Making A Motorcycle Tank - Part Three 

Thanks for checking it out!

Thanks Dave! That has since become my standard. I flange the bottom of all my tanks now. Even with an open corner joint I’ve always worried about home much material is actually left in the corner after finishing. If you check out my Instagram you can see my more recent work @Catskill_Mtn_Customs

Thank you. I agree. There seems to be growing interest in skilled trades among the younger generation, hopefully they can right the ship.

Thank you! You’re very lucky to have had an opportunity like that. There are not many traditionally trained metal shapers left in the world. Thanks for watching, I hope to have some new videos up soon 👍

Hi Stephen, thank you for watching, and for the kind words! I really appreciate it. I’ve made quite a few tanks of similar shape to that one, so I’m able to complete that style of tank in 40hrs. I actually have exceeded 120hrs in a few tanks, but most come in around 40-60hrs. If you’d like to see more of my work you can visit my Instagram @Catskill_Mtn_Customs or my website www.CatskillMtnCustoms.com -Nick

Thank you, and thanks for checking it out!

Thanks Mark!

Thanks!

Thanks man!

Thank you!

Thank you, and thanks for checking it out 👍

I love this kind of craftsmanship....keep it up and I'll watch!

@@stevencoons450 Thanks man. I’m hoping to have some new videos soon.

You could call it a fillet joint here as well. Typically a fillet joint occurs when two pieces of material are overlapped, and the weld joint runs along the corner formed between the edge of the top piece and face of the bottom piece.

@@CatskillMtnCustoms Precisely!

Thanks for checking it out!

Grazie!

Thanks for checking it out!

I’ve never head that. Do you not clean out the flux? Why is it that alloy fuel tanks gas welded in the 30’s (and older) are still holding fine?

@@CatskillMtnCustoms yes but the tiny inclusions are pockets and they work their way thru one side or the other or both and it takes time for them to show up. Trust me. If you have Tig skills you’re way better off. The 30s thing isn’t the same but it’s your call. I learned this workin in a shop that repaired exotic Italian cars. There’d always be one coming in where the body had small blisters along the weld under the paint.

@@legendarydave333 That’s really interesting. I’m not doubting you, just never heard of it in fuel tanks. I’ve heard of bubbles in paint due to off-gassing, but nothing that would cause porosity. I’m much better at tig welding, but I gas weld my fuel tanks because the gas weld is much more ductile and less prone to crack in the case of an accident or prolonged vibration. Good to know. 👍

@@CatskillMtnCustoms No worries. You are a skilled craftsman indeed. It"s a pleasure to watch someone else (other than me) beating on metal...LOL

@@legendarydave333 Thanks Dave! I’ve seen your products out there for years. Not many people can say they’ve produce as many tanks as you. Keep up great work!

ewk8675 Thank you, but I’m still just a hack! I really appreciate it. I give it a final go on a light flannel wheel with white compound, then a quick polish by hand. I forgot to mention it in the video, and there are a lot of good polishing videos out there. Polishing aluminum bodywork is tricky though because it’s a very soft alloy. You never get it perfect. It’s kind of like a nice black paint job, it looks great, but if you get it in just the right light you can see the buffing marks.

Thanks. It’s a modified HF wheel. I put the anvils in my lathe and trued them up. I did this conversion myself, but Wray at ProShaper sells a similar kit.

Aluminum gas welds are softer, usually have better penetration, and are generally less prone to cracking. I avoid welding in the tunnel this way whenever possible, but if I do, I gas weld the corner joint 👍

Shane Lindsay Thank you! I have been getting a lot of questions about gas welding, but I don’t know if I’m the best guy to do a tutorial as I’m relatively new to it myself. I have been proficient at tig welding aluminum for years, and I do think that helped me tremendously. So I would recommend getting good at that process first if you’re not already. I also experimented a lot with different tip sizes and flame adjustments until I found what was controllable for me. I use a small feather in my flame adjustment. Just keep practicing and experiment. I taught myself that way, so you can too. Good luck, and thanks for watching!

Nope. One of the benefits of a raw aluminum tank is the ease of repair. If it cracks, you can simply weld it up. 👍

Thank you, and thank you for watching! Usually a tank like this costs $1500-$2000 usd.

@@CatskillMtnCustoms Thanks master.

Thank you. 👍

Good question. There needs to be a way to allow air flow in/out of the tank. I generally like to use a vented cap, and a lot of major manufacturers go that route as well. Another way you’ll sometimes find is a tube inside the tank that runs from the filler neck area down to the tunnel. The most simple version is found on race bikes where there is just a nipple on the top of the tank, generally near the front, with a tube for directing any fuel that might splash out away from the rider. Hope that clears it up a bit.

Thanks. You could tig weld the entire tank, but gas welding has some advantages in metalshaping. Gas welds are softer which makes them easier to planish flat, remove distortion, and less prone to cracking. Gas welds also penetrate fully when butt welding aluminum while tig welds should be welded on both sides.

@@CatskillMtnCustoms thanks...

Thank you. This tank was made for the video/promotion, so it’s for sale at a discounted price. The current shop rate is $50 per hour.

What determines whether O/A or Tig is used,and whats your preference?

@@digschopper9321 That’s kind of a big question to answer in this format. Generally speaking the tig welding process can be used anywhere, but it is especially suited for structural applications, such as frame components or mounts. A tig weld can be hammered smooth, but is physically harder and more prone to cracking, especially when only welded from one side. A gas weld is softer, and therefore not as strong structurally speaking. However it is very malleable, and much less prone to cracking when hammered or exposed to vibration. It also produces good penetration when a panel is only welded from one side. In my opinion, and I think most will agree, gas welding thin panels is a more difficult skill to master but has many benefits. Hope that helps.

Eddiemcg Hey bud, all good here, same to you man. I tig welded the filler neck and brackets. The tig weld looks nicer, and there isn’t any real benefit to one or the other in those applications.

Steve Murphy Wow. Good ear, and question! That sound is actually my heaters, I don’t know why the camera makes them seem so loud. I actually use a slightly carburizing flame. I adjust it to have a slight feather.

Yep. Notice the acetylene smoke?

2n9 Brekt Thank you! It’s .080” 3003 aluminum.

Dasari Mahesh .080” (2mm)

It’s currently for sale on my website. 40hrs is pretty standard for a basic fuel tank with a polished finish. The tank on my R90 build took about 60.