Beware fuel tank sealer

[Howard]

Never welded a tank, but as a youngster I used a parafin blowlamp to get the paint off one - I can still see the look on my father's face when he saw what I was doing.
The worst part was, it was a Norton Inter tank with soldered seams.....................

H

 

[Tug Wilson]

My silly buisness partner , some years ago ,decided he could weld-up a leaking fuel tank. He connected a "hoover " to the filler pipe, figuring that the fumes would be "evacuated " by said vaccum machine. Just as the fire extinguisher rep entered the premises, he started to "weld" A jet of flame extided the "hoover" and blew the insides of the machine several yards outside of our worklshop! The rep fellow almost "filled his pants" I figure Icant really say what happend ! His response was "I guess I c an't really help you guys!

Reminds me of the "mechanic" starting to weld a center stand repair with the bike laying on it's side with fuel dripping out of the tank during our lunch break. To a chorus of "watch out there's fuel leaking" he said" It's ok I'm only arc welding" !!! Cue ignition and the extinguisher race.
Don't recall any elf n safety in the 60's.

 

[SteveW]

I've heard of a neat trick to clean out the inside is by putting clean sand in the tank, seal it up, then wrap it in a heavy quilt, put it in the dryer on air only and the tumbling action cleans it out.

 

[vibrac]

I've heard of a neat trick to clean out the inside is by putting clean sand in the tank, seal it up, then wrap it in a heavy quilt, put it in the dryer on air only and the tumbling action cleans it out.

I think USA dryer openings are bigger than the Uk -why am I not surprised?