How to make an acrylic tank Part 1

[dakota_in_the_sky]

Hello All,

I wanted to add a simple how to about making tanks for a diamond frame non canti style bike. The material of choice on this project is acrylic (called perspex in the UK) but one can also use wood. I started the project with 1/8th inch MDF, but I found that it is harder to paint and takes longer to fill the imperfections.

Making this is pretty easy. The hardest part is sourcing the tools if you don't own them. From the talent I see on this site, it won't be much of a challenge.

Tools Needed:
Table saw with acrylic cutting blade ( but wood or metal blade can be used. Keep in mind wood blades have thicker teeth and may throw off measurements slightly).
Mitre saw with acrylic blade (wood blade can be used - I only had a wood blade)
Sander (can also be hand sanded with a block)
machinist squares (can also use blocks of wood, paint cans or anything else that has a perfect 90 degree angle.
Wood blades sometimes chip the edges of the acrylic. This can be fixed with putty.

Materials Needed:
1/8th inch acrylic (1/8th inch wood or styrene can also be used). I chose acrylic because it is easy to cut, easy to paint, weather proof, strong, bonds with glue, light, cheap. If you live in a city, there's a plastic shop with a cut off bin. Laser cut or sign shops may have freebies.

Safety:
Always wear eye protection. When using a table saw, it is best to have short sleeves, long hair tied up, and no gloves. Dust mask will help

This is essentially a box. To make a box fit, one must take into account the thickness of materials. One must decide if the sides are to sit on top, or next to the top and bottom, or be mitered (angled) to fit. This project will have the top/bottom/front/back sit on top of the sides. This means layers of material thickness (1/8th" x2) must be subtracted from the top/bottom/front/sides width.


Here is the bike. It's a 1989 KHS Montana with a center bar welded in. I measured the bottom of the top tube to the top of the center tube. I then measured the angle of the seat tube, head tube (in most cases they are the same) and the down tube.
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I lost this photo :/ I then glued 2 1 3/4" MDF boards together and cut the wood to shape on the table saw. I then used the miter saw until the part fit. This was used as test fitting only.

To easily duplicate the width, I put the wood tank along the blade and slid the fence over. The wood tank is tight, but still can move freely
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I double side taped two pieces of 1/8th" acrylic together and cut it on the table saw. Acrylic tends to melt at cutting speeds, but it can be broken off easily after cooling. I make one set of left/rights in the wider thickness, and the top/bottom and front/backs in thinner width
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The mitre saw is used to make the angle cuts. The left and right sides are cut while laying flat.
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The top/bottom are cut while standing. I used scrap pieces of wood for the bottom and fence. These were there to keep the part from moving. I double side taped the wood was well as the part to be cut.
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Using the blocks, I glued the top on to the side. I did this because it is easier to make the front and back more accurate when it doesn't shift. I use Plastruct plastic cement with some industrial solvent added. Cements can be found at hobby shops, but the ones I like to use are from plastic supply places.
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After that, I added the back, then the bottom, then the front.
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I used the wood tank to find the proper angle on the mitre saw
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I then cut the acrylic
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I cut the lower front and glued it in
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I sandblasted the acrylic (a slight scuffing if all you really need) to get ride of the shininess. This helps the putty stick better. I added Evergreen putty to fill in the gaps.
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While that was drying, I added a shiplap to the door side. This is a sill to align the door when closing. This was made with 1/16th" acrylic.
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The putty was sanded down
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There is it
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If you intend to make this a motorized bike gas tank, then the side can be glued on and puttied. I recommend cutting the bung hole (hehe) as soon as you can (or at least a vent hole). The solvent likes to have a vent. This isn't required on acrylic, but is with styrene. The inside of the styrene won't dry well. To protect against the gas, someone makes a liquid liner. You would pour it in and roll it around until it coats the inside. This protects the plastic from melting from the gas.

Sometime next week (after I find the parts) , I'll add part 2. This will cover the frame mounting, hinges, felt interior, and primer.

Cheers,

Rob

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Very nice "How To."
I can see someone masking their bike name out before painting and lighting it from the inside...

Luke.

 

[raggedjim]

Great idea and good write-up!

Rg

 

[DeuceWheeler]

Awesome

 

[supergoob]

I want to fill one with green antifreeze and LED lights. Tank light build off?!

 

[Bill in Houston]

one of these would be sweet.
http://www.images.asidatabuilder.com/im ... 987047.jpg
sloshing back and forth and making those slow motion waves.

 

[fatkidcustomz]

one of these would look awesome back lit with l.e.d's

 

[dakota_in_the_sky]

Thank you everyone!

Will be going to a hardware store downtown that specializes in old hinges and handles. Hopefully I'll find some parts that work.

Cheers - Rob