Tank mounting

[Jack Mulinix]

So, whats a nice, sanno way to mount a wedge tank on a profile? Kinda did'nt want to use hooks and rubber bands. Thanks in advance

[Maurice Bishop]

Try piano wire pushed through from the other side.

Using two pieces of piano wire, one piece for the top two hooks and one piece for the bottom two hooks.

Upside: simple, strong and if you use a reasonable guage - light.

Downside: not height adjustable. May not be an issue for you.

Hope this helps.

Maurice

[Randy Powell]

I usually embed a couple of threaded insets into hardwood blocks and bury them in the fuse then solder tabs on the tank. If you put slots in the tabs, it allows you some tank adjustment, too.

[Jack Mulinix]

Thanks Randy and Maurice, I've never soldered on a tank. Iron or little torch? And what about possible screwing up a seam and having leaks. Like the adjustment idea.

[Greg L Bahrman]

Tank mount. On this plane, after the front end was done I drilled thru the ply doubler with a 3/8 drill and epoxied 3/8 hardwood dowel. The dowel has a clearance hole drilled thru the center and a tee nut installed in the embedded end. Note: 1/16 rubber pads under tank brackets.....Works great.......OR

[Leester]

I use the RSM profile mounting plate, pretty much as described by Randy except the tank is glued on to the plate with silicone adhesive.

[Steve Helmick]

I've been trying to figure out cleaner way, with tubes soldered to the ends or top & bottom of the tank, and slots in a sub-plate with T-nuts (like on a milling machine table). Bolts through the tubes, kinda like muffler mounting. Probably way more work than it's worth, but it would be trick! Randy would probably do it. I'd probably use that RSM base plate with the tank glued on, but with a metal safety strap so I wouldn't have to invoke the Rush Rule. Can't abide that sort of thing...  Steve

[Dick Pacini]

Back when, I would use two lengths of stiff 1/8" nylon tubing that were long enough to wrap around the tank and almost protrude through drilled holes in the fuselage.  From the opposite side, I would screw small self tapping screws with washers into the open ends of the tubing.  It was clean and worked like a charm.  The downside would be no adjustment, but I never had that as being a problem.

[dave siegler]

I am a convert to using silicon glue or constuction adheivsive.  If you know where the tank should go, just a few dabs of silicon will hold it there.  If you need to move it, a razor blade will do the job.

If you want an adjustable mount, cut some lite ply about 1/2 in longer than the tank.  cut some adjustment slots in each end.  A dremel router table works well for that.  Then paint the ply to match the airplane.  2 bolts and blind nuts will secure the tanks nicely. 

Note I have had bad luck with water based caulks, there isn't enough surface area exposed for it to set up.  The stuff you want says cleans up with mineral spirits. 

[Leester]

The RSM mount is what you discribe except laser cut. I use threaded inserts but it comes with blind nuts.

[BillLee]

The RSM mount is what you discribe except laser cut. I use threaded inserts but it comes with blind nuts.

And you can glue the tank to the mount with JB Weld if you don't trust the silicon.

Bill

[Jim Thomerson]

I've had well soldered tabs vibrate loose.  I do the wire through the fuselage to make hooks, and rubber bands.  I make the wires wide enough apart that I can shim the tank up or down 1/16 if needs be. 

[Randy Powell]

The nose of the red plane that Greg posted is pretty much how I've done it.

>>I've had well soldered tabs vibrate loose.<<

The trick here is to not have the tabs directly in contact with the nose. You need vibration dampening. I generally use a pad between the tank and fuse (I have some 3/32" silicon stuff that works really well) and a chunk of fuel tubing between the tab and the fuse on the screw. Never had a problem with the tabs.

Jack,

I use an iron to solder the tabs. Just pressure check the tank when you're done.

[Jack Mulinix]

Thanks for all the input. Really like the plate with buried mounts. and like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Again, thanks all.