I have successfully fabricated a cone bottom and welded it to my 55 gal drum processor. Next I need to weld (or otherwise attach) some other fittings to complete the processor.

If I use iron pipe, do I weld or what? How do I attach iron pipe fittings to the drum?

When folks refer to black iron pipe, its not really iron. The fittings like elbows, tee's and unions are iron, but the pipes themselves are usually just steel.

That said, you can weld both to the drum if you remove the paint from the drum and the black coating on the fitting.

Hope this helps,

quote:

Originally posted by bgulledge:
I have successfully fabricated a cone bottom and welded it to my 55 gal drum processor. Next I need to weld (or otherwise attach) some other fittings to complete the processor.

If I use iron pipe, do I weld or what? How do I attach iron pipe fittings to the drum?

A helpfull hint, I assume your mig welding. The steel that the drum is made of is very thin.This idea will help reinforce your work and make the welding go a little smoother on that drum. Cut a small piece of steel plate?? 4"x4"x1/8"?? cut or drill a hole for your piece of pipe to fit in and weld the pipe to the plate. Next cut a small hole in the barrel just big enough for your pipe to stick in. Now your 4x4 plate will be against the side of the drum and you weld the plate to the drum.By welding the plate to the drum instead of that little piece of pipe it spreads the weling heat out over a larger area so you have less chance of a burn thru.It can also help if you weld the plate in small sections to give time for cooling, just be sure that your welds tie into each other for a good seal. Always test with water and NEVER weld on a drum that has had flammables they can easily explode!!!!!

Tig is ideal for what you want. The joints are strong, compact and precise, even if what you're welding onto the drum is a greatly different thickness.

But don't try to weld cast iron to your drum, the joints are porous and will weep.