Hand pounded tank pics...

[Guest]

Finally got some pics together of this, and finally figured out i DONT need a USB cable for my camera...heh






Still working on the bondo...but its coming along..

[gunbunny119]

Looks like it's coming along well.

I'll admit, I don't have the cohones to take a hammer to an intact gas tank. I've bought way too many rotted out gas tanks on ebay and now I hold vintage gas tanks as a sacred thing.



Good work and good luck with the project.

[TheCafeKid]

Its actually VERY easy...i too was scared to death about it...but it does pretty much what you want it to do as long as you are careful and patient. This is a spare tank i traded some gauges that i had and didnt want for, so i figured id give it a shot, if it didnt work, i hadnt really lost anything. I used a ball peen hammer and traced a pattern out for both sides, and then started about a half inch from my lines and worked it around, then started across the body of the tank..as long as you dont get too far ahead of yourself, it goes pretty easy...i did find that if you got too far on one spot the metal wanted to crease and that was a bitch to fix..didnt make that mistake twice. As i said im no bondo guy, so its been many THIN layers so far, but its smoothing out easily.

[Go Mifune]

Its coming along good TCK. Looks NIce

[TheCafeKid]

Thanks Bernie...i prolly would have it done already if i hadnt been being so damn picky on the bondo...but i think ive got it as good as its going to get at least by my hand...finished sanding it tonight and layed some more primer on it to see if it would work...best its going to get i think..not completely perfect, but if you're not looking for the defects, you wont see them. Not building a show bike, so good enuff...lol. Now i need to find a centerstand...wanna sell yours???LOL

[byrdman76]

Looks great to me

Looks absolutely fine to me. Get some pin hole putty (red stuff in a tube, i can think of the real name right now) and lightly fill any bad areas/ holes - much easier to use since you do not have to mix it like bondo. Just don't get carried away, it doesn't sand down as easily. Then get some "filler" primer and sand and re-coat until the surface is smooth. Make sure you get the correct primer - its not just the sandable stuff, it actually has a high build for filling imperfections. Comes in a spray can at most automotive shops.

Looks great so far, cant wait to see it painted.

[Billy Ricks]

Get some pin hole putty (red stuff in a tube, i can think of the real name right now) ...

Lacquer putty.

[PAULYBOY]

Thanks Bernie...i prolly would have it done already if i hadnt been being so damn picky on the bondo...but i think ive got it as good as its going to get at least by my hand...finished sanding it tonight and layed some more primer on it to see if it would work...best its going to get i think..not completely perfect, but if you're not looking for the defects, you wont see them. Not building a show bike, so good enuff...lol. Now i need to find a centerstand...wanna sell yours???LOL

Yo, kid! I got a center stand off one of the 850 frames I brought back from the junk run, complete with bolts, spacers and spring. Just needs to be cleaned and painted. BTW, are you planning on painting the tank?
If your interested in the center stand, I could prolly UPS it to your house. Cincy to Dayton wouldn't be much.

[beergood]

Looks good.

I know what you mean about the bondo, I actually had some experience with the stuff beforehand, and there still was a layer of bondo dust about 1/2 inch thick over everything in my workspace. As long as time and sandpaper aren't precious commodities everything should work out.

Ditto on the glazing putty and filling primer, they will go a long way towards hiding small imperfections.

My inserts have a rounded edge, and I was pretty happy with them, then I saw what a friend of mine had done with his. He shaped the bondo on his to have a firm, crisp edge. It really looked pretty great (and I am sure took forever to get right), and gave it a much more pro look. Now I can't look at mine without wishing they were the same way. So I guess everything in the garage will be getting another coating dust this winter.

Got an idea for a paint scheme?

[tone]

just to say thats a very nice job you are doing there cafeKid i'm well impressed so far \\/

[TheCafeKid]

[quote=beergood;729288]Looks good.

I know what you mean about the bondo, I actually had some experience with the stuff beforehand, and there still was a layer of bondo dust about 1/2 inch thick over everything in my workspace. As long as time and sandpaper aren't precious commodities everything should work out.

Ditto on the glazing putty and filling primer, they will go a long way towards hiding small imperfections.

My inserts have a rounded edge, and I was pretty happy with them, then I saw what a friend of mine had done with his. He shaped the bondo on his to have a firm, crisp edge. It really looked pretty great (and I am sure took forever to get right), and gave it a much more pro look. Now I can't look at mine without wishing they were the same way. So I guess everything in the garage will be getting another coating dust this winter.

Got an idea for a paint scheme?[/quote]

Yeah already have it planned out except at a loss for a decision on the knee inserts...Im going with sort of the same scheme i had her painted up with right now..except an Antique Brushed Brass instead of gold...I just cant decide weather i paint the knee inserts brass or leave em black. Suggestions?

[n1elkyfan]

I think you should leave the inserts black with a 1/8" strip of brass aroung the edges.

[TheCafeKid]

I like it...i like where your heads at...

[beergood]

I originally had my inserts pinstriped (that lasted for about an hour), then I tried painting them a different color, then I made some rubber pads, then I realized that I was gilding the lily. It is a constant internal struggle of mine.

The nice thing about building/modding your own bike is that if you start to go down a road and realize that it is the wrong direction, it isn't the end of the world to change course.

I manage to only be satisfied with my bike for about a month at a time, then I want to change things. I wonder if I will ever reach a point when I am 'done'. Most likely I will abandon it and start another before I am ever finished with it.

I guess my point is, try what you think will look good, it probably will. And it's no big deal if it doesn't.

[TheCafeKid]

oh i know it! Ive already painted this whole bike once, and then decided to go a different route...with the brass instead of the gold. Looks a little more classic IMO. we'll see when its on there tho i guess. Now i just need to order my seat, cos i dont think ill try to make one. At some point id like to give it a shot, but right now i dont have the necessary tools or space to work with that stinky stuff. (fibreglass) I thought about attempting to make hard edges myself, but i kinda like the look of the rounded edges, makes it look "hand done" instead of stamped out. Plus i think if goes with the natural lines of the 750 tank better. If i were working with a post 80 tank the hard edges would probably look better on it, since it kinda has hard lines to it. Thanks for the compliments all! One of these days (maybe tomorrow if the weather does what it says its going to) ill get the old girl back together and running but im rapidly running out of time this year and with no garage it puts a damper on things quickly..no pun intended. lol