thats funny right thar...Originally Posted by 8ninety8
seriously though, cold work, anneal, douse in pickle solution, then cold work, repeat. I think you've probably figured that out. Also, turkey fryer burners make great annealing stations.
you're doing well man, really well.
if you were closer, I would let you use my wheel, and you would be done by now.
Back from the welder, great craftsman, difficult to find such an artist, lucked out. Here's the side.
Top side.
And bottom side. All pieces overlapped, double welded, can leak only through two joints, can stand on it but not gonna try, if and when all the rest is finally figgered and put together. This is one of the weirdest projects ever taken on, with hardly a clue as to wth I'm doing. Cheers, have a new vitality, thanks to the welding artist. Welders are amazing people, actually the people who have stitched our country together.
fat, wide and stiched. cool
Everyone wants that stack o dimes look, but you can see where he stiched this together an inch or so at a time. which, btw, is correct.
try not to have to form near the welds now, as cracks are inevitable when that happens.
j
In case anyone was wondering what beater means by that.Everyone wants that stack o dimes look,
"It is what you discover, after you know it all, that counts." _ John Wooden
Lew Morris
1973 R75/5 - original owner
Aren't a stack of dimes evidence of a robot? When you see the frame welds on an airhead you can see the human hand.
No, they can be human in origin. One of the keys I've found in learning MIG processes is "be the machine."
Professional welders were stacking dimes long before robots showed up on the factory floor.
Here's a couple more. If you look closely the "dimes" are not robotically-perfect in size, and in the second photo the welder changed work angle and while gorgeous, the part would have been rejected because the weld failed to fill the joint. I work at a nuclear power plant and see this kind of stuff daily in our fab shop. These guys never cease to amaze me.
"It is what you discover, after you know it all, that counts." _ John Wooden
Lew Morris
1973 R75/5 - original owner
i have seen more pretty welds fail than ugly ones...
My favorite a few years back was when the rock crawling world got big, was small shop welders were using mig to get a tig look by starting and stopping, or laying dots. Looked pretty, but lacked penetration.
That said, aluminum is my least favorite material to weld. it's heat properties lie on a razor's edge, and in my world, where the shapes, materials and environment is less than perfect, it's a giant pain to work with.
Now, let's get back to tank porn please.
j
... tank porn ...
"It is what you discover, after you know it all, that counts." _ John Wooden
Lew Morris
1973 R75/5 - original owner
Pulling the plug on this try. Just occurred, caveat, the double seamed welds are no good. If the outer weld ever leaks, it can't be rewelded because it could blow up. Might be strong, but not the way a tank should be built. Butt joints only. This one looks like frankenstein on steroids.
Have to start all over. Gonna hang this one on the wall, take a deep breath, and start over. It's been a learning time, the next try will have fewer welds and butted. Maybe it can be entered in a sculpture contest for abstractions? Hey, nothing ventured, nothing whatever.
Just a thought, but could you cover your plug with paper mache and cut it off into manageable pieces to use as templates to cut your sheet stock into? An other thought into forming can be found here. www.eurospares.com/frame.htm Use it to form the section shapes you need and cut out and use what you need. I've enjoyed reading your thread. frank coleman P.S. article 8
Last edited by franko; 11-22-2012 at 06:40 PM.
Was rolling over this morn when the thought pops into mind, if there's leak after welding the whole thing together, and fuel has been introed into tank, then there will be fuel in the gap between the welds, and the torch will light up the fuel!
Sometimes a seemingly great idea, making the tank back superstrong, can lead to unforeseen consequences.
So, just going go ahead with What I first did, make the back with fewer pieces, fewer welds, and no overlapping joints. Will hang this piece on wall as a conversation piece, I think I can pound out the two new pieces fairly soon using what I've learned.
I knew there was reason I never saw a lot of welds on the various tanks seen!
Think about it before you trash this... TIG welds don't leak if they are done right. Finish the tank up, pressure test it with water & air, coat the inside with POR 15 tank coat & run it! It won't leak & will last a long time...
John.
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