Part One: Shape It! 1. Like...
Part One: Shape It!
1. Like we stated before, these tanks start out as rounds of flat aluminum stock. Manuel puts the round on a circular trimming machine to be cut to a specific size with the turn of the wheel. The rounds are cut down, according to fit of the different sizes and shapes of the tanks.
2. A special die is attached...
2. A special die is attached to the back of the lathe, and the blank is secured tightly. Then, Manny uses these custommade tools called rollers to shape the aluminum to the die behind it. With the leverage of the handles, the metal wheel applies hard pressure to the piece.
3. Manny realigns his tooling...
3. Manny realigns his tooling to a set measurement. From there, the aluminum piece is secured with another head on the lathe and spun. Now, a roller with a flat wheel is used to pull the material back. Then, a roller with a round wheel on the tip is used to finely shape the aluminum to the die.
4. On a smaller less powerful...
4. On a smaller less powerful lathe, the piece is scored with a secured tool. This ensures that the edge of this tank half will line up to another.
5. With the shaped aluminum...
5. With the shaped aluminum piece on the lathe, a file is laid against the surface. The spinning process leaves the material with a bumpy finish, and the file smoothes out all of the high parts. Afterward, a piece of coarse sandpaper is run along the surface to give it a "Sunray" finish.
Part Two: The Assembly! 1....
Part Two: The Assembly!
1. Depending on the application of the tank, different-size holes are made to fit specific bungs. Then, the aluminum bungs can be welded from the outside.
2. Mooneyes has various different...
2. Mooneyes has various different caps available to close the filler necks. The '50s Spinner cap is one of the most popular, and it is made by welding this cast piece to a threaded ring.
3. Once both of the tank halves...
3. Once both of the tank halves are ready, they are TIG-welded together. A guide is used to keep the welding steady while the tank turns on a rotating welding jig. This keeps the weld to one continuous bead for added strength.
4. Assembly of the tank is...
4. Assembly of the tank is complete, and the welds are cleaned up. This is done by hand, rubbing them out with steel wool and Scotch-Brite.
5. The last step in the whole...
5. The last step in the whole construction of the tank is to attach this sticker to indicate the fuel capacity.
The Final Word
We know that most people do not have all the tools or machinery to build one of these tanks, but we thought it was cool to show how they are made. The real kicker is that each and everyone of these tanks is handmade, and it's all done in a small machine shop behind the Mooneyes store front. The tanks vary in price between $250 and $500 for premade versions, although custom orders can be taken for a little extra. However, you cannot order them in a polished finish anymore; they are made from high-grade metal and can be refinished. Whichever way you go, these things are just flat-out cool.