[maple_leaf_eh]

^^^ I am fundamentally lazy, and always try to be respectful of the craftsmen who designed and built machines long before my birth. They knew what they were doing. So, repairing the tank would be my first encouragement. And how you do it is a matter of applying old-style skills, which seems to be exactly how you are approaching all the steps of this build.

As the others have said already, keep up the good work and thank you for sharing the journey.