I know you’ll say don’t.

[Alan Reynolds]

I’ve got a genuine army Jerry can which has sentimental value.
I has developed a leak in a crease on the side where the metal is folded to allow for expansion and contraction.
It’s a very small weep but not caused by rust.
I want to probably braze or silver solder the crack.
What’s the best way of cleaning it so it’s safe.

 

[gaz1]

you can silver solder it by using the old style soldering iron

as theres no flame at all

how to use them

 

[piman]

Hello Alan,

I've welded petrol tanks by filling them completely with water, crack to the top, obviously. This means there are no fumes to ignite.

Alec

 

[Agroshield]

I want to probably braze or silver solder the crack.

What is the advantage of these two over standard leaded soft solder? They both need way higher heat and being a seam, the fluxes that work with them will not go down it easily. Soft solder, Baker's fluid and a large bit of copper might be a better combination.

 

[merryman]

I soft soldered a petrol tank on a flail mower with an iron, tried it out yesterday and it seems to be holding. You do need Bakers when soldering steel, and I float over with copper sheet to add strength.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Wash with washing powder and warm water.
Repeat.
Wash with clean fresh water.

Allow to dry.

Clean the area with wire brush. Make sure you get into the crack,weep, hole.
If it is a split open it a bit and clean it.

Warm the area with a hot air gun and dry it very well..

Using a soft flame, flux and solder seal it.

If it is a hole, dimple the hole with a ball pein hammer. Make a circle from copper or brass to fit.
Tin the area and tin the patch and solder on.

Have fun. I have done a few.

 

[merryman]

With a soldering iron there is no need to purge the tank and no danger of blowing yourself up with that soft flame.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

With a soldering iron there is no need to purge the tank and no danger of blowing yourself up with that soft flame.

I found out a 1lb copper iron is good to seal the leaded or solder seams up. If the split. But a old jerry can metal will suck the heat from the iron very quickly.

At the REME museum, there was a short film on the Jerry can, it's hstory, how we "borrowed" the idea, how we used and repaired them.

 

[brightspark]

i had a jerry can and filled it with petrol and it had a pin hole leak on the base just turned it upside down full. cleaned round the hole fluxed it and soft soldered over it using a large copper iron heated of a blowtorch or gas ring job done .did it ten years agowouldnt be fannying on brazing or silver soldering even though i have oxyacetylene . no point

 

[brightspark]

gaz the video shows using soft solder not silver solder . u cant silver solder using a copper iron need a propane torch or oxyacet or oxy propane

 

[Screwdriver]

If it is a crack due to fatigue, I wonder if any sort of solder is going to resist further fatigue cracking...

 

[merryman]

That, at least in part is what the copper patch over the solder is for, takes the strain off the steel and the soldered joint.

 

[Screwdriver]

What patch? Nobody said anything about patches....

Picture of the offending item might help.

 

[merryman]

I float over with copper sheet to add strength.

I certainly did, and I think some others mentioned it as well,

 

[Screwdriver]

I'm having one of those days...

 

[Alan Reynolds]

If it is a crack due to fatigue, I wonder if any sort of solder is going to resist further fatigue cracking...

I think it’s a manufacturing fault.