Steel diesel tank manufacturer - Burnham-on-Crouch area

syvictoria

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Hi. I need to get a new 12 gal/55l steel diesel tank (old one is about 28 years old and leaking) made to pattern. It's a simple rectangular design with flanges on two edges for bolting through a bulkhead. Two questions... One, can anyone please recommend a local manufacturer (Burnham-on-Crouch/south Essex area) and two, what sort of price should I be expecting to pay for either mild or stainless steel? TIA!
 

Tranona

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Suggest you don't bother with steel (they corrode and leak as you have found out) but have a plastic one. You may find if it is a simple rectangular shape that you can use a standard moulded type. There are various suppliers such as Vetus and Tek Tanks, and the latter also make custom tanks if you can't find a standard size to fit. Custom tanks usually come out about the same price whether in Stainless or plastic, but of course standard size tanks are significantly cheaper.
 

syvictoria

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Thanks Tranona. We've been round and round with this decision ourselves...! The tank is immediately behind the engine under the cockpit sole, and so steel is currently winning out for two reasons, safety in the event of a fire, and the difficulty of putting in sufficient support for a plastic tank. The current mild steel tank has four fixing bolts above and four below, off a vertical bulkhead (side of the quarter berth). There is very little additional space, and the idea of putting in a shelf or floor arrangement to support a Vetus or similar tank is off-putting.
 

sailorman

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Hi. I need to get a new 12 gal/55l steel diesel tank (old one is about 28 years old and leaking) made to pattern. It's a simple rectangular design with flanges on two edges for bolting through a bulkhead. Two questions... One, can anyone please recommend a local manufacturer (Burnham-on-Crouch/south Essex area) and two, what sort of price should I be expecting to pay for either mild or stainless steel? TIA!

try Mr Stainless @SYH
or
Fox`s s/s workshop
 

Tranona

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Thanks Tranona. We've been round and round with this decision ourselves...! The tank is immediately behind the engine under the cockpit sole, and so steel is currently winning out for two reasons, safety in the event of a fire, and the difficulty of putting in sufficient support for a plastic tank. The current mild steel tank has four fixing bolts above and four below, off a vertical bulkhead (side of the quarter berth). There is very little additional space, and the idea of putting in a shelf or floor arrangement to support a Vetus or similar tank is off-putting.
Fire is not an issue. Plastic tanks are universally fitted to cars and almost universally to new boats and meet all fire regulations. Tek Tanks can make you a tank which can be mounted in exactly the way you describe. I have had two holding tanks made of similar capacity to your fuel tank that are bolted to bulkheads without any additional support. One of the advantages of a custom made tank is the ability to design it to fit your requirements.
 

syvictoria

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Fire is not an issue. Plastic tanks are universally fitted to cars and almost universally to new boats and meet all fire regulations. Tek Tanks can make you a tank which can be mounted in exactly the way you describe. I have had two holding tanks made of similar capacity to your fuel tank that are bolted to bulkheads without any additional support. One of the advantages of a custom made tank is the ability to design it to fit your requirements.

Okay, well that confuses things again! I was under the impression that a plastic tank had to be fully supported on the underside, but seemingly not? Scary price for a custom made Tek Tank though, if the holding tank quote I got from them a while back is anything to go by. Does that mean then, that I could just use four straps, through-bolted top and bottom, plus another to stop any fore aft movement, on a suitably sized tank? The current tank (minus the flange/mounting points) is 61cm long by 30cm high and 30cm wide and looks like this for the avoidance of any doubt...

View attachment 41484

You can see four of the eight mounting holes on the back left corner. Thanks!
 
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garvellachs

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If it's cuboid then I reckon a bespoke plastic one in polythene wouldn't be too expensive from someone local - I had a much more complex one made by a small plastic welding firm (Ripco Ltd) in Rotherham last year - talk it over with them. The fittings push the cost up of course (inspection hatches etc).
 

baffled9

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Maldon Marine at West Station Industrial Estate are good and reasonable for marine fabrication. Not used them for tanks but they will at least be able to advise
 

Tranona

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Okay, well that confuses things again! I was under the impression that a plastic tank had to be fully supported on the underside, but seemingly not? Scary price for a custom made Tek Tank though, if the holding tank quote I got from them a while back is anything to go by. Does that mean then, that I could just use four straps, through-bolted top and bottom, plus another to stop any fore aft movement, on a suitably sized tank? The current tank (minus the flange/mounting points) is 61cm long by 30cm high and 30cm wide and looks like this for the avoidance of any doubt...

View attachment 41484

You can see four of the eight mounting holes on the back left corner. Thanks!
That is exactly what my holding tanks look like. The welded Tek Tank types are much more substantial than the cheap rotationaly moulded ones which usually sit on a platform and held down by straps. Suggest you get a quote - in my experience they are competitive with a properly made and welded stainless tank, but obviously more expensive than a mild steel one. Always a bit wary of stainless anyway as it is difficult to get sounds welds.

Going down the custom route may also allow you to redesign the tank and increase the capacity. Correct me if I am wrong, but think you plan going to the Med, and you will find 55l is very restrictive. Appreciate you may not have space for a larger tank, but the cost of the tank is related more to the complexity of shape than volume.
 

DanTribe

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If you are still going for steel, Try Keeble Bros, South Woodham Ferrers. Agricultural engineers, but can turn their hands to anything metal. They altered a petrol tank for me when other people said it couldn't be done.
ABP Engineering are just at the top of the marina road, never used them but look like they understand yachties.
+1 for Maldon Marine, used them a lot for builders metalwork, good outfit.
 

Boo2

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Okay, well that confuses things again! I was under the impression that a plastic tank had to be fully supported on the underside, but seemingly not?
The engineers who fitted my new TekTanks plastic tank were adamant that the two hardwood runners the old stainless tank had sat on were not good enough and would wear through a plastic tank eventually with the engine vibration. They suggested a flat base be glassed in which I did have done.

Boo2
 

syvictoria

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Hi. I thought I'd give a little feedback, in case this thread is of interest to anyone else.

Tek Tanks have confirmed that whilst they can weld on any number of flanges/tabs/etc., the tank does still need to be fully supported. This causes us difficulties, and we are therefore awaiting a quote for a straight replacement mild steel tank from Keeble Bros. Maldon Marine do not make tanks, but they suggested Blackwater Fabricators round the corner who provided us with a ball park figure (£250 mild, £320 s/s).
 

Bru

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There's somebody in Tollesbury who does a very good job of custom stainless tanks but I'll have to look at the labels on ours on Saturday to find out who cos I can't remember!
 
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