3003 Ally Tank T500 (Complete!)

johnu

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Going to build my own gas tank and plan to use 3003 aluminum (16 gauge). Is this the best choice of aluminum? Tank will be welded with oxy-acetylene.
 
Re: 3003 Ally For Making Tank?

oh christ, don't use tm's tech flux for a tank

3003 is fine for a tank, use 14ga (.063), not 16, that's too thin. 5052 work hardens too quickly to be used much in forming complex shapes like tanks, fine for bending etc. 3003 also has the best overall corrosion resistance.

tig is probably best for someone who didn't learn to weld in the 30's, gas welding is mostly a lost art on aluminum and tig will do just as good a weld in trained hands, gas welding on aluminum like that and getting a strong consistent weld is very hard (I've been building tanks for 6 years now and still prefer tig because I trust it more).

secondly, have you done any fabrication work with aluminum yet? a tank is not the best first project. maybe start with a seat that's made in a few pieces so you get familiar with joining multiple pieces to make a single more complex shape.

thirdly, what tools do you have at your disposal? how much do you know about things like how to attach filler bungs and petcock bungs? what type joint were you planning on using to join the top and bottom?

if it's something you're seriously pursuing, I can give you some input if you want
 
Re: 3003 Ally For Making Tank?

rockcitycafe said:
oh christ, don't use tm's tech flux for a tank

3003 is fine for a tank, use 14ga (.063), not 16, that's too thin. 5052 work hardens too quickly to be used much in forming complex shapes like tanks, fine for bending etc. 3003 also has the best overall corrosion resistance.

tig is probably best for someone who didn't learn to weld in the 30's, gas welding is mostly a lost art on aluminum and tig will do just as good a weld in trained hands, gas welding on aluminum like that and getting a strong consistent weld is very hard (I've been building tanks for 6 years now and still prefer tig because I trust it more).

secondly, have you done any fabrication work with aluminum yet? a tank is not the best first project. maybe start with a seat that's made in a few pieces so you get familiar with joining multiple pieces to make a single more complex shape.

thirdly, what tools do you have at your disposal? how much do you know about things like how to attach filler bungs and petcock bungs? what type joint were you planning on using to join the top and bottom?

if it's something you're seriously pursuing, I can give you some input if you want

Thanks for all the tips I appreciate the help! I have welded aluminum with gas but it was a long time ago (not in 1930 though) , I would use tig but I don't have the funds to buy one at this time.

I was going to make my seat/tail unit first for practice. I am going to form everything by hand, I may make my own english wheel though to speed things up a bit. There won't be any real deep compound curves so the forming part shouldn't be too bad. I have done a bit of forming in the past but nothing on this level. I will likely use butt welded joints. Also the tank will be painted so I it doesn't have to be polished quality work.

I have been looking for a modern flush fitting filler in aluminum but I can't seem to find anything, I may end up using a Monza filler and neck from www.meadspeed.com which I would braze in. Not sure about the bung for the petcock.

I am still in the info gathering stage although I have been making a mock tank from styrofoam. I will take all the input I can get, thanks. Did you build the T500 tank for wingspan on this site?
 
Re: 3003 Ally For Making Tank?

Ok I forgot to ask what flux you would recommend?
 
Re: 3003 Ally For Making Tank?

wingspan's tank is one of mine, yes, as far as flux goes, I take back what I said, I thought the poster was talking about the brazing rods TM sells, which work for crap. His flux is probably the same flux everyone else sells, I got mine from my local welding store, and it's sold as welding/brazing flux, called the manufacturer and verified its use for aluminum. when you're welding in the filler, the best way to do it so it doesn't try to warp the top of your tank, and so it has a very strong joint, is to turn a flange to the inside of the tank that mates with the filler, and weld the filler and flange at the edge. the petcock bung can be brazed on actually, as long as there aren't any big gaps between the bottom of the tank and the bottom edge of the bung.

I also don't know how much forming you've done, but if you're hand forming, one of the most useful tools is a tuck shrinker, it looks like a two tined fork, there should be online stuff about making one and using one, I made one and welded it to a thick flat steel plate and then welded a handle to the bottom so I could stick it in the vise and have my shrinker and anvil set up right in the same place
 
Re: 3003 Ally For Making Tank?

Practice.....practice...practice....and definately use something in the 14ga alloy.
 
Re: 3003 Ally For Making Tank?

Rockcity, I just saw the stuff on your website, excellent work that you do and very reasonably priced considering the amount of work involved. If I may ask, where do you buy your monza cap and neck from and do you use any other style fillers?
I have seen the shrinking forks before but have never used them. I will definately give it a try though.
 
Re: 3003 Ally For Making Tank?

ohiocaferacer said:
Practice.....practice...practice....and definately use something in the 14ga alloy.

yeah, dont count on your first tank being the tank that goes on your bike
 
Re: 3003 Ally For Making Tank?

Sounds like I am going to have some fun and frustration!
Here is a mock up in styrofoam of the tank I hope to build. I will change it very slightly when I make the wooden former. I will make the angle at the front match the forks properly also extend the overall length by one inch and reduce the overall height by 1/2 an inch (the thickness of the wooden base I have on the mock up).
 

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Re: 3003 Ally For Making Tank?

Not every one no's everything
you should never quit learning
not everyone can afford a tig
some times the old way still works
say what you will just my two cents
 
Re: 3003 Ally For Making Tank?

Thanks nice video. I can only dream of gas welding ally at that level someday! But I will do it. I think the material that he used in the demo though is 3003. The piece shown at the begining is 5052. The filler wire he is using is pretty small diameter. can you just use say an 1100 alloy tig rod to gas weld with?
Thanks to all who have posted, keep the suggestions and tips coming. I would like to get as much input and info as possible before I get started.
 
Re: 3003 Ally For Making Tank?

tm uses 1100 and 5356
he is using a spool of mig wire
if your gas welding you must use flux on what ever rod you use
i use 1/16 & 3/32 tig rod
 
Re: 3003 Ally For Making Tank?

zipper421 said:
o and he is using 5052 by the way
sure did work harden didn't it

i'm not sure what the tone about work hardening is, it sounded sarcastic, so I'll shut up, clearly you know what you're doing making tanks
 
Re: 3003 Ally For Making Tank?

oh christ, don't use tm's tech flux for a tank
o sorry that was a bit sarcastic
i shouldn't let stuff like this bother me but i dont think the torch should be a lost art not everyone can afford a tig
i love my syncro wave theres just something about being a dinosaur
 
Re: 3003 Ally For Making Tank?

yeah, read the next post where i apologized for misunderstanding and thinking you meant another product
 
Re: 3003 Ally For Making Tank?

Ok guys, went to buy an 8'x4' sheet of 14gauge 3003 ally, holy cow $150. Does that sound like the going rate!!
 
Re: 3003 Ally For Making Tank?

I get it locally for $94, $10 to shear into (4) 2x4's, onlinemetals.com should have it for pretty close to that
 
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