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 Post subject: riveted fuel tank
PostPosted: April 7, 2018, 10:15 am 
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Joined: March 30, 2011, 7:18 am
Posts: 1615
Location: central Arkansas
I had been planning on flanging panels and soldering my fuel tank together, like they used to do with vintage cars. However, this aircraft builder page http://bobhooversblog.blogspot.com/2006 ... -tank.html has detailed information on building a riveted (aluminum or steel) tank using PVA sealer, which is supposed to be resistant to fuel, alcohol, or water. I still need to follow up to make sure the sealer is resistant against the nasties found in common pump gas - both methyl and ethyl alcohol, MTBE and ETBE, MMT, and so forth.

I've never had much luck with any of the old-gas-tank sealers, which always seemed to come off in flakes after a while, but I'm willing to consider there's a difference between sticking to rusty once-galvanized steel and clean etched aluminum. Might be worth an experiment, come to think of it...

more riveted tank pages:
http://www.krnet.org/wingtank/index.htm
http://www.rvten.com/wings6.asp
http://www.my9a.com/wings6.asp


Last edited by TRX on April 7, 2018, 12:31 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: riveted fuel tank
PostPosted: April 7, 2018, 10:57 am 
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Joined: November 9, 2007, 3:40 pm
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Location: Pittsburgh, PA
If you're going riveted, why bother with something that isn't designed for the job?

The real aircraft fuel tank sealant isn't that expensive in the quantity you'd be using.

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 Post subject: Re: riveted fuel tank
PostPosted: April 7, 2018, 12:13 pm 
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Joined: March 30, 2011, 7:18 am
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Location: central Arkansas
Because Real Aircraft Fuel and what might come out of the corner gas pump aren't the same thing at all. Most of the adulterants, oxygenates, and additives in auto gas are forbidden in avgas, so there's no pressing need for the aviation sealer guys to consider them.


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 Post subject: Re: riveted fuel tank
PostPosted: May 2, 2018, 11:02 pm 
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Joined: February 29, 2008, 7:15 pm
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Location: Denver, Colorado
I'd be willing to bet any sealer approved for aviation would stand up to pump gas. Specifically, because of auto fuel STCs that are available for GA planes. Cool links to building fuel cells!

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 Post subject: Re: riveted fuel tank
PostPosted: May 3, 2018, 9:30 am 
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Joined: July 17, 2008, 9:11 am
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Location: West Chicago,IL
I'm a big fan of Red-Kote. I have used it on both a newly made steel tank and to seal a 44 year old tank. It bonds well to the steel/rust and stays flexible. I think "flexible" is the big feature that a lot of the other sealers lack. It will seal holes as large as 1/32" (1mm) inch which should work well with your flanged seams. It is compatible with E10 fuels (10% Ethanol) . We've had E10 exclusively here (formerly known as gasohol) for over 40 years. However, RedKote is not compatible with Methanol. I'm not sure if you can even buy Methanol based fuels at the pumps. You would have to intentionally add Methanol to get it. You might want to check about RedKote's adhesion to aluminum. I have no experience with AL tanks. I do know that some AL are very tough to bond to. Even anodized aluminum.

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