Apple juice tank

[fasteddy]

Rockenstein, that tank looks so good it seem a shame to cover it. Until I bought the Monarck with a tank I was working a piece of round galvinized furnace duct over for an Indian stye tank to put between the frame rails.

Now I'll make my life simpler by doing just what you did. Thank you.

Steve.

 

[silverbear]

Here are some more photos of the gas tank finished and hand grips to go with. The throttle is from a mini bike, if you're wondering. It has a metal throttle tube and the grips are Schwinn. To get the grip over the throttle tube required heating both grip and throttle tube in very hot water. They feel nice to the hand. I like 'em. To use the kit throttle would require a more pliable grip to go over the plastic throttle tube without wrecking it. Maybe gel grips? Foam rubber? This set was just an experiment, but one which I will repeat, I think.
SB

 

[WayneC]

Silver Bear,
That is so cool. Thanks for sharing. Nice work.
Makes me want to go out and skin an animal! LOL
But wait, you got that off of a suede jacket? Dang!
WC

 

[silverbear]

Silver Bear,
That is so cool. Thanks for sharing. Nice work.
Makes me want to go out and skin an animal! LOL
But wait, you got that off of a suede jacket? Dang!
WC

I didn't kill anything to get it, but no, that's not from a suede jacket... was just saying that is a source for inexpensive leather. What is pictured is black Elk hide which I use for making moccasins and mukluks (lined winter boots) for myself. Pretty durable stuff and fairly easy to work with. Usually I use brown elk hide for the mocs, but what I had on hand was black, so used that since it went with the bike. Jacket suede would be thinner and easier to work with.
SB

 

[Rockenstein]

Rockenstein, that tank looks so good it seem a shame to cover it. Until I bought the Monarck with a tank I was working a piece of round galvinized furnace duct over for an Indian stye tank to put between the frame rails.

Now I'll make my life simpler by doing just what you did. Thank you.

Steve.

Thanks fasteddy...my Riff Raff bike is a labor of love and discarded junk Your right the tank looks not so bad as is but just wait until you all see it covered! I've got some leather cut and I laid the main wrap on a few moments ago just to see how it looked and fit, it for sure looks the part!

 

[Rockenstein]

Here are some more photos of the gas tank finished and hand grips to go with. The throttle is from a mini bike, if you're wondering. It has a metal throttle tube and the grips are Schwinn. To get the grip over the throttle tube required heating both grip and throttle tube in very hot water. They feel nice to the hand. I like 'em. To use the kit throttle would require a more pliable grip to go over the plastic throttle tube without wrecking it. Maybe gel grips? Foam rubber? This set was just an experiment, but one which I will repeat, I think.
SB

NIce stuff silverbear!!

I tried your stitching pattern on a test piece of leather...I had some success...but I'm not sure if I'm going to stitch it like that now though as it's not giving me the "look" I was after. Thinking I'll cut some 1/8th" strips and lace the parts together. What I'm contemplating now is an easy way to punch the correct number of lacing holes in the main wrap plus the round end parts...a spacing pattern that works and looks good is important to me as well. Maybe later tonight I'll have some more pictures to post.

 

[fasteddy]

Yes, having seen the leather it does seems that is the way to do it.
If I was building a track racer the bare metal would have to show.
The good part for me is that both my nieces are increadible seamstresses and can sew anything and I lived in Johnstown/ Gloversville NY.

That may not mean much to most people but Gloversville was the glove making capital of the world at one time, and both towns were full of tannerys.

I left with six full cow hides, upholstery grade, but they are all brown. Thank heavens for leather dye.

Steve

 

[silverbear]

Rockenstein,
First off, my purchase of the brass fire extinguisher did not work out simply because it is too small. The description of it's diameter from the seller was way off, so this particular one is out. It has chemicals in it, so it now lives in the glove box of my truck. Back to the drawing board.
A couple of days ago I was looking at a Coleman fuel tank which looked about the size I'm looking for to fit between the upper tubes of my Worksman paperboy and 50 Schwinn straight bar. I took it to the plumbing department and discovered that a 3/4" copper male fitting for plumbing screws right in there, so I bought the male fitting, an elbow and a female fitting for the top of the filler tube. Today I've been fitting things together and it is ready to be soldered. The copper pieces are simple enough, but I have a question regarding the possibility of soldering copper to aluminum... is it even possible? I kind of doubt it. If it is, I'd like to solder the male fitting into the end of the fuel tank to be sure it can not leak ever. Short of that, what would be best to use as a sealant on the threads? Any ideas? I also have to join the vent and the fuel line tap and shutoff valve. The aluminum tank is thin and it seems to me that tapping it is a kind of waste of effort. No doubt I can "tap" the fairly soft aluminum with the threads of the shutoff valve, but again, what would be good to use as a sealant and a way of making the connection solid. Would JB weld work if soldering is out? I've been taking pictures, but will hold off posting until I know this will work. SB

 

[bairdco]

if it's already threaded, teflon tape should be enough to seal it. you could also try a copper or aluminum "crush washer" like cars have on the oil plug. if it's dry and clean, JB weld will work, too. i had to seal one of my studs on the crappy peanut tank, and it hasn't leaked yet.

is that the tank from the coleman dual fuel three burner? i was just looking at those the other day for my goodyear. let me know how it works.

 

[Norman]

I must say I like the juice can fuel tank. If you want to thread very thin aluminum I've found that harbor freight sells an aluminum solder( this solder is probably sold other places) that you can use with a propane torch. you can build up the area you want to tap with this solder shape it with a dremel tool and drill then tap the hole. You can even solder beer cans with this solder. Now there would be a fuel tank bud cans soldered together or those small kegs.
For non vented fuel caps almost any tin can that is threaded would work on a tin can set up you can get inventive for the vent system.

 

[silverbear]

if it's already threaded, teflon tape should be enough to seal it. you could also try a copper or aluminum "crush washer" like cars have on the oil plug. if it's dry and clean, JB weld will work, too. i had to seal one of my studs on the crappy peanut tank, and it hasn't leaked yet.

is that the tank from the coleman dual fuel three burner? i was just looking at those the other day for my goodyear. let me know how it works.

Thanks for the tips on sealing the threaded end of the aluminum tank.
No, this is an aluminum fuel tank so that campers can carry extra fuel. It is about the size of a propane tank (not the squat one, but the one you'd use with a torch) and it has a threaded plastic stopper at the end. It is the end that a 3/4" copper male fitting will screw in to. The one I got is aluminum colored, as if it were clean coated. When I used fine steel wool to remove the "Coleman" logo, the aluminum inderneath shined up nicely, so if this tank works out I'll buff up the whole thing. It should look nice.
SB

 

[silverbear]

I must say I like the juice can fuel tank. If you want to thread very thin aluminum I've found that harbor freight sells an aluminum solder( this solder is probably sold other places) that you can use with a propane torch. you can build up the area you want to tap with this solder shape it with a dremel tool and drill then tap the hole. You can even solder beer cans with this solder. Now there would be a fuel tank bud cans soldered together or those small kegs.
For non vented fuel caps almost any tin can that is threaded would work on a tin can set up you can get inventive for the vent system.

Just wrote a response which must uave been intercepted by cyborgs or something. Anyway, thanks for the tips on building up the aluminum where it will be tapped for vent and fuel line. Perfect. I have some of those aluminum solering rods, but never tried them. Now I will!
Below are three photos. Fist is the Coleman fuel tank with the copper fittings. Second shows the fittings in place. Third shows the fittings ground down some so that they stick out and up less. Also shown is the aluminum under where the Coleman logo had been.
SB

 

[silverbear]

Just wrote a response which must uave been intercepted by cyborgs or something. Anyway, thanks for the tips on building up the aluminum where it will be tapped for vent and fuel line. Perfect. I have some of those aluminum solering rods, but never tried them. Now I will!
Below are three photos. Fist is the Coleman fuel tank with the copper fittings. Second shows the fittings in place. Third shows the fittings ground down some so that they stick out and up less. Also shown is the aluminum under where the Coleman logo had been.
SB

Next time I'm at the hardware I'm going to look for something better for the fuel "cap". I also have a fire extinguisher of the newer type (red steel and not brass) which is of the same shape as the Coleman tank, but several inches longer and slightly larger in diameter. Since it is still a good fire extinguisher I don't want to experiment with it, but when I find another which is used up I'd like to remove the fitting at the nozzle end and see what could be used to fit in there. It appears to be screwed in and may well be 3/4". That would be nice. I'm planning to use the Coleman tank mounted between the crossbars on my 50 Schwinn straightbar... fits right in there. My Worksman paperboy has a little more room between the crossbars and a fire extinguisher would fit. Looks like it would hold maybe a quart and a half of gasoline. One of those might also look good on a rear rack lengthwise.
SB

 

[BarelyAWake]

*sigh*

We have a 6'x6'x3' crate filled with old fire extinguishers where I work, not a dang one of 'em is the old school kind, they're all the red steel ones... It was worth a look anyway lol

Every time I read about someone lookin' fer one I feel a lil bad lol I'm so far away from everywhere and it's not worth it to ship these - but they're free for the taking (prolly, mebbe scrap metal value - boss is funny sometimes) Oh well.

 

[silverbear]

*sigh*

We have a 6'x6'x3' crate filled with old fire extinguishers where I work, not a dang one of 'em is the old school kind, they're all the red steel ones... It was worth a look anyway lol

Every time I read about someone lookin' fer one I feel a lil bad lol I'm so far away from everywhere and it's not worth it to ship these - but they're free for the taking (prolly, mebbe scrap metal value - boss is funny sometimes) Oh well.

One will turn up for me sometime or other. I remember having several of the old brass ones. I liked them since they were brass, you know, and anything shiny is... anyway I never could find a use for them so to the dump they went. I've seen red steel ones and paid them no attention. What for? Ah, but now there is a potential use for them. When you have the time take a look. Does it appear to you that the top business end unscrews? Would your boss let you fool with one just to see what size the fitting is? Enquiring minds want to know!
SB

 

[BarelyAWake]

Sure - we've tons of jun... erm... "used & surplus" stuff here heh, I think these are supposed to be destined for scrap metal weight anyway (someday). I can no doubt have 'em if I want - just wanted to mention that my boss might want a few pennies were someone else to show up and want a few.

Filthy capitalist lol

I'll check for removable/screwed in endcaps & size when I head out fer lunch... I might grab a couple myself even tho I've no need for them... yet


I am gonna scrounge more for the ol' brass ones - I like the shiny too


edit: Well, it looks like just about all of 'em have a screw top and although I didn't thread to see pitch etc, - they almost all seem to be a 1" fitting. There were a coupla exceptions, but those were either huge canisters and/or weird ones (atypical handles/triggers). If ya want a more detailed description - I'll hafta drag one into the shop to tear it apart, I can do this if ya want

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

Just a note for everyone making their own tank mounts... Check them regularly for cracks!!! The rear tank on 'Purple Rain' came off last week because the 1/16" steel mount that I made cracked!

Luckily, nothing bad happened, & I made a new mount from 1/8" steel.

The combination of a full tank & heavy vibrations can be too much for thin steel mounts.

 

[Rockenstein]

I had similar concerns VENICE BOY so I added a strut that attaches to the seat post clamp on mine...

So finally I get to get back at working on my stuff! I've got all my leather parts cut out and I cut up a whack of lacing too, maybe later tonight I'll finally have a finished product to show off. You guys are all like 2 or 3 tanks to my one...lol

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

It took a couple of months for mine to crack through, so just keep checkin' yours...
Keep a shoe string with you when you ride incase you have to tie the tank back on to get you home!! (seriously, that's what we did!)

 

[Rockenstein]

Finally started getting my lacing holes punched out...

I drew up some lacing hole patterns in Turbo Cad, printed them off, cut them out then laid them on the leather parts with a few dabs from an Elmers glue stick holding them in place...a hole punching machine I am let me tell ya!

Only have about 200 or so more holes to go


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