Building a new drawer style hide-a-way solvent tank for Cerakote. Built with scrap steel and 100# drawer slides from Lowes. Don't buy a 400$ tank from Cerakote when you can build a super cool custom tank yourself.
Nice tank build. I don't have a welder nor the skill to build my own so I purchased the tank offered by Cerakote. (It's not worth the $400.00) A few things I noted: 1. Even with a gasket, Acetone will evaporate and this becomes quite expensive. My first 5-gallon Acetone can I purchased evaporated completely in less than 2 weeks. I would try to recover it back into their cans after every session, or use simple green solution instead of Acetone. When I first started, Acetone was the ONLY approved solvent for soaking and over the years Cerakote has approved the use of simple green so that's another (cheaper) option. 2. The tank will rust very quickly unless you always maintain it full of solvent. Within a couple of weeks my Cerakote tank had surface rust all over the inside and outside. I ended up blasting the whole thing and using C-series to Cerakote the entire thing. (Hard to do in a 40 inch cabinet with 1/3 of your tank hanging out, but I managed) 3. I see you used a ball valve on yours. Mine only came with a plug, so after my first failed draining of Acetone where I spilled most of it around the funnel I was using to try to recover it, I also installed a ball valve and spout. 4. I'm using one of those 325 mesh cup strainers to "filter" my Acetone before recovering it. Eventually you have to top off with clean Acetone as it becomes saturated with oils. It tends to carry oils and transfer them back onto your workpiece if used for too long. Great work sir. Subbed.
Thanks for your comments. I was not aware of cerakote backing simple green. That's good to know for plastics that may have a meltdown in acetone or wood. Paint on my friend.
That's a fine tank you built there! Just found your channel and subscribed. I always criticize my own welds too but as a friend pointed out, I'm a fabricator, not a welder! If the welds hold for your purpose it doesn't matter if they are pretty. Nice job!
Great upgrade… I wonder if you made a gasket out of a layer of 100% silicone on the lid if it would make a noticeable difference in acetone evaporation..
