Stainless, Problems?

Hazmatt

Hazmatt

New Member
Does anybody know of any reason (aside from cost) why a stainless tank would be a bad idea?
I rescued some stainless pipe and copper fittings from garbage and was thinkin' of makin' my own tank.
 
because it would be so cool someone might steal it...

stainless is perfect for gas. it resists corrosion and rust better than most anything, and it doesn't need to be painted, gas won't stain it (duh, stainless,) etc...

the reason you don't see a lot of stainless tanks, is because of what you said, cost. stainless is friggen expensive.

here's a good link:Stainless Accessories Online | Buy Stainless Steel Gas Tanks
 
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most of my fabrication work is done with stainless, its perfect for tanks, and when polished it looks fantastic,give it a go
 
Probably because in order to weld stainless properly you have to tig weld it. That and the fact that you have to be a darn good metal worker to get a stainless tank to look good, there's no hiding imperfections with filler.
 
Oooohhh, decision crisis. I just got my hands on an empty, 1 gallon fire extinguisher. I think this just might be my first tank.
 
A TIG welder is not a must have for joining stainless! Why is everyone so stuck on electric welders...lol...gas welding is as good now as it was 100 years ago! A set of tanks and torches is sooo much more versatile in the home engineers shop compared to any electric welder.

You can use O/A or even O/P to join stainless parts...and simply brazing it would likely be fine too.
 
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Well,
I have decided for now to use the Extinguisher tank. I still don't have enough stainless to do what I want.
The Ext. tank is working out great. I added a filler pipe and a copper air tube.
I still have to install the fuel line.
Since I do not have an engine yet, I don't know what size fitting to use. Is it a 1/4" line? or is it some metric tubing size?
I will post some photos soon (After I clean up my ugly brazing job).
 
Hazmatt said:
Well,
I have decided for now to use the Extinguisher tank. I still don't have enough stainless to do what I want.
The Ext. tank is working out great. I added a filler pipe and a copper air tube.
I still have to install the fuel line.
Since I do not have an engine yet, I don't know what size fitting to use. Is it a 1/4" line? or is it some metric tubing size?
I will post some photos soon (After I clean up my ugly brazing job).
Click to expand...

I had the same idea about using an extinguisher tank... an old brass one. I have a bid on one at the moment. I want to use is as a behind the seat tank. What did you use for a filler pipe and cap? How did you join it to the fire X? I'll bed very interested to see your pictures.
SB
 
IMG_0450.jpg
Okay, So,
What I did was drill and tap the top of the tank for 3/4" NPT. and 1/2" npt. For the filler pipe I am using a 3/4" rigid conduit nipple threaded into a coupling. I will just thread a conduit cap into this to use as the gas cap. On the other end I'm using a 90 degree brass Swedgelock fitting. It's got 1/2" npt threads and 1/4" pipe compression fitting. This will be the vent. I'm using the same setup on the bottom for the gas line. Because the metal is a little thin, (not much to thread into) I soldered the fittings to the top of the tank as well.
 
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And here is the donor bike,
Walmart bike saved from dump. I changed out the bars and tires, added the light, and due to cheap components, made it a single speed.
IMG_0440_1.jpg
 
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A stainless steel tank on a motorbike should be TIG welded...it can be "stuck together" by other welding or brazing methods but any small amount of vibration will soon cause these joints to fail...gas be leaking for sure
 
Well yes,
The fittings are however threaded in and sealed. The brazing is more of an extra security measure Oh, and the tank is actually not stainless. plain old steel. It will be intresting to be sure.
 
Hazmat ..sorry man I didn't mean that extinguisher tank your making..I ment stainless tanks......mater of fact I am looking at the fire extinguisher I have got up here on the wall right now..good idea
 
Mr. Ted,
Gotcha man. I am wondering however if vibration will be an issue. I'm going to try making some hard rubber mounts for the tank.
 
Vibration is always an issue on welded or brazed joints...I wouldn't worry about it to much on a MB...motorcycles yes..ever watch Mikey and his daddy on that chopper show.....no vibration dampeners at all,hardtail frames ....this can be a issue
 
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