All MetalShaping

Go Back   All MetalShaping > General Metal Shaping Discussion > Basic questions and answers
  Today's Posts Posts for Last 7 Days Posts for Last 14 Days  

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 12-27-2015, 08:12 PM
tsi_tom tsi_tom is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Quakertown, PA
Posts: 25
Default Which metal to use for making gas tanks?

I have been thinking about this at every fuel up. What metal is appropriate to use in building a gas tank?
__________________
Tom
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 12-27-2015, 11:08 PM
crystallographic crystallographic is offline
MetalShaper of the Month October '14 , April '16, July 2020, Jan 2023
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Western Sierra Nevadas, Badger Hill, CA
Posts: 4,388
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by tsi_tom View Post
I have been thinking about this at every fuel up. What metal is appropriate to use in building a gas tank?
Vehicle?
Stainless is good for cars/trucks, as well as galvanized or its current replacement: Gal-X-C.

For scooters maybe 3003, 5052, or 6061 T6.

Aeropanes? 3003, 5052, or 6061T6.

Tractors - Gal-X-C.

Lots of info to follow....
__________________
Kent

http://www.tinmantech.com

"All it takes is a little practical experience to blow the he!! out of a perfectly good theory." --- Lloyd Rosenquist, charter member AWS, 1919.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 12-29-2015, 01:41 PM
tsi_tom tsi_tom is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Quakertown, PA
Posts: 25
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by crystallographic View Post
Vehicle?
Stainless is good for cars/trucks, as well as galvanized or its current replacement: Gal-X-C.

For scooters maybe 3003, 5052, or 6061 T6.

Aeropanes? 3003, 5052, or 6061T6.

Tractors - Gal-X-C.

Lots of info to follow....
True, I should have specified the vehicle. I was thinking about car/truck gas tanks.

I haven't seen cars using stainless though.

The metal on the filler neck, is that special? For example is it coated so that is doesn't spark?

On Gearz I saw Stacy use beer kegs for the hot rod tow truck project.

Reason I ask is many older cars and trucks have bad gas tanks from fuel sitting in them. I am looking at a 1960 Dodge D300 Power Giant that has been sitting and thought about making a gas tank.


What a Power Giant looks like:

__________________
Tom
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 12-29-2015, 07:12 PM
crystallographic crystallographic is offline
MetalShaper of the Month October '14 , April '16, July 2020, Jan 2023
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Western Sierra Nevadas, Badger Hill, CA
Posts: 4,388
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by tsi_tom View Post
True, I should have specified the vehicle. I was thinking about car/truck gas tanks.

I haven't seen cars using stainless though.

The metal on the filler neck, is that special? For example is it coated so that is doesn't spark?

On Gearz I saw Stacy use beer kegs for the hot rod tow truck project.

Reason I ask is many older cars and trucks have bad gas tanks from fuel sitting in them. I am looking at a 1960 Dodge D300 Power Giant that has been sitting and thought about making a gas tank.


What a Power Giant looks like:

You are correct, Tom. Stainless is the material of choice for replacement tanks when not trusting galvanized or sealant/sloshing compounds, or both together.

Dodge made some nice rigs, going back to the rounded-body post-WW2 Power Wagons. (Wide rear window, too.)

Filler necks are indeed coated, although copper, brass, bronze, and stainless are non-sparking replacements.

Aluminum and stainless beer kegs have been used for kustom gas tanks since the 1950's, at least.
__________________
Kent

http://www.tinmantech.com

"All it takes is a little practical experience to blow the he!! out of a perfectly good theory." --- Lloyd Rosenquist, charter member AWS, 1919.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 12-29-2015, 09:40 PM
tsi_tom tsi_tom is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Quakertown, PA
Posts: 25
Default

Thanks for the info. What are the filler necks coated with? The filler necks seem aluminized. Not sure if that is the correct term.
__________________
Tom
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 12-30-2015, 01:52 PM
crystallographic crystallographic is offline
MetalShaper of the Month October '14 , April '16, July 2020, Jan 2023
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Western Sierra Nevadas, Badger Hill, CA
Posts: 4,388
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by tsi_tom View Post
Thanks for the info. What are the filler necks coated with? The filler necks seem aluminized. Not sure if that is the correct term.
The ones I have dealt with when re-building tanks have always been galvanized.

This is a terne steel tank I made as per owner instructions. I re-used the neck, fittings and end panels from the ruined original. The neck was galvanized and I re-tinned any rusty areas.
(The finish does not look like terne does in its natural state because I washed and pressure-tested it and somehow the camera saw it as bare steel-appearing.)
Cord tank.jpg

Aluminized is a familiar steel tube product in the exhaust industry, although I am unsure how it behaves in the corrosive "unburnt" incoming fuel application? Are fuel lines now aluminized? If so, do they tin and solder adequately?

In any case, if the filler is non-existent I "just" tin up some steel tube to match. ("just" is a four-letter word in my shop...)
__________________
Kent

http://www.tinmantech.com

"All it takes is a little practical experience to blow the he!! out of a perfectly good theory." --- Lloyd Rosenquist, charter member AWS, 1919.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 12-30-2015, 02:35 PM
tsi_tom tsi_tom is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Quakertown, PA
Posts: 25
Default

I had to look up what terne is. What are you using to tin with?

That would be a good video to watch the reconstruction of that tank. Which vehicle did that tank come from?
__________________
Tom
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12-30-2015, 02:52 PM
John Francis John Francis is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: SE Pennsylvania
Posts: 49
Default

Here is a link to a terne tank build:


http://allmetalshaping.com/showthrea...highlight=tank
__________________
John
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 12-30-2015, 05:00 PM
crystallographic crystallographic is offline
MetalShaper of the Month October '14 , April '16, July 2020, Jan 2023
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Western Sierra Nevadas, Badger Hill, CA
Posts: 4,388
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by tsi_tom View Post
I had to look up what terne is. What are you using to tin with?

That would be a good video to watch the reconstruction of that tank. Which vehicle did that tank come from?
Terne is lead-coated steel and was used for millions of US vehicle tanks for 50 years, replacing bare steel. Terne was available in long terne and short terne. Very hard to find now. It was available in 36" wide sections, like copper and brass are.

The tank is a 1936 Cord tank. It was a "simple" box tank, with two baffles and two end plates. The process is similar for making all box-type tanks; making one set of forms for the ends and baffles, mounting up the formed pieces into a rigid non-twisting / non-racking 3D "buck" which then has the shell formed to it, with any artwork, seam bends or mounting areas formed prior, during or after the shell is formed.

Working in the details and assembly depends on the logic of the tank and the setup of your shop. Some box tanks are diabolical (Stearman) and some are dirt simple, with two ends, no baffles, no artwork, and inlet, outlet, gauge, and drain. Sometimes no gauge - Daytona Cobras used a wood stick with carved notches for "full" and "refill" and a couple tossed in to divide the distance. ( I have an original Daytona "gas gauge" from csx2601 ... )

Simplex_ end panel assy.jpg
1914 Simplex tank. End panels being assembled with orig parts and new copper rivets. (Mozart Collection)

The lockseam is set down prior to adding the baffles and mounting the fittings (drain, filler, gauge, vents), and then the ends are added in last of all. The flanges at the ends are hand-worked over the end panels, locking them in place.

Simplex_ end panel assy_flanging.jpg
Flanging the shell/body over the end panel. Metal is GAL-X-C. 1914 Simplex.

Solder it all complete, test for leaks, pat it on the bottom, and off it goes.
Simplex_assembled_soldered.jpg
Ready for leak testing. (I like 16lbs air pressure, on the gauge.)

Simplex _ bench mess.jpg
Work bench cleanup takes time. Best to keep debris organized, somewhat.

Tinning compounds are available from many companies. I like Johnson's "Tin-easy Powder." Clean the metal, heat and apply with coarse steel wool and fresh running air and respirator. Wipe clean when hot with clean cotton cloth (hot-wipe) and your part is ready for service.
__________________
Kent

http://www.tinmantech.com

"All it takes is a little practical experience to blow the he!! out of a perfectly good theory." --- Lloyd Rosenquist, charter member AWS, 1919.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 12-30-2015, 10:16 PM
Oldnek Oldnek is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Ulladulla, Australia
Posts: 1,346
Default

Just a thought, why don't you just make it from CRS and coat the inside with POR 15 Tank treatment. If it fixes rust inside tanks, then sealing a good steel tank should be no problem.
__________________
John
EK Holden V8
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:22 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.