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Making small gas tank
- Thread starter intrepid
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2015
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- 11,318
As heavy as you can comfortably work with
Is it round or cube shaped or...?
Is it round or cube shaped or...?
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2013
- Messages
- 10,089
Just do it!
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2017
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- 5,249
Do you have a pic of the old one? Maybe you could check the thickness of the old one? I would think it would be 18-20ga too. I would form it with my bead roller as that’s the only way outside of hammer forming it you can make that style of rolled edge most of the old gas tanks had. Fun project if you have the tools.
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2013
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- 2,486
A lot depends on the equipment you have available to make a fuel tank. It would be fairly easy to
make one like your original using aluminum with a TIG welder. If it is going to be a rectangular style tank,
a box brake would be really handy. I have made fuel tanks with a stick welder in a pinch. A MIG machine
would have been better but I don't have one. I used 1/8 inch plate on that tank and was surprised that
there were only several pinholes to fix. Another way would be to use thin steel and braze it together using
brass rod or even brazing it using copper house wire. One could also use an acetylene torch to weld up
some thin steel to build a tank. Still another way would be to use copper or brass sheet and solder it together.
So in the end, there are a lot of ways to build a tank depending on your equipment, materials, and how
you want it to look.
make one like your original using aluminum with a TIG welder. If it is going to be a rectangular style tank,
a box brake would be really handy. I have made fuel tanks with a stick welder in a pinch. A MIG machine
would have been better but I don't have one. I used 1/8 inch plate on that tank and was surprised that
there were only several pinholes to fix. Another way would be to use thin steel and braze it together using
brass rod or even brazing it using copper house wire. One could also use an acetylene torch to weld up
some thin steel to build a tank. Still another way would be to use copper or brass sheet and solder it together.
So in the end, there are a lot of ways to build a tank depending on your equipment, materials, and how
you want it to look.
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2017
- Messages
- 5,249
I love the look of the old rounded tanks and I’ll bet they were made that way on purpose. Rounded edges are stronger as far they don’t concentrate stress compared to sharp corners and keep the flat areas from “oil canning” which causes cracks over time. Especially under the intense vibration during running.
The old tanks I saw on like the old reel mowers we had were rounded square or rectangular one piece body with the seam somewhere on the top. With formed ends that fit over the main body ends with the flat areas of the ends having a X shaped beads to stiffen them so no oil canning. They were typically soldered together. Solder if done right is incredibly strong. As you can see I pondered how to make one of those tanks and marveled at their details as we never seemed to have one fail. At that time the only way I could think to form that would be by stamping. The trick is to not beat on the corner itself as this thins it and will crack. This is why I love bead rolling for curved flanges. To do the one piece body would be tricky. The whole thing would be a really fun project and would be more doable because for me bigger is better. Small just harder for me.
The old tanks I saw on like the old reel mowers we had were rounded square or rectangular one piece body with the seam somewhere on the top. With formed ends that fit over the main body ends with the flat areas of the ends having a X shaped beads to stiffen them so no oil canning. They were typically soldered together. Solder if done right is incredibly strong. As you can see I pondered how to make one of those tanks and marveled at their details as we never seemed to have one fail. At that time the only way I could think to form that would be by stamping. The trick is to not beat on the corner itself as this thins it and will crack. This is why I love bead rolling for curved flanges. To do the one piece body would be tricky. The whole thing would be a really fun project and would be more doable because for me bigger is better. Small just harder for me.