1933 box saloon fuel tank.

[Dennis Nicholas]

My Nippy tank has leaked previously.  I did repairs by cleaning the area and a bit around it and soldering copper patches in place.  Good big soldering iron (electric so no flame) and ensuring spotless bare metal which was tinned bit by bit to keep the iron hot.  Patches were cut from copper hot water cylinders and tinned.  (I still have several old copper cylinders lying around)  Early cylinders preferred as they were much thicker copper.  If need be the copper can be heated up by paraffin /gas blow torch till just going cherry red to anneal it  (make it soft and pliable again).  Then the patch can be put in place and tacked on with soldering iron in one spot and then rest of the patch clamped against the tank easily conforming to the shape because it is softer......then just go round gradually heating till solder takes and all sticks together.  You can tell when unseen underneath solder is melting by just dabbing solder wire on outside and if it melts then the underneath solder will have too.  A final run all round the outside edges to 100% seal does the job.

Edit- I forgot to add that of course you need a soldering iron of a suitable large size ..... to match the size of those 2 A7 spanners I have 
   

It is also used on Austins big relative Mr. Reliant Scimiter to solder round a chassis bolt hole surface where an earthing bolt goes....makes a better contact and prevents corrosion.



Dennis