Repair of the broken No. 9

@Camp numao pardon a dumb question from a friend but I've seen people line gas tanks with a smaller tank inside using the outer tank just for looks and a brass tank to actually hold the fuel on the inside. Would a smaller tank be able to be fit into the cracked original tank?
Not that I've done it but I've seen it in really old motorcycle types that had two halves of a fuel tank have a large seam leak. To keep it looking original they basically cut the tank halves apart and had a 3d metal printed tank to install inside it... Maybe you can do something like that. There's a bunch of bike shops in your area who might know who can make you a special tank you can work with out of brass?

 

I think you'd do a great job of it. But best of luck with whichever repair option you take, what a fantastic project to be working on!

 

Its do-able, its even worth having a go regardless to hone your skills!

Thoroughly anneal the brass sheet and make it longer than you need on the overlap, that way you can gently roll it past the end point so you get a nice continuous radius rather than a line/mark where the very end steps off.
Do you have a friend who does woodturning? They would be able to roll you a cylinder of the correct diameter to use as a former (or slighly undersize to allow for spring-back, then use a shim/card for sizing it to the finished diameter for soldering), brass is very forgiving when its soft.

If you are nickel plating it afterwards, you could even substitute copper (in a shade heavier gauge) sheet for ultimate workability.

Good luck with the repair, I'm sure it'll be fine.
Alec.

 

@Remus1956

Thank you for the suggestion.
That is an approach that hadn't occurred to me. You are right—there are indeed motorcycle models that feature an actual container housed within an outer casing; my own XSR700 is one of them.

If the method I am currently considering does not work out, I will certainly look into the approach you proposed.




@Blackdog @Rangie

Thank you.

I previously made a preheater for a Petromax 824 by rolling up brass sheet and silver brazing it.
Based on that experience, I can confidently say that what everyone is saying is correct.

However, with my skills, I'm sure I'll end up with something that looks like Frankenstein's monster.
Therefore, I'm thinking of trying to repair it by hammering it out using a wooden mold first.

If that doesn't work, I'll try the method you suggested.
Thank you for your advice.

 

Exciting project! No advice or suggestions, this is well beyond my skillset. I'll just be a happy observer. Thank you for bringing us along.

@Camp numao Even if your repair does turn out looking like Frankenstein's monster, an ugly but functional repair is infinitely better than a very pretty but nonfunctional museum piece. Whatever solution you wind up with will be fantastic.

 

I've been following your work.
I'm not offering any advice because I don't feel qualified to do so. But I assume you have your own vision and know what you're doing.
You've proven that with your many successful projects.
Good luck.

 

Yes, you have proven your great skills here before.