Author Topic: DIY Aluminium Fuel Tank (Read 7920 times)

mec · « **on:** January 24, 2009, 12:27:56 pm »

hello,

its a little too early to come up with my alu-gas tank.
what´s when it will fail? what´s when it will be an ugly, dent piece of #$%*, fuel leaking?

whatever, if I do not try, I will never know.

we started with some paperwork and fabricating of some tools:

mec · « **Reply #1 on:** January 24, 2009, 12:43:29 pm »

we tried to imitate the fuel tank of my egli replica, cause it looks pretty nice and fits the big backbone framed bikes really well:

the pics show the paper templates, the alu pieces (made from aluminium 99.5, soft) cutted with an jig saw and a piece of scrap for my first try. this piece has been bended, spot welded (TIG), welded and sanded finally.

mec · « **Reply #2 on:** January 24, 2009, 12:49:02 pm »

bending, hammering, welding

mec · « **Reply #3 on:** January 24, 2009, 12:57:17 pm »

spot welding from the outside, welding from the inside and afterwards outside.
try to work as exact as possible. every millimeter of inaccuracy will result in more or less inattracive surfaces.

mec

will be continued

fuzzybutt · « **Reply #4 on:** January 24, 2009, 02:38:53 pm »

you've inspired me to try my own handmade tank mec. i may try a steel one first as my aluminum welding (melting) skills sre better but still not good enough to do thin aluminum sheets with a mig welder.

mec · « **Reply #5 on:** January 24, 2009, 02:41:39 pm »

we use 2mm sheet aluminium.
I am not sure, if you will succeed with MIG if you will try aluminium once.
with TIG no problems, off course.

mec

fuzzybutt · « **Reply #6 on:** January 24, 2009, 03:08:18 pm »

some day i'll have a tig welder for my shop but thats a ways down the road as theyre pretty expensive.

mec · « **Reply #7 on:** January 28, 2009, 12:32:04 pm »

continued:
pics say more than thousand words

this small fuel tank filler cap took me beneath 2 days. cause I goofed, I had to do one of the small parts three times.

mec · « **Reply #8 on:** January 28, 2009, 12:34:45 pm »

mec · « **Reply #9 on:** January 28, 2009, 12:40:21 pm »

which works best? first picture shows some "try and errror" weldings, simulating the weld of the outer tank structure with the bottom of the tank.

followed by work on the bottom with some helpful bending constructions

andy750 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 28, 2009, 12:42:24 pm »

Beautiful work Mec and great photos!

Thank you!

Andy

j-conn · « **Reply #11 on:** January 28, 2009, 12:43:25 pm »

just keeps getting better...

luder · « **Reply #12 on:** January 28, 2009, 01:28:45 pm »

Im impressed great job and workmanship......luder

voxonda · « **Reply #13 on:** January 28, 2009, 01:42:59 pm »

Everything has been said............................................impressive.

Cheers, Rob

mec · « **Reply #14 on:** January 30, 2009, 01:11:39 pm »

step by step we are coming to an end

one thought: there are super quality alu tanks for 250€ to 550€ outside. no, I never would sell one tank for this sum, way too cheap, way too much work (unless you are doing a large quantity of such fuel tanks).
if you come over such a bargain, buy two or three

the sheet metal (1mx2mx0.002m) costs 132€. this is good for 2 tanks (if you do not goof). my 20L argon bottle is half the way empty (60€), the number of welding sticks I did not count, the same to the sanding papers for the electric hand sander. 40 (?) hours of work........

we go on with pics:

HavocTurbo · « **Reply #15 on:** January 30, 2009, 01:18:57 pm »

I am in awe...

Alloy is the only thing I have trouble welding.

Truly magnificent piece of artwork!!!

mec · « **Reply #16 on:** January 30, 2009, 01:56:33 pm »

Quote from: HavocTurbo on January 30, 2009, 01:18:57 pm

Alloy is the only thing I have trouble welding.

you need a really good tig welder machine with the amperage triggerd by foot pedal and high voltage ignition.
with this equipment a trained monkey can do good welds

more sophisticated is the way you prepare the material for your welds.
learning by doing and some experience is all it takes.

do not start learning by trying to weld old, oil soaked engine cases.

mec

HavocTurbo · « **Reply #17 on:** January 30, 2009, 02:43:25 pm »

Quote from: mec on January 30, 2009, 01:56:33 pm

Quote from: HavocTurbo on January 30, 2009, 01:18:57 pm
Alloy is the only thing I have trouble welding.

you need a really good tig welder machine with the amperage triggerd by foot pedal and high voltage ignition.
with this equipment a trained monkey can do good welds
more sophisticated is the way you prepare the material for your welds.
learning by doing and some experience is all it takes.

do not start learning by trying to weld old, oil soaked engine cases.

mec

lol while I "can" weld alloy..... I'm not very good at it. My feet have tremors due to replaced knee joints. It's very hard for me to get the exact position. "Stacked nickels" seem to evade me...

scunny · « **Reply #18 on:** January 30, 2009, 03:00:22 pm »

I stack nickels under the hole I've just blown.
wonderfull work Mec

jeepurz · « **Reply #19 on:** January 31, 2009, 11:07:33 am »

that is the best tank thread ive seen, nice work! cool tank.

Dreyzar · « **Reply #20 on:** January 31, 2009, 06:40:14 pm »

Mec,
I aspire to someday reach such a level of craftsmanship as yours'. Also, I'm astounded by the pace of your work. I sincerely hope you're retired. Even if so, you put the slow slow progress of my projects to shame. Good show.

mec · « **Reply #21 on:** February 01, 2009, 11:19:09 am »

Quote from: Dreyzar on January 31, 2009, 06:40:14 pm

I sincerely hope you're retired.

no, I am not retired. there are ten, fifteen years to come. but.............I do have plenty of spare time to exert my hobbies.

yesterday I continued the work on the bottom of the tank.
first pic shows a little "dreiwalzenrundbiegemaschine" (tool for bending sheet metal)
the bottom shows an extra "cut out" for throttle cable actuation, afterwards spot welded

mec · « **Reply #22 on:** February 01, 2009, 11:23:12 am »

the last step was to do the cutout for the oilfiller tube (oil in frame) and weld all the rest

mec · « **Reply #23 on:** February 01, 2009, 11:27:33 am »

nothing more to say.

I am happy that the work is done and again one of my dreams have been fulfiled.

when we are willing, all is possible.

mec

jeepurz · « **Reply #24 on:** February 01, 2009, 11:34:40 am »

WOW, thats all I can say, other than drooling. how many hours do think youv got invested?

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Author Topic: DIY Aluminium Fuel Tank (Read 7920 times)

fuzzybutt

fuzzybutt