Has anyone made a tank to fit within the frame tank?

[5-7HEAVEN]

Hi guys.

i have a 1970's SCHWINN HEAVY DUTI frame i bought for five dollars. installing my happy time engines onto the frame. i have the half-gallon teardrop fuel tanks that came with the kits. they look okayyy, but what would really be neat is a custom tank that would fit INSIDE the old SCHWINN sheet metal "tank". these "tanks" are two sheet metal pieces that fit into the old cantilever frames, and hold the horn button, i believe.

i imagine that a few cyclists have custom made an aluminum tank to fit the old frames, but has anyone found a CHEAP tank or fuel bladder that would fit inside the SCHWINN horn tank?

for me, i'm PRESUMING that the reproduction frame "tank" made for the SCHWINN phantom will fit my old HEAVY DUTI cantilever frame. so i'd need to buy the reproduction frame "tank", then locate a small tank/bladder to fit inside it.

anyone have ideas?

Myron

 

[DougC]

A couple people have done it, a Felt 1903 is shown here-

http://www.motoredbikes.com/showpost.php?p=78377&postcount=13

It's not easy--cut open the tank, seal all the holes (there are going to be holes inside) and weld it back together again. You wouldn't want to just shove an empty bladder in there because there would be sharp edges from manufacturing anyway.
~

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

Thanks for responding, Doug, but that's not what i'm trying to do.

i'm using a 30-year-old steel cantilever frame. the SCHWINN faux "tank" i'm referring to is two pieces of sheet metal bolted onto the top frame. it is wide open at the top, and in no way will hold fuel. i'm not trying to store fuel in the frame itself. i'm interested in a 16 oz fuel container or bladder that will fit into the tank's "shell".

look here: http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1951_1959/1959_panther2.html
the #5 is the horn tank. that's where the fuel receptacle will go.

Myron

 

[iRide Customs]

I know it would be cheesy but have you thought about trying a plastic pop bottle? You might have to disassemble your tank everytime you wanted to fuel up but at least it would still look cool.

Dan

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

Dan, now that's an idea! it'd be more than likely not a thin plastic soda bottle, but a thicker plastic container or a metal 16 oz container. it could be shaped like a beer can, but thicker aluminum gauge.

does anyone have a SCHWINN faux horn tank, and know if a beer can or soda bottle will fit in it?

Myron

 

[wes]

You guys really love the old period look. check out utube and wheels of time vid. he rides an old whizzer on a canti schwinn frame that has a custom tank made to fit in the area of the horn tank. it's angular in look but i think it is just fine, in fact it's what i'm doing next.

 

[wes]

frame tanks

here is a few pics of my frame tanks so far. the current metal one is a little crude but it's the first go around. 18g sheet brazed. the first one was a fiberglas tank.

 

[V 35]

If all you want is a small tank, to fit under shell, how about pipe and fittings ? I'd only use metal for a gas holding vessel. Plastic could soften, [styrofoam cup full of gas ? ] Fiberglass can crack.

The outer shell can be any material,as long as the fuel is in metal.

 

[chainmaker]

Those canti frame horn tanks are small, it would look cool and all but you wouldnt have much range. Prob be better off with a custom tank.

 

[ez dave]

what kind of skill do you have as far as welding or working with fiberglass? if yuo can weld you could make a cardboard template and use your template to cut out 21 guage sheet metal and weld it up.or braze it. you coul alternately do the same with a piece of solid foam shaped how you want it then lay it up in glass when your all done you clean the foam out with laquer thinner until its gone and you have a nice hand fformed tank.