paint wont give me the look i want ,allthough i dont think its practical to do for me ,as my ideas sometimes out weigh my ability ,stil no harm in trying or asking
NOT A JOKE can i pop rivet my petrol tank
- Thread starter jackassdave
- Start date
paint wont give me the look i want ,allthough i dont think its practical to do for me ,as my ideas sometimes out weigh my ability ,stil no harm in trying or asking
It WILL leak!
You'll have petrol dripping onto your hot engine and HT leads. Having a holey tank might be the least of your worries....
Top Tip.... Carry a fire extinguisher at all times!
.....and don't forget to inform your insurance broker of said modification.
.....and don't forget to inform your insurance broker of said modification.
Clean out an old baked bean can.
Drill ONE hole in the flat surface on the bottom and try sealing it with your pop-rivet gun. Fill the can with petrol (outdoors!). See if the petrol weeps out.
When you have mastered your bean can bottom, try a curved surface.
Drill ONE hole in the flat surface on the bottom and try sealing it with your pop-rivet gun. Fill the can with petrol (outdoors!). See if the petrol weeps out.
When you have mastered your bean can bottom, try a curved surface.
i kind of thought it may not be possible before i posted the question i really like the look and texture of those old aircraft wings and it was a thing i thought might be possible to replicate on a tank ,i think it would look great ,but dont think its as practical as i had hoped .
so plan b next
so plan b next
Buy aluminium rivets. Cut the heads off and glue them on.
probably the best solution
You have an apt user name jackass and I can't figure out for the life of me why you would want to go down this road .... but I kinda like it 
at106
Registered user
While it would be possible as others have said there would be a lot of work involved to make it seal.
Aircraft use solid rivets, and a sealant called PRC between the joints and even then leaks are not uncommon and you find yourself starting all over again. As mentioned there are much easier options which i would personally pursue!
Aircraft use solid rivets, and a sealant called PRC between the joints and even then leaks are not uncommon and you find yourself starting all over again. As mentioned there are much easier options which i would personally pursue!
Petseal is good stuff.
f you clean the inside thoroughly of the swarf from drilling the rivet holes and use the closest bit size to the rivet shank, I would wager that petseal would seal this without issue.
f you clean the inside thoroughly of the swarf from drilling the rivet holes and use the closest bit size to the rivet shank, I would wager that petseal would seal this without issue.
fayeslane
Registered user
Thin aluminium sheet and a good man with an English wheel and you could fabricate a skin that fits over your original tank and can be rivetted to your heart's content. Doing a seat cowl and guards as well would add to the effect. Depth of your pockets is the limit when customising bikes.
that sir is a very stylish bike ,unfortunately it is on fire
pockets are sown up so plan b
You have an apt user name jackass and I can't figure out for the life of me why you would want to go down this road .... but I kinda like it
one reason only ,it would look good if done correctly
markjackson
Registered user
Lotsa modern (and a few old) race bikes have a real tank (simple / unpretty ally box) hidden by a pretty tank cover, in metal, fibreglass or some clever composite.
taking this approach the visible "Tank" won't need to be fuel proof or complicated underneath, and a simple fuel cell hidden underneath (or somewhere else, like under the seat) can be used. The low carbs mean the tank can be pretty low (i.e part under the seat like an MT5) before a pump is required
Good luck!
taking this approach the visible "Tank" won't need to be fuel proof or complicated underneath, and a simple fuel cell hidden underneath (or somewhere else, like under the seat) can be used. The low carbs mean the tank can be pretty low (i.e part under the seat like an MT5) before a pump is required
Good luck!
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Vinyl wrapping is the way to go 
vinyl wrapping is great but the look i wanted to achieve was raised rivets but i think if i go down this route it may be like robs suggestion of cutting the heads of and sticking them on . to be honest i really liked the look of your airhead but as you had allready done this i wanted something different .
actually now i look back at the question it is pretty stupid ,i should have asked how can i replicate a plane wing on my petrol tank
