because I ran out the last two times. I am using a jet burner and obviously a much larger tank so it takes alot of energy to get it up to temp.

Dan, Have you ever tryed just a camp fire for heat?

[Keith Jarrett]

A few pic of my camp fire set up, can't afford propane.









Well we have your basic Oakie set up.

We first have a barrel bottom with 30 dine size holes in the bottom torch off about four inch high for the fire containment. Then we have a four inch pipe running underneath the barrel to a funnel with a fan blow air.

We also have a overflow into a twenty gallon barrel for safty.

This weekend we dipped about 300-400 pallets this way.

[Keith Jarrett]

For got.....

Here's a pic of the tank as I just finish welding it before insulation wrap last year,One is top veiw and one is upside down veiw to show the oven effect.

[Dan Williamson]

Dan, Have you ever tryed just a camp fire for heat?

No I haven't. I was afraid I would have a more difficult time controlling the temp. I dip at approx 300-325F. 400F is the flash point. I took a small pot and heated up about 10lbs of the mixture just to see what happened at flashpoint. Lets just say I didn't want 500lbs of the material to flash over.

How do you expect to be able to control the temp. Going up is not a problem. Backing off would be.

[Keith Jarrett]

How do you expect to be able to control the temp. Going up is not a problem. Backing off would be.

Well Dan,

What I was doing was running a small fire, like a foundary setup.
Once I got the temp I wanted I slow down with adding fuel (scrap wood) to the fire.Then I tryed to cycle my pallets in at the same rotation of time. It worked OK once I got the righ combo ajusted.

Hey it's free heat. I ran for twenty hours over last weekend.
The last time I filled the propane tank it was $135.00.

Trying to cut my over head here in the low rent district of Jackson.

[Dan Williamson]

Trying to cut my over head here in the low rent district of Jackson.

I hear ya... when I build my tank a couple of years back, propane wasn't as high as it is now....

Oh and my corn burning furnace isn't even remotely the "great savings" that it once was....

Oh well....

Just roll w/ the punches....