Fuel tank sheet metal

I am scratch building a Green box Nobler for this years flying. I would like to have an Aldrich fuel tank of 4 plus ozs for my airplane with all tubes forward. I need to find a source for that type of sheet metal. Any help in this regard would be appreciated.

1) There is the K & S Tin plate stock you get at the hobby shop. Kind of expensive, though.

2) Get a gallon can of cheap lacquer thinner at K-Mart. Pour it into some jars or other containers. The metal is usually a nice tin plate, it is flat, and about the right thickness. And, it will come out clean, having only had lacquer thinner in it. Use the Lacquer thinner to clean your dope brushes or spray gun.

3) Or check with your local car repair shop. They may purchase thinner in gallon cans and have an empty can or two laying around. (Or buy one that is half full, and use it as above.)

4) Back in the "good old days" schools and churches would use duplicating machines that used a solvent that came in gallon cans. They would always have a can or two sitting around that they would give you. I doubt that anyone uses any of these anymore.

Probably paragraph 2 or 3 above would be your best choices.

>I am scratch building a Green
>box Nobler for this years
>flying. I would like
>to have an Aldrich fuel
>tank of 4 plus ozs
>for my airplane with all
>tubes forward. I need
>to find a source for
>that type of sheet metal.
> Any help in this
>regard would be appreciated.

I very highly recommend the K&S "Easy Solder" tin-plated steel. One sheet will easily do the Nobler tank if you don't try to make it in one peice. Use copper tubing for the tubes, and 60/40 electronics solder for the solder.

By the way, the tank built as show on the Green Box Nobler plans won't quite fit between the doublers.

I am going to stick my neck out again. I don't see anything magic about Goerge's tank. A much better design is what Brett makes with the back end wider than the front end and the pick up side angled so the fuel flows to the back corner. I consider the uniflow version of this tank the best design out there, bar none. I think Brett ought to go into the business of making these commercially. I would sign up as a supplier right now.

>I am going to stick my
>neck out again. I
>don't see anything magic about
>Goerge's tank. A much
>better design is what Brett
>makes with the back end
>wider than the front end
>and the pick up side
>angled so the fuel flows
>to the back corner.

Thanks you very much. If you see Ed Robbert, thank him too, because mine are direct rip-offs of his! Brian Eather's are also very similar. I used to get all my tanks from Ed, and when he decided to get out of the tank business, I got a few via the old boy network, and then decided I had to stop trading on my friendship and learn to make them myself. Once I got the CAD drawing and spray adhesive trick down, it was easy.

This is the one change what Ed did. He had a form made (out ot high grade tool steel, somewhat to his surprise) in the IBM prototype machine shop. This worked, and made it easy to make the tank, but only made 1" high tanks, with a fixed angle taper and wedge, and the capacity was set by choosing the length. With my method, I can make any size or any shape, within reason, to fit the available space. I have made tanks that taper in all three dimensions, and are wildly assymetrical.

This is important for everyone - there's nothing magic about tanks, almost any tank will work if the plumbing is sound and it doesn't leak. The tank is very rarely a source of engine run problems - ALMOST NEVER. Almost all the problems associated with or solved by changing tanks are actually resonant vibration problems that slight different weight or stiffness tanks alter.

I agree 100% that there's nothing magic about the Nobler tank, or any other tank, for that matter. At least to the point of magic, laws-of-physics defying run characteristics. The Nobler tank runs like any other shape tank with the vents in a similar place. If the vents go in where they are show in the plans, the run will be at a constant pressure for the first 30% of the run and then get progressively leaner. Over and under vents can be made to work, but what frequently happens is that one of the vents pours the fuel out while the other lets the air in, even if you point the vents forward.

While it's not magic, it does work very nicely if you like suction tanks, and can be replumbed to be a uniflow tank. The Kenn Smith tank that David uses (rectangular cross-section in the front, regular wedge shape in the rear) is a variation on the same idea. George's cuts off better because the angles are shallower.

There, Leonard, now we're both in trouble!

>I consider the uniflow version
>of this tank the best
>design out there, bar none.
> I think Brett ought
>to go into the business
>of making these commercially.
>I would sign up as
>a supplier right now.

I got enough irons in the fire to last me a lifetime, so don't count on that ever happening. Tanks are easy to make. I'll probably publish an article about how, when I get time to write it up.

Brodak SELLS that fuel tank and has it in stock! It's the same tank George used. Scott

Buzz,

The tank in my Mustang is from George's design, just adjusted in size for that fuse. It is approximately 4.5 oz. I figured that a little more capacity couldn't hurt. I just don't fill it all the way.

I use K&S tinplate for all my tanks. I usually buy that material from my local Ace Hardware, though most hobby shops carry it as well. The hardware stores usually have a small K&S display rack.

If you have any questions, just give me a call or e-mail.

See you in the Summer!

Fred Krueger

I use a lot of acetone, but I can only buy it in quart cans so I always have a few empty's around. They make excellent stock for tanks and they are already paid for.

I want to thank all of you for your responses. Making fuel tanks is not an area that I have gotten into. I have alway made the fuselage to fit the tanks I had. Now I am trying to make the tank fit the fuse. Again all your help is appreciated and I hope that Brett gets that article on fuel tank building done soon.
Buzz