After the pattern is
placed on a sheet of 0.080-inch 3003 H-4
aluminum, Ron traces around the outside, giving
himself a line to trim to.
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Armed with a bench-mounted
Beverly shear, Ron trims the shape from the
large sheet of aluminum. This cut could have
just as easily been made with an ordinary pair
of aircraft shears.
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After annealing
(softening) the aluminum with an acetylene
torch, Ron pulls out a sandbag and a mallet.
Once the metal cools, it is worked with the
mallet to put a bulge in the center of it.
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A shrinking machine is
used around the edges of the panel. The machine
uses two sets of jaws to squeeze the metal
together. By doing this, the edges start to fall
into the same contour as the portion he
previously worked with the mallet.
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Ron continuously uses the
buck to verify the part is taking the correct
form. This constant checking keeps it from
getting too far from the desired shape. Here, a
T-dolly and slap hammer are used to create a
very tight radius at the rear of the tank.
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Switching to a post dolly,
Ron begins smoothing out the irregularities in
the larger radiuses.
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With the right-side panel
complete, Ron moves on to the top piece. He does
this by creating another chipboard pattern,
outlining on a sheet of aluminum, trimming,
annealing, and shaping with a sandbag and mallet
as before.
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Here, the top panel is
being compared to the buck before the edges are
worked in the shrinking machine. From there,
it's off to the English Wheel for smoothing
before getting another test fit.
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Once the shape of the top
panel is to Ron's liking, it's back on the buck
where he scribes a guideline for trimming.
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A pair of aircraft shears
is used to trim the top edge of the right side
of the tank. This edge will line up with the
right side of the top piece that was just cut.
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Ron uses a TIG welder to
tack the two tank pieces together around the
buck. Although an oxyacetylene torch could be
used for this, the TIG poses less danger of
burning up the buck.
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Now it's on to the left
side of the tank. Since this piece will have so
much curve to it, Ron finds it's best to make
the pattern from a piece of butcher paper.
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OK, time for a quiz.
What's Ron doing here -- for the third time?
That's right, he's using the sandbag and a
mallet once again. The difference this time: He
used the shrinking tool first.
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Here, we get a really good
look at the English Wheel at work. The part is
sandwiched in between two rollers (the lower one
is hidden by the tank part). Pressure is applied
to the part by squeezing the rollers together as
the part is rolled back and forth between the
rollers, forcing the bumps and irregularities
out of the part.
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The buck stops here! Ron
checks the fit of the left side one last time
before removing the buck prior to welding.
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A couple of tack welds
with the TIG are all that are needed to hold the
pieces together.
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Ron breaks out the
oxyacetylene torch, flux, and some filler rods.
A uniform bead of weld is laid down as the first
two parts are joined together. Next, another
bead will join the remaining pieces of the tank.
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When the bead was put
down, Ron made sure it had a low profile. This
low profile allows him to easily flatten the
weld with both his hammer and dolly.
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Due to its broad face, Ron
uses a slap hammer to blend the flow of the
contours between the side and the top of the
tank.
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After verifying the welds
are flat and the contours are smoothed, Ron
breaks out a draw file to reveal any low spots
on the tank -- this process is called
metalfinishing. Any areas the file does not
touch are worked-up with a hammer and dolly,
then refiled. This procedure is repeated until
the file touches every part of the tank. Filler
could be used at this point if the tank is to be
painted. But if polished, the draw file process
is the only acceptable method.
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Now it's on to the tunnel.
A sheet of 1/8-inch aluminum is the material of
choice - it will provide a sturdy base for the
mounting system. A press brake is used to bend
the piece to the proper dimensions.
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A steel threaded bung is
welded into the backbone providing a mounting
location for the rear of the tank.
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Once the gas cap location
was determined, a hole saw was used to create
the opening for the bung. With the bung tacked
in place, Ron runs a bead all the way around it
to ensure it has a good seal.
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Ron installs a rubber
grommet in a hole at the back of the tunnel. The
grommet will provide cushioning for the rear
tank mount.
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A bandsaw is used to trim
the sides of the tunnel to match up with the
sides of the tank.
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A bandsaw is used to trim
the sides of the tunnel to match up with the
sides of the tank.
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This piece fills the space
between the tunnel and the right side of the
tank. After some trimming and shaping, Ron tacks
it in place.
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An aluminum bung with
3/8-inch internal thread is welded into the
bottom of the tank as a future home for the
petcock.
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One last piece is required
to close up the skin of the tank. After it is
fit and tacked, Ron completes the remainder of
the welding before the final smoothing.
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