Hello i have no clue about 3d printing.i’m into old small engines.the old ones all had metal gas tanks,most of the old tank’s have rusted away or are not available to buy anymore.i was wondering if 3d printing tanks could be possible.
3D prints are generally not “water tight”, particularly on curved areas. There is also the problem of compatibility, is the material fuel safe???
If you design the tank with a thicker wall, say 5mm or more, and print it with 100% infill, the watertight part should be no problem. Whether the material could handle long term fuel exposure would be another question.
My first suggestion would be to have a sample part of the material to be used, and immerse it in a container of fuel for a week at least to see if its integrity remains.
The material I would suggest trying first would be Armadillo TPU from Ninjatek. It is not cheap, nearly $100/Kg, last I checked, but it is one seriously durable material. It is supposed to be very chemical resistant, like other TPUs. I haven’t tested that aspect of it, and I don’t know if fuel is something it can handle. It is almost as stiff as pla, but much less brittle, and more abrasion resistant.
Those are my suggestions. Good luck!
You could print a replica of the tank to fit as a shell around a plastic tank meant to hold gas. Like a tank from a weed eater.
Not PLA. It will not hold up to gas. Maybe Armadillo. I might suggest something different. A 3D printed container (something gas resistant) but use a gas safe bladder inside. Slant did a video on water bottles that applied only gas, not water.
HI @Bambam73003
Welcome to the forum, Glad you decided to join us. I think you bring up an interesting problem. Not just with small engines but the restoration of older things in general. 3D printing can be used to reproduce alot of parts that are no longer available, I get to see it alot. Its exciting for me to see it come down to the level of the everyday person can see a need and design build and use a replacement part.
I have used this type of product to coat the inside of fiberglass tanks. You would just have to make sure it was compatible with your printed material (would probably involve some testing).
