Monday blues! Wish I was back working on this bag of bolts!
Showing posts with label Tank. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tank. Show all posts
Monday, 15 April 2013
Tuesday, 12 March 2013
Tank Fubar!
FINALLY! I got some time to work on the bike.
It was a bloody cold one today, didn't get above freezing, and was snowing, but I was determined to get some progress.
Got the carbs on, noticed the throttle assembly is knackered, so will need to fix that... Need to order some more jubilee clips for the air filters...
Thought best to get the engine in tight, went to put the head steady on; had to drill the mounts and the frame to get it to fit. I got it all on after a load of jiggling and fiddling, then went to put the tank on....
Holy shit, how did I miss this.... Hadn't tried the tank on with the head steady on!
FUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCKKKKKKK!
Had to have a sit and a thing and a very hot strong coffee....
There was 2 options, make a skinnier mount, or change the tank....
Now I've heard a lot about head steadies not wanting to be too rigid. With the heat of the engine, everything grows and what not, puts stresses on the frame etc....
So even though it would be a ball ache, I decided to cut the tank!!!!!!!!!
I didn't want to destroy the paint, so would have to be as delicate as a mad man can be with a grinder and welder....
Marked up what I would need to cut and kept the tank on an old jumper so it didn't scratch too bad..
Took a while to cut it out, then clean all the paint off..
Made up some trays or inserts to put in the tank....
Then tacked and welded the buggers in place
Finally the tank was put on the bike, and hallelujah! The bugger now fits!
It's a bit 2 steps forward one back, but good progress none the less....
It was a bloody cold one today, didn't get above freezing, and was snowing, but I was determined to get some progress.
Got the carbs on, noticed the throttle assembly is knackered, so will need to fix that... Need to order some more jubilee clips for the air filters...
Thought best to get the engine in tight, went to put the head steady on; had to drill the mounts and the frame to get it to fit. I got it all on after a load of jiggling and fiddling, then went to put the tank on....
Holy shit, how did I miss this.... Hadn't tried the tank on with the head steady on!
FUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCKKKKKKK!
Had to have a sit and a thing and a very hot strong coffee....
There was 2 options, make a skinnier mount, or change the tank....
Now I've heard a lot about head steadies not wanting to be too rigid. With the heat of the engine, everything grows and what not, puts stresses on the frame etc....
So even though it would be a ball ache, I decided to cut the tank!!!!!!!!!
I didn't want to destroy the paint, so would have to be as delicate as a mad man can be with a grinder and welder....
Marked up what I would need to cut and kept the tank on an old jumper so it didn't scratch too bad..
Took a while to cut it out, then clean all the paint off..
Made up some trays or inserts to put in the tank....
Then tacked and welded the buggers in place
Finally the tank was put on the bike, and hallelujah! The bugger now fits!
It's a bit 2 steps forward one back, but good progress none the less....
Sunday, 18 November 2012
Tank mounting - Sunday fettle
Busy times at the moment, far too much work and not enough play!
Sneaked a couple of hours in today on the 45.
Started cleaning up the tanks....
After Indi asking about the integrity of tanks that have been chopped I had a run over the welds to make doubly sure...
I've been putting off doing anything to the frame, the fear of buggering up Toddy's hard work, but thought it best to man up and take my time to get the tanks mounted. Turned up some stainless bungs to weld into the frame, then set a string line up to ensure the bike was vertical. Plenty of marking and measuring, then time to drill....
Happy with that effort, I used some laser cut tabs (well worth buying in IMO) for the base tab...
That allowed me to have just one tank mounted, so I could check clearances.... The tank was sitting too high, and there was plenty of room for me to drop it, so I trimmed the front of the lip....
I had a little play with bars for 5 mins, and these bars were shovel bars until mr grinder had his way... Contemplating some of cro's handlebar clamps if I go down this route....
Matched the second tank to the first, and they are beginning to look how I want! Still the front mounts to figure out, which will also even the spacing out between the 2. The plan is for a 5mm gap down the middle of the 2, a bit of metal beating, and I'm afraid some filler before that looks right though...
Oh, and the seat came with an xs650 project I bought to sell on. It's comfy as hell!
Sneaked a couple of hours in today on the 45.
Started cleaning up the tanks....
After Indi asking about the integrity of tanks that have been chopped I had a run over the welds to make doubly sure...
I've been putting off doing anything to the frame, the fear of buggering up Toddy's hard work, but thought it best to man up and take my time to get the tanks mounted. Turned up some stainless bungs to weld into the frame, then set a string line up to ensure the bike was vertical. Plenty of marking and measuring, then time to drill....
Happy with that effort, I used some laser cut tabs (well worth buying in IMO) for the base tab...
That allowed me to have just one tank mounted, so I could check clearances.... The tank was sitting too high, and there was plenty of room for me to drop it, so I trimmed the front of the lip....
I had a little play with bars for 5 mins, and these bars were shovel bars until mr grinder had his way... Contemplating some of cro's handlebar clamps if I go down this route....
Matched the second tank to the first, and they are beginning to look how I want! Still the front mounts to figure out, which will also even the spacing out between the 2. The plan is for a 5mm gap down the middle of the 2, a bit of metal beating, and I'm afraid some filler before that looks right though...
Oh, and the seat came with an xs650 project I bought to sell on. It's comfy as hell!
Sunday, 14 October 2012
Man up with some tank action
Spent most of the weekend being dragged around wedding fairs and craft shops. Hurrah for weddings!!!
Spending time being surrounded by flowers and tea lights and lace bows and other wonderful things it was time to leave the world of all things shabby-chic, vintage and overpriced it was time to get my ass in the shed this evening and have some man time!
Just started with the strips either side of the tank which will hide some of the back bone, and make the tanks look bigger than they are...
I'll let the pictures do the talking tonight...
Spending time being surrounded by flowers and tea lights and lace bows and other wonderful things it was time to leave the world of all things shabby-chic, vintage and overpriced it was time to get my ass in the shed this evening and have some man time!
Just started with the strips either side of the tank which will hide some of the back bone, and make the tanks look bigger than they are...
I'll let the pictures do the talking tonight...
Still loads to do in them, both in making them match, mounting to the frame and making frame mounts, filling and testing for leaks, but I feel more manly once again...
GRRRRRR! MANSPORTS!
GRRRRRR! MANSPORTS!
Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Skinny tanks
Had my first bit of time in the shed for a good while - I feel like a real man once again!
tacked up the tank halves to the new steel
then seamed the buggers up. Despite having the shakes still from the weekend I'm happy with my welding skills today!
a couple of shitty areas where there was porosity, but nothing that cant be sorted out...
The bottoms were a bit of a bugger to get right, but got there in the end...
gave them a clean up and were looking pretty good. they will sit either side of the frame, and I will be making a false top so they look like they meet with a nice small gap down the middle....
oh, and the caps dont quite match - dont get that - so i'm either gonna have to cut and re-weld one to match, or work out a way to go single sided with split tanks..... There may be a way to make them look like split tanks but actually having them joined - but cant do that till i have the frame back....
tacked up the tank halves to the new steel
then seamed the buggers up. Despite having the shakes still from the weekend I'm happy with my welding skills today!
a couple of shitty areas where there was porosity, but nothing that cant be sorted out...
The bottoms were a bit of a bugger to get right, but got there in the end...
gave them a clean up and were looking pretty good. they will sit either side of the frame, and I will be making a false top so they look like they meet with a nice small gap down the middle....
oh, and the caps dont quite match - dont get that - so i'm either gonna have to cut and re-weld one to match, or work out a way to go single sided with split tanks..... There may be a way to make them look like split tanks but actually having them joined - but cant do that till i have the frame back....
Wednesday, 4 April 2012
Tank Troubles
Picked up nitro mores on the way back- they have changed it now, it's like swafega now, green and shit!
Absolute waste of time, after 20 mins it had done absolutely jeff all! The old stuff I used on the bottom had the paint of in 2 mins flat....
Anyways....
I spoke to Toddy on the making of the tank. Recommendation was to cut the whole tunnel out, blank off then cut a new tunnel in.
Took my time with a skitter disk and cut as close to the seam as possible.
With the nitro ores having no impact I cleaned off the paint with a quick tickle with the angle grinder with a shagged flapper disk to take the worst off but not eat the metal.
After that it was a die grinder with a scotch pad attachment on it to clean it all off...
Made a paper template of the metal needed
That was then cut out of steel, the blackening cleaned off and tacking into place started...
Started just tacking, and then beating the seams together to get it as close a fit as possible.
I find tacking together tanks using a TIG bloody hard work on my own. Could really do with either another set of arms, or someone holding the tank together. No matter how good a fit I seem to get the heat from the tacks warps things slightly.
What a palaver.
My mask was also playing up, it seems to be going too dark, so need to play around with it before I do all the seams properly...
Absolute waste of time, after 20 mins it had done absolutely jeff all! The old stuff I used on the bottom had the paint of in 2 mins flat....
Anyways....
I spoke to Toddy on the making of the tank. Recommendation was to cut the whole tunnel out, blank off then cut a new tunnel in.
Took my time with a skitter disk and cut as close to the seam as possible.
With the nitro ores having no impact I cleaned off the paint with a quick tickle with the angle grinder with a shagged flapper disk to take the worst off but not eat the metal.
After that it was a die grinder with a scotch pad attachment on it to clean it all off...
Made a paper template of the metal needed
That was then cut out of steel, the blackening cleaned off and tacking into place started...
Started just tacking, and then beating the seams together to get it as close a fit as possible.
I find tacking together tanks using a TIG bloody hard work on my own. Could really do with either another set of arms, or someone holding the tank together. No matter how good a fit I seem to get the heat from the tacks warps things slightly.
What a palaver.
My mask was also playing up, it seems to be going too dark, so need to play around with it before I do all the seams properly...
Monday, 3 October 2011
Rotter tank....
Thought I'd have a bit of fun with this old bantam tank I got cheap...
Cut the middle out to get the skinny look i'm after...
Taped it together, then tacked it at rough 2 inch intervals making sure the metal seams lined up as well as possible.
The metal wasn't too bad, so seamed the top up, only 3 blow through's where there was deep rust spots...
I had bent up a tunnel over the handrail the other day on the steps outside my house much to ross's amusement.
Cut trimmed and tacked it in place, and then started welding up the seam...
Had a mockup on the nice bike to se how it fitted...
Fits like a treat!
Cut the middle out to get the skinny look i'm after...
Taped it together, then tacked it at rough 2 inch intervals making sure the metal seams lined up as well as possible.
The metal wasn't too bad, so seamed the top up, only 3 blow through's where there was deep rust spots...
I had bent up a tunnel over the handrail the other day on the steps outside my house much to ross's amusement.
Cut trimmed and tacked it in place, and then started welding up the seam...
Had a mockup on the nice bike to se how it fitted...
Fits like a treat!
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