Slicing and Dicing my Tank

[Willyboy]

I didn't want to buy a new tank, traditional cleaning methods weren't working. The tank is pretty far gone on the upper clamshell. I took drastic measures: my first step is cutting a massive access hole in the tank to thoroughly clean it and repair any remaining pin holes. After, I will epoxy coat the interior. I have designed and ordered a patch panel that will be riveted in place. The patch panel is .063" 6061 aluminum, $29 shipped from SendCutSend. I wonder if steel might be a better choice in terms of forming.

My main concern right now is how the panel will handle the contour of the tank, luckily the contour is mostly fore aft. Beyond that, I am dreading the cleaning process.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/M9CApC14uhWgsHh27
https://photos.app.goo.gl/hxNhN7X3xVqM3Fdt7
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6iPHBDDcvqr6duPW8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/S9b7Xqn5kHzCfP5S6

Update to follow with cleaning results and patch panel install. Coat of paint down the line
too.

[Willyboy]

Okay project is complete. Got busy with work so it took a little longer than I had hoped. The tank was in much worse shape than I realized, it had been previously coated. I ended up sandblasting the whole interior of the tank. I filled holes with fiber glass and tank sealer on the outside. I then sealed the inside. I added some shitty paint on the outside just so it was one color. The patch panel sealed great. Pic below, doesn't look terrible IMO and most important it holds gas. I would say this is a viable solution for restoring the worst of rusty tanks. I can provide the patch panel file for laser cutting if you're interested. 

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMrsINPVkGt8OfzCQ9THRhZYfXEYRCdu2Ns8vTl