Indian Tadpole

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fasteddy

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
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British Columbia Canada
I have been working on a new gas tank for the tricar. The one I made was from the first photo of one I saw and it turns out to have been one of the first 3 they made as proto types in 1901/1902. They had a small tank.
Looking at the others as I've gone along I saw the tank was much bigger and finally I found a close up of one from a few angles and have been able to figure out how to make/fake one that will be close to an original. This bike is far from a copy but that is no reason not to try and get as close as possible to the original.

The sides are simply cut out of a sheet of body metal. The top is a strip of body metal that I bent the sides on. To do this without a sheet metal brake I measured a 1/4" in on each side then clamped two angle iron bed rails in the vise. Slid the metal in and put the scribe mark even with the top edge of the angle iron.

Clamped the vise tight, leveled up the two halves of the angle iron with a square and made sure the metal was even along the length of the metal, put C clamps on the angle to hold it tight and started tapping the metal over using a short piece of 1x4. I have found that it's best to start on the top edge of the metal and bend it just a bit as you go along. Each pass you can bend farther down the steel until the last pass you flatten it against the angle iron. You may need to give it one last pass using the hammer only.

I made a form to hold the tank in place as it's being soldered using some MDF and scrap plywood as a filler to get the right thickness.

I notched the sides every 1/2" so it would bend and then every 1'" as it leveled out. I'll solder it tomorrow and post some more photos tomorrow night. That's if I'm not doing the not happy dance in the garage because it didn't work. :)

Steve.

 
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silverbear

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
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Patience, as they say, is a virtue. I commend you for making the second tank when you had already made the first one. Will the bottom of the tank be soldered directly to the rear fender so that the fender is an integral part of the tank? What will you use for the bung?
Thanks for the nice series of photos (if you click on the picture it will bring up a whole series)... and keep them coming.

Also, I think we need to find a source for the old brass horns. Tinsmith has one on his stretch Worksman and you're right... pretty loud!
SB
 
T

Tinsmith

Well-Known Member
May 15, 2009
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Nice job on the fabrication of the tank Steve. Good luck on the soldering. As SB knows when the soldering goes well it's a thing of beauty, but when it doesn't it's quite frustrating.
Dan
 
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fasteddy

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
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Silverbear,
I'll solder a bottom into it and mount it on the fender so it can be removed if need be. A small oil tank goes in front of the gas tank on the inside of the seat stay. I'll run a bung out of the gas tank in the bottom corner of the gas tank. I have one and will run a tap and glass fuel filter with it.

I have a place that sells brass horns and I'll look it up.

Steve.
 
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fasteddy

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
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British Columbia Canada
Thanks Dan,
I was wishing you were sitting there so I could ask you a few questions but as it is i'll just blunder on.
I did have two very large soldering irons that were used to solder large tin tanks but lost them in a fire in 2004. I'll use a propane torch and solder and lots of hoping.

Steve.
 
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fasteddy

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
7,476
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British Columbia Canada
It's done or at least the top is soldered to the sides, done. No fancy dancing involved either but just the usual lessons relearned.

Of course it's hot. You just soldered it so don't slap your lunch hooks on it to move it.

Make sure the solder is cooled enough to solidify before you tap the metal tab down. The molten lead comes out from under it like a sizzling hot shot gun blast and puts holes in your shirt and you. Remembering this helps so you don't do it again. And again.

It's not right to hit your brother when he says, "I bet that hurt". Using the hammer in your hand that you just hit the tab with the hot lead under it is really not right but it is satisfying.

The clamps holding everything together will be in the way as you are soldering and the moment you try to move it, everything will fall apart and roll to the hardest place possible to get them back.

I made another half to the form to hold the tank in place so it held the top of the tank down tight. Worked nicely and made the job easier. I used a propane torch to heat the metal and ran regular solder into the joint to hold everything together. I have the end made up and will solder it and the filler cap into it tommorow. Then I'll make a bottom for it and finish soldering everything up.
There will be two brass, 1/4" bolts soldered into the bottom and then they will go down through the fender to hold the tank on.

It will be interesting to see if the tank needs to be lined or not. Maybe I'm better at this than I think I am. :)

I took a photo of the first tank I made and the new one. It's the last photo of the new set.
Click on the photo below and it will take you to the Photos.

Steve.

 
silverbear

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Steve,
The jig you made up makes all the difference, doesn't it! And yes, the metal and solder both are painfully hot. I, too, had to check. So it is the same in Canada then. Interesting.

Those old boys in England look like they're having a good ride on their tri-car. Two more lads who never grew up, just old. Fun!
SB
 
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fasteddy

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
7,476
4,966
113
British Columbia Canada
Silverbear,
You know how hard I can be to convince of things so I had to keep checking to see if really was as hot as I thought it was. Unfortunately it was, so I was right.
I shamelessly stole the jig idea from a couple of pro's that I saw on a forum about building gas tanks. I've never been afraid to follow in the pro's foot steps.

Those two old lads look happily miserable riding through the rain. Same weather is right outside my window as I'm typing this. Our small corner of the province is much like the British Isles weather wise. Grass is as green as an emerald all winter.
I took this photo out our back door about 15 minutes ago. The building you see is our wood working shop.

The telephone pole looking posts are where my brother grows his hops for home brewing.

Click on the photo to enlarge it.

Steve.

 
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