The more I looked at this tank, I kept thinking that it looked like something else, but out of place. Then it hit me........It looks like a DUCK DECOY!
The first thing I did was to lower the fill neck about 1/2", just to get rid of the duck's head. The next thing was to come up with a "bottom so to speak, to fill it out. I tried one idea that I didn't quite like because it was too thick.
I then commenced to plan"B". I started with a wood buck and covered it with fiberglass resin and cloth and started shaping from there.
With the addition of the "perch belly", it will look more like a sportster tank.
Right now it's on it's final coat of filler, and I should have it ready by this week. Still waiting on some components for the T/C cover.......wait till you see that!
The first thing I did was to lower the fill neck about 1/2", just to get rid of the duck's head. The next thing was to come up with a "bottom so to speak, to fill it out. I tried one idea that I didn't quite like because it was too thick.
I then commenced to plan"B". I started with a wood buck and covered it with fiberglass resin and cloth and started shaping from there.
With the addition of the "perch belly", it will look more like a sportster tank.
Right now it's on it's final coat of filler, and I should have it ready by this week. Still waiting on some components for the T/C cover.......wait till you see that!
I gotta good start on the T/C cover, after I had to mod my extended oil tube to clear the back of the cover.
Once I got that out of the way, it was time to construct the cover itself. I wanted something that didn't look too primitive, but yet not real complicated. I had this idea that's be burning a hole in my sleep patterns for the last 4 months. It was just a matter of execution, and finding the right "material". I looked all around locally, solicited family and friends with not much luck, so I decided to look online and found exactly what I needed, at a pretty reasonable cost.
Yes......aluminum pots.
It's just a matter of where to cut and tie them together. Just "connect the pots" so to speak.
I basically used aircraft rivets on the joints.
I'm still working on the screen and the cover bar. I have about 3 options I'm looking at for the design of the center bar, hope to have done this weekend.
Once I got that out of the way, it was time to construct the cover itself. I wanted something that didn't look too primitive, but yet not real complicated. I had this idea that's be burning a hole in my sleep patterns for the last 4 months. It was just a matter of execution, and finding the right "material". I looked all around locally, solicited family and friends with not much luck, so I decided to look online and found exactly what I needed, at a pretty reasonable cost.
Yes......aluminum pots.
It's just a matter of where to cut and tie them together. Just "connect the pots" so to speak.
I basically used aircraft rivets on the joints.
I'm still working on the screen and the cover bar. I have about 3 options I'm looking at for the design of the center bar, hope to have done this weekend.
My experience didn't quite come from the aviation industry....it came long ago when I worked in a body shop. I had the pleasure of rebuilding a few panels on an Airstream trailer.(wingless aircraft) My boss didn't want anything to do with the job if he couldn't do it with pop rivets, but I assured him that if a person has 2 hands, and the right knows what the left is doing, it ain't that hard.
Yes, sir. That's what it's all about! Years ago when I learned to properly rivet, all of the sheet metal work we did HAD to be with this type of rivet. To Dave's comment, it's just not taught anymore unless you're in a specialized industry. Metal toolers who hand rivet are true masters of their trade. That's the shame with all this modern technology--the right hand hits "enter" and a machine does the rest.
Well, I got er finished up today. I had to get the length right for the stand off.
I cut the center bar yesterday, and finished countersinking the holes in the drain panel. I now looks more like a mesh than a flat piece with holes in it. I believe I will skip the hand polishing process, and powder coat this in the super chrome.
Most of the hard stuff is now done, just a few more details and it will be ready for paint.
I cut the center bar yesterday, and finished countersinking the holes in the drain panel. I now looks more like a mesh than a flat piece with holes in it. I believe I will skip the hand polishing process, and powder coat this in the super chrome.
Most of the hard stuff is now done, just a few more details and it will be ready for paint.
Not so sure you want to go with super chrome p/c, unless you've had good luck previously. My coater will not do parts in super chrome because it does not adhere as well and doesn't yield as good a finish. I can only share what I was told...and for the quality of work I generally get, I trust his opinion. That cover would look great polished, but certainly understand the time it'll take.