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I also built my own several years ago. Used a pressure tank from a water system(a bit larger diameter and taller than a 55 gallon drum). Cut the top off and put a hinge on it so I could close it up...didn't have a tight seal but it worked. Took an electric element out of an old hot water heater and put at 220v cord on it and welded a bung for it about 12" off the bottom of the tank. Built an expanded metal "stand" just above the heating element to sit stuff on. Filled it with water and added some of the chemical hot-tank stuff that Goodson sells that I'd bought at an auction. Also ran an old peice of metal fuel line down in the tank with the end crimped and tiny holes drilled in it that I'd hook air pressure to to make bubbles. The hot water heater element worked great- there'd be steam coming out of the tank after about an hour or so. It'd clean engine blocks, sheetmetal stuff like oil pans and valve covers, and about anything you could fit in it right down to clean bare metal in about two days or less. Unfortunately, where the water line came out of the bottom I'd added a valve on a peice of pipe so I could drain it.....and it leaked...couldn't tighten the thing without taking the valve off(and losing all the cleaning solution). Let it set for a few months and slowly drip on the shop floor before I dumped it and it sure ate the heck out of the concrete! Anyway, haven't yet needed to clean anything bad enough to get the leak fixed and order more chemical....but when I do it'll be there!
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