Metal working

I’ve been using my little 50 amp stick welder for a few small projects and have found that I really like how 1/16″ 7014 rod runs as compared to 1/16″ 6013.  Now, for either rod it really makes sense to cut them in half first.  This is because 1/16″ rods are extremely flimsly and due to this it is very hard to control them and maintain proper arc length.  With more than 50 amps I could run a 1/16″ 7014 as a “drag rod” and not need to have an arc length, literally just running it across the top of the metal.  But, due to my tiny 50 amp power supply, it makes life a little more difficult.  That said, I’ve had good luck with it and have been able to repair and fabricate stuff up to 1/8″ thick with pretty good success.

My brother wants me to repair a gas tank for an ’89 Honda Shadow VT1100.  I have ground down the rusted areas and there are some decent holes that need patching.  I’ve decided that the safest long term repair will be for me to solder patches over the holes.  I will use a soldering copper so that I don’t need to put a flame directly on the tank.  Once the patches are fully soldered on I will coat the inside with POR15 liner.  Then I will sand, file and shape the outside of the tank (possibly with the help of some JB Weld) until I am happy.  Lastly it will receive a nice new coat of paint.  When I’m done it should look and perform as if it was brand new.

This entry was posted in Hobbies, Home and Homestead, Motorcycles. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.