Custom Aluminum Diesel Tanks

[Kent_323is]

Here are some aluminum fuel tanks that I designed and built for the all terrain track chair project I'm currently working on for a client in a wheelchair.
1/8" 5052 aluminum bent & rolled, and TIG welded together.
There is a left and a right, and they are exact mirrors of each other.
I designed the tanks in CAD, had the shapes laser cut out, and then I formed/rolled them to shape and TIG welded them together.

Here's a video of the design & assembly process:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4nGm5jG_aw

I will have some more metal forming projects coming up as I work on some filler panels on the cab, and firewall.
If you want more info about the project, you can follow this link:
http://kustomsbykent.com/all-terrain-track-chair-attc/

Thanks
Kent

[Gareth Davies]

That looks an interesting project Kent so it will be nice to see some more photos as it develops.

[Kent_323is]

Thanks Gareth.
I've been posting progress photos on my Kustoms By Kent facebook page.

[Kerry Pinkerton]

Originally Posted by Kent_323is

Thanks Gareth.
I've been posting progress photos on my Kustoms By Kent facebook page.

Probably 80% of the more experienced shapers don't do social media. It's a generational thing. You may not care but I want folks to understand that just posting things to FB or other social media sites doesn't generate the exposure you might think.

[Kent_323is]

Kerry brings up a good point about facebook vs the guys here. I'll add some more info and pics...

The fuel tanks on this project were really the first items that really fall within this subject matter of metal shaping. I designed them before I had bent any of the aluminum, so I ended up making a special rolling bender to make the smooth large radius bends. I made one prototype tank that required some cuts to make everything fit, and after that made a few modifications to the bending process, and then I got the 2 production tanks to bend up and fit up with no cuts or modifications to designed flat pieces.

A majority of the project so far hasn't been metal shaping... a lot of design and fabrication for suspension (air ride) with hydrostatic drive for the tracks. The vehicle is fully radio controlled, so you can drive it remotely. Quite useful for parking it where the wheelchair can't go, or loading it onto a trailer.
It has a secondary alternator and rear PTO, as well as a 12,000 lb winch. The ramp in front raises and lowers so a wheelchair can back directly in/out, and then it will have a fully enclosed cab, with heat, side opening windows, and the front windshield will open via air cylinders and gas shocks to allow the wheelchair to get in/out.

I have done all of the work on this project, from the design, to the metal fab, tube bending & rolling, aluminum tig welding, electrical & electronics.

I've been working on this project for almost 2 years, and the first 1.5 years I was in China working, so I only worked on the fabrication every 6 months when I came back to the US. During those visits, it was an intense period of 2-3 weeks of fabrication, then back to China (corporate job) where I worked on design of this project in my spare time in preparation for the next visit back to the US. Fortunately, we finally moved back to the US in Aug for good. 5.5 yrs in China was enough!

You can watch videos of the project progress if you follow this link:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...HEjSNpCyGB1dO8

I've learned a lot on this site, there's a lot of members that have some really cool shaping projects!

IMG_2769.jpg

IMG_2816.jpg

IMG_2817.jpg

IMG_2821.jpg

IMG_2613.jpg

IMG_2649.jpg

IMG_2651.jpg

[Kerry Pinkerton]

That's neat Kent. There was a TV show a couple years back about a couple twin brothers who had a fab company called Howe & Howe Tech. They made small remote controlled tracked vehicles for the military. Same kind of look as yours.