Aluminium and steel motorcycle tanks

[rcv4]

Thanks David you have just answerd my question about 1050A,i have just made a XS650 tank out of it in 2mm my first metal shaping work,i tried to buy 3003 off my supplier but it is only made to order in the UK too expensive

[mindover]

Originally Posted by anders nørgaard

David,

Would it be an option to thin the edges on the 1.5 mm to 1 mm by hammering or grinding? Thus making the metal the same thickness. Easier weld and stronger tunnel. Just a thought.

Hi Anders Just my POV but I just do what was done. It worked for the big manufacturers and the tanks have lasted fifty years or more in a lot of cases so why make life hard for yourself.

Cheers

David

[mindover]

Originally Posted by rcv4

Thanks David you have just answerd my question about 1050A,i have just made a XS650 tank out of it in 2mm my first metal shaping work,i tried to buy 3003 off my supplier but it is only made to order in the UK too expensive

No problem. your tank will be good and strong, I have seen a few made out of thicker material. It looks very nice - especially for a first attempt!.

David

PS sorry about the typo guys I was using my wife's ipad - I can't type properly on the bloody thing!

[anders nørgaard]

Originally Posted by mindover

Hi Anders Just my POV but I just do what was done. It worked for the big manufacturers and the tanks have lasted fifty years or more in a lot of cases so why make life hard for yourself.

Cheers

David

Hi David,

I see your point! I just saw the 16 ga tunnels recommendation here on the site.

I haven't made any motorcycle tanks myself YET... I have a leaky one for a '80something Kawasaki tank in my garage that I should have built last year

[Michael Moore]

Gaz, I know of one tank maker who uses .080"/2mm for his aluminum street tanks. He goes with the heavier thickness because all of his tanks are delivered polished and he wants to ensure the combination of heavy localized stretching + sanding + polishing doesn't make any thin spots. His customers don't seem to mind having a slightly heavier tank. He also uses 1100 with 1100 filler so there's no color mismatch on the welds.

I've used 16g/1.5mm and on one race tank I used the next thinner sheet.

cheers,
Michael

[DaveRocks]

I noticed from a few how-to's I"ve seen they tend to start with Aluminum, like Fourniers book when he makes a tear drop. Is aluminum that much easier to work with? Easier to get the feel of it maybe? Maybe you dont need as big of a hammer? Just curious. I've seen a video of annealed aluminum being hammer formed and it looked pretty easy to bend by hand.

[macpeppers]

i'm no metal shaper, but i've had some experience with old steel gas tanks. protect the inside from rust if it's going to be around for a few years.

[jlrussell4]

Hi Dave,

I believe most use aluminum because it is lighter. Some like to polish it for a certain look. Aluminum does "move" easier than steel. This is both a blessing and a curse. For most home hobbiests welding is going to be more of a problem with aluminum. As Michael stated in an earlier post, fatigue strength is going to be a problem too. Mounting will be critical with an aluminum tank. I think for a beginner that steel would be a better all around choice. After you learn to shape, fit and weld try the same project in aluminum. You will learn a lot.

[beatamax]

I find aluminium harder to work than steel, its easier to move up to a point but I find steel more forgiving.