Hi All,
My B40 rebuild moves ahead (very) slowly! However I seem to have sourced what looks like a genuine BSA aluminium tank for the swan neck frame (shallower tunnel). It is however somewhat dented. I've removed all the filler and I'm looking for any advice as to the best way to remove the worst of the dings/dents. I'm not aiming for concours(!).
Thanks
It would be interesting to see a pic of the state of the dented tank. Unless a dent is huge there is probably no real reason for trying to remove it - using filler is a perfectly acceptable way of repairing the surface. In general, the only reason for removing dents in an aluminium tank is if it is to be polished, in which case, it would need to be repaired professionally. I've got 4 x aluminium tanks that have been given the professional dent removal treatment and the results were impressive although the cost was ~£100 (at today's prices) per tank.
Hopefully some pictures will appear.
Where did you get the professional job done Spaceman?
The professionals can do a remarkable job in removing this type of damage - one of my aluminium tanks had much worse damage but, after they did their work, it polished up perfectly.
However, if you are going to paint the whole tank, there is definitely no point in trying to remove the dings or dents and there is nothing wrong with using filler to achieve a smooth finish. However, you do need to make sure there are no high points where the metal has been forced outwards.