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Muzikp's Sometimes Driveable Build

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by Muzikp, Aug 11, 2017.

  1. Nov 27, 2017
    Muzikp

    Muzikp Active Member

    Sacramento Ca.
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    Here's a random pic off the interwebnet, not the one I'm using but identical.

    [​IMG]
     
  2. Nov 27, 2017
    browncoat

    browncoat Member

    Maitland Australia
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    In an ideal situation you would be using a machine with a high frequency capability which cleans off the surface oxides at the weld to weld aluminium, Tarry mentioned it earlier in the thread.
    That helps if the cleaning is not perfect.

    It looks from previous pics that the Miller is doing the job though. (y)
     
  3. Nov 27, 2017
    Muzikp

    Muzikp Active Member

    Sacramento Ca.
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    It's doing the job but the struggle is real. I could be a brain surgeon with the level of clean I have to achieve to get the job done well. Also some pre-heating with a torch seems to help a lot. When you pre-heat you can see it sweat. I go back over and clean it after it sweats then continue pre-heating. Not afraid of a little hard work so will keep at it. I'm looking forward to trying the products for cleaning the aluminum first. I need to go get more Argon this week and I'll pick up some sort of cleaner. Someday I will have a gas tank (y).
     
  4. Nov 27, 2017
    browncoat

    browncoat Member

    Maitland Australia
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    Preheating would help, aluminium sucks away the heat out to the rest of the plate so it would be taking a long time to heat the joint before you started to see flow of metal if you rely on only the arc to get it all up to temperature.

    Especially with the thickness of the materials you have.
    The sweating is just the moisture in the metal being pulled out, you would probably find you don't need to re-clean after sweating as it is only water evaporating.

    Might save you a bit of time.

    Remember to clean those prepared joints again if you leave it for more than a few hours, oxidation on the aluminium begins immediately after it is exposed to the oxygen in the atmosphere and builds up over time, so if you have trouble getting a nice weld when you come back to welding after a break that might be the drama.
    :beer:
     
    Muzikp likes this.
  5. Nov 29, 2017
    Warloch

    Warloch Did you say Flattie??? Staff Member

    Falcon, CO
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    Mar 4, 2003
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    Makes me glad I went with 1/8" Steel for the rear tanks I build... thought about AL, but decided it was going to be a skid plate too.

    Though I really want to get good enough to build a an AL top for the flatties.
     
  6. Dec 6, 2017
    Muzikp

    Muzikp Active Member

    Sacramento Ca.
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2016
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    Leak testing
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Test fitting
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    My sump holds just short of a half gallon
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Now I need to cut the hole in the floor for the sump, attach the sump, weld the bungs for the fuel line and start making the top and vents and filler neck and....:cry:
     
    Valentino84, 47v6 and ITLKSEZ like this.
  7. Dec 6, 2017
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    Aug 13, 2015
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    Or just leave it like that for lotsa storage.
    :bananatool:
     
    tripilio and Muzikp like this.
  8. Dec 6, 2017
    3b a runnin

    3b a runnin Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    virginia
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    Looks great. Might consider a bung in the opposite side also since it wouldn't be hard to do right now.
     
  9. Dec 6, 2017
    Focker

    Focker That's a terrible idea...What time? Staff Member

    WA
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    Aug 18, 2014
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    In case I missed it. Put in a drain valve.
     
    tarry99 likes this.
  10. Dec 7, 2017
    Muzikp

    Muzikp Active Member

    Sacramento Ca.
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    The sump will have a threaded bung in it for the fuel line. You guys saying I need two bungs in the sump? I was thinking the threaded bung would be easy to use as a drain but I guess it would be nice to have a separate drain. The holes you can see in the bottom of the sump were an idea I didn't end up liking so they are plated and sealed up, actually it was an idea that I realized couldn't be welded, chalk it up to being a newb I guess.

    I ordered an aluminum weld on billet gas cap today and a one way vent valve with aluminum weld bung. I don't want gas pouring out the filler neck when I'm tilted. I'm not installing a sending unit in this tank, going with a sight window fuel gauge. If I don't like it I can cut a hole and bolt in a sending unit later, but I like the simplicity of the window.

    The tank had 4 leaks when I filled it this morning, but it didn't take much to fix them. The leaks were on the bottom outside corners, apparently it's harder to get those 3 way corners sealed up good.
     
  11. Dec 7, 2017
    baldjosh

    baldjosh Member

    pacific north west
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    Oct 24, 2017
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    451
    awesome idea
    love this, KISS, never have to wonder if its working. im very curious to hear your impressions after youve had the rig in action as something to this effect would be perfect for mine.
    Im super impressed with the progress and your willingness to learn new skills and take on projects / think outside the box and etc.
    keep it up!!!
     
  12. Dec 7, 2017
    TIm E

    TIm E Aggressively average

    NW Arkansas
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    Mar 2, 2017
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    683
    Nice work, inspiring project.

    Can't help but look at it with knowing your trade, the baffles, etc. and see the similarities to a guitar body. You may only be a sound hole and fret board away from a funky new instrument! :rockn:
     
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  13. Dec 7, 2017
    Rozcoking23

    Rozcoking23 RUN & GET BIT! 2024 Sponsor

    Stockton, CA
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    This is looking good.
    Have you set in your seats, to check to if they sit down far enough and that you have enough foot room? I have the same roll bar and with the way I mounted my seats it left very little room to get my feet in the jeep, especially with boots on. Just my .02. Keep up the good work! You have got a lot done in a short amount of time.
     
  14. Dec 7, 2017
    Muzikp

    Muzikp Active Member

    Sacramento Ca.
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    Sep 27, 2016
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    Wow! Thanks for all the great comments. And I do plan on building an aluminum Telecaster guitar in the near future, it just needs to be done and I've always sorta wanted one but haven't been willing to spend money on one.

    This is the style sight window gauge I went with, it has a temperature gauge built in but I don't really need that. There was one sight gauge that I liked better on amazon, but it has foul language on it and it was triple the price of this one.

    [​IMG]

    I haven't sat in the seats with the tank yet. But I purposely kept the new tank within the area of the old tank and tool box and the new tank is lower than the door opening so I feel like I should be ok there. When I build my next one I think the tank will use less floor space and have more foot room. This tank could be 3/4" taller without being above the bottom of the door opening and gain 3" of foot space and be the same capacity. Currently I'm close to 25 gallons but I didn't add the baffles to my CAD model so I'll call it 24.5 gallons.
     
    ITLKSEZ likes this.
  15. Dec 7, 2017
    browncoat

    browncoat Member

    Maitland Australia
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    Looks awesome.(y)

    Your welding is good if it only had a few leaks.
    A tip is to move away from the corner on to the plate when finishing a weld.

    When you stop a weld it cools faster than the rest of the weld did and can create a pin hole through to the other side.
    Aluminium is even worse than steel in that respect.

    You may yet find some other holes once the lid is on and you put some air pressure into the tank.
     
  16. Dec 7, 2017
    Muzikp

    Muzikp Active Member

    Sacramento Ca.
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    Great tip about moving on to the plate. You aren't kidding about stopping a weld, that's the hardest part for me, always makes a little circle with a dot where I stop, looks like a hemorrhoid pillow... errr a donut.

    I'm definitely expecting more holes in my future, so far the only test has been the pressure of the water. I'm nervous about putting the top on, everything seems so permanent at that point. I'll probably have to pull the trigger on that this weekend :worry:.
     
  17. Dec 7, 2017
    browncoat

    browncoat Member

    Maitland Australia
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    You're doing good so far.
    All you can do is double check you're happy with the internals before the lid goes on.

    Then it's just a matter of patience and chasing down the little air bubbles after the lid gets welded on and some air pressure goes in.
     
  18. Dec 8, 2017
    47v6

    47v6 junk wrecker! 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    USA
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    If you have a foot pedal, you can stop cratering if you ease off the pedal.
     
  19. Dec 8, 2017
    Muzikp

    Muzikp Active Member

    Sacramento Ca.
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    Right, I do have a foot pedal, and for me it's like rubbing your stomach, patting your head, while chewing gum, skipping rope and doing long division all at the same time o_O. It's taking me a bit to get coordinated enough to control my heat with my foot while maintaining the puddle and feeding the filler material and not hitting the tungston and contaminating everything. I have gained much respect for talented TIG welders, they would make good drummers with all their hands and feet moving and working together in perfect harmony.
     
  20. Dec 8, 2017
    47v6

    47v6 junk wrecker! 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    Yeah, bad drummer here..

    Also, novice TIG welder. I totally get your analogy.

    Clean, new uncontaminated wheel on grinder is required for me.:)
     
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