The final result is something I hated but is starting to grow on me a little bit. It changed my entire vision of what I saw for the final out come of this bike but like they say..... You just have to let them built themselves.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_seQgizTpBEDjJAQlclqiAbDMw-G826Kq09NnOQfzoAegA_gqac6gkH_XuG4YVtRjW3tZLUZ55lz9pcrsciib5NswaqY1efJqpQvEmDs8lV1gXB78js4sJywruqfnofCSSdnmmZ7YFX4A/s400/2010_Black_Bird_Gas_Tank_001.jpg)
I started by cutting out the bottom and filler cap then rounded out the flat spot in the top of the tank. I didn't have sandbags or those fancy hammers you see Jesse James using on TV so I did my best to duplicate it. I cut down one side of a rubber mallet and layed the tank face down on a pile of tarps and beat the shit out of it to round out the top of the tank.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKbGwkEXFipPNtQihcUAWZPoShOQ6mLQQTDZLdC7v7v68OuZuN0is5mKKvLF7utt6QIvJHsIH1Yc-qmIhq88PfFUsM4AUwvdfOG0PtkCvq3oz53MFRMXHnK8uPulL2d4YWy4ZwQYQ7PhG/s200/2010_Black_Bird_Gas_Tank_002.jpg)
Hillbilly Hammer
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZ5Dy-o38xMM3xQ7S9VS1rAr0ZNp84gsjeQvs0FEThGYu4jZa7Ii1lFxZuC3uMy-V6ESlR1-06DnFyTpwPT-dVK3JoPS9q5A-npc6ADF9hedlZf5anq0dB6JeYHGvj5ef3UaXE1p2LV1Q/s400/2010_Black_Bird_Gas_Tank_006.jpg)
Filling the filler
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSYEfy-aeZ9b4mFV-ps759_EENU7kwUBEGJGnSYjs2DzjnKF7gKEEZ_z8Sk-Z7xwiJVMi3Y7tn8l9Oene3fPliCtSuNTaI5zCvxHHE9npLNt30T7SfmS5iMbe0S12OugfVKQeAjWYyYB5/s320/2010_Black_Bird_Gas_Tank_009.jpg)
Mapping out my cuts. Half inch out of the top and one inch out of the bottom. Turned out to be a lot more than I expected.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YJQA-j9dn6lP7Gcp6eGQFqOMscg8N30u337ebUZtzrRRXmcKBOQfoAUk2kXOp0RQhBtUkky-moWExpip6F0UE2qNasCgOhpMpyIKrgp11qK2oz97RfxvQxlba-GEBlu_Aet3lMmtQtpe/s200/2010_Black_Bird_Gas_Tank_010.jpg)
cutting
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha09IGl_p9YZFDx_aeNqF857yxWphp35rco978TCCf5HJs3I_Nut45fpKgucZibpG5nPiaeq7maP1KOVY8I3hzBtcERCVfzN2ADMl2u-rexYrZM-OcoqnNOYRF_dHb50q6o9_XQ0I8lJHv/s400/2010_Black_Bird_Gas_Tank_013.jpg)
tacking it back together
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOo8C1V1a5YshsXVaXU4xzLpCcEynsYzsPEopDJPLN55eLs17Sq7AMvVVj5pTRDUO6I8teTe5dviKB0bNcH6uyw07w4Xn0Ak6iu9seHEj3qRyviC1ukVvrBaY9KeqRMv9JbZoNEg_05FiE/s200/2010_Black_Bird_Gas_Tank_016.jpg)
A big difference..... I hated it. Too much out of the back.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUHady0a3TZDzC-QLQsr03c67AJIwoh9c8gXc9JFmjMDVv9PbGTkN-pN3AuG_i6xTknzUaq1c13XaHc9zorUEim8xCn63iwJjNc98lQjy4EVR96NI0gxP3Y37pzn7rizb3LSLpCCSSEHJL/s320/2010_Black_Bird_Gas_Tank_018.jpg)
After finish welding the top I took it to Bravetown and used Slippery Petes English Wheel.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbpMHKJhQ7ALWMrPMPhzuSZZrjLZs0W-gz1pm5Fqbq2CFSdY4Oik15G-9B3fGiOFkS6nQKCGU5WseWmTkFM2g647XfKT_u-iDfonKoeTqox8f6NUQfJcpLSTOaGyAGz4zfkF723Gqi9sZ/s320/2010_Black_Bird_Gas_Tank_027.jpg)
I filled the tunnel then added to the bottom in the front then cut off some in the back. The idea was that if I take out in the back and add to the front I could change the appearance of the tank and still hold plenty of fuel. I used 16 gage steel everywhere steel was added.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvlZ4VEeryaZ4tbW8tsEBnz9CeUjjY2SYB6o7KcXLHbYeLsQl6agD4LC5dbWaMY1obzfZJTYBas5Fcp01HawRsWLEFt9lNPoCs7cMYYsMwyUfIVHfaD59xehM0-319qGutACYm-YCC4Vk/s400/2010_Black_Bird_Gas_Tank_028.jpg)
Making the tunnel out of some scrap tubing.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU41mWwUrW6A398_aSZ5xrEguAYX4ka4Xuf0xQHwUd3EpppqXWHDsdcvut0BGsbbFarwM274AcHhv23hXj_3mg_QILOv1lrsoRRKRmDE7sPqaC3najiG3OEHThkHAQUv5d3fim0DMbgXxd/s320/2010_Black_Bird_Gas_Tank_029.jpg)
I hated the tank so I started getting stupid with it at this point. I found some scrap round rod and started bending it.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFw77lo6FdTGaS9TJlASoe-k74aoplF1ea9kLgxkl5l_i2Vk90X5suI1vvDcX3SLvqmJIbwe91wXzplF207cBoinIz3P3UxP_0BYNzTsQLwZd3HKPDGHH_Bo7nzU6arrS3MxT97HyQw5I/s200/2010_Black_Bird_Gas_Tank_030.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJcKA_zl-5-73sE-ZbUvWc4osUtCeItYnZAyNmCDDLZuk0tL7d2eeaoZW6URBbuA9Ydi4-jeB_hYyurT-ldQ04g8LOyBzYwhbwqnncKqTfRQyLWbs186u3iIw60d-bCr803CREHXxeE8e/s200/2010_Black_Bird_Gas_Tank_033.jpg)
This was to highlight the filler cap.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SdKuE_HwjwOXJW1hmErfMQibHmG0I_FtuM715RTbRKwnKCfZrWKVPkcYQU7WAfP0-Y0bpvTfdoQ2MOoK6dGOuUDhiU3LC6CjUzeALn64bJ0YMaRyDGXN1GijtZmiXIjzOq2cV-JvyFrN/s320/2010_Black_Bird_Gas_Tank_034.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg783fEPOkhSQtltuEsuwQV2h5BZ3bzQAsf1_JrQRk_8ZK7aVTF-700vkCctKLrtdw7-it61-NGjp82p-XjiKh7TRYk3fyNkKgOJ2IE9OyrItdaR_gBO9q_WX58qi5G7UUqJQ3kkEauS1jA/s400/2010_Black_Bird_Gas_Tank_036.jpg)
I figured this wasn't enough so I cut out the center to add a dished section.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0z5wm03s8cQ3ozKou3jJbJk_BSfdPkoFFrJP2U7pBurtZBWUFe-otyn-3fG5_kLs_QWVetdCLPyOnOFgnt31BGOWK3g7B4_4NPXi7HkPUvqiBeIi5QpXv2fCOWUji03GS0aikB4QDzpbM/s200/2010_Black_Bird_Gas_Tank_038.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJmo4_aoETknoQ8WU7D1YVQ114W8269kQdZBZ_7jH6w9YmPXzfSVyHheUXXlvjWyWcz_zSPvXN0gGaq1Y5bC6HMXJ3kbbgySmz43HNrZJW_Pf6ToU4sZYEmlo-Bj0wtl0y6Cdt1roKK1h/s200/2010_Black_Bird_Gas_Tank_039.jpg)
The table I was working on had a few different sized holes in it so I took advantage of one of them. I busted out my hillbilly hammer again with the added help of a torch.
9 comments:
Holy Balls Josh, is there anything you suck at? I envy your talent and I aplaud your techniques. Fuck,
woop, there it is!
..ok josh..this is comin from a metal fabricator, are you ready..???..those tank mods are BRILLIANT..the mounts are a thing of great beauty..bravo, photoman, bravo..
That kicks ass, great work.
I picked up about 5 of them mallets several years ago at a dollar store, used a wood rasp to shape them, they work pretty good.
D
Iron Man and Golden Hand.Great - Josh.
Love the work that went into it. I bet it was very labour intensive
This is a great idea for a filler neck. My brain is going overdrive right now............
not bad at all man,, impressed
Very cool, beautiful detail on the mounts.
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