1967 B-40 WD
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I checked the alignment of the frame ( slightly bent handlebars and seriously bent footrest, suggested the bike had hit the tarmac more than once... ) prior to having it sandblasted. It turned out to be straight and in remarkably good condition and a few weeks- and several coats of primer - later, I finished it in a glossy black - synthetics based - enamel.

While the frame had been away for blasting, I started to sort out all the other bits and pieces to see what was salvageable and what needed replacement.
A long list was made of parts like nuts and bolts and other small items that I wanted to buy new.

The front fork inner legs were badly corroded, due to a brownish mixture of oil and water in both legs, so these had to be replaced too.
The list was getting longer and longer...

The fuel tank was tackled first, since it had been painted in primer several years before and I knew it could be rusty underneath. Primer - and filler - do absorb water, so it should be covered by lacquer or any other protection as soon as possible.
By removing the primer, lots of filler and lead-filled dents appeared. So that explained the heavy weight of the tank...
Aermacchi 350 Scrambler
Above and below: after removal of the filler, lots of dents and bumps showed up.
stacks_image_78C5BE81-1408-45EF-9396-F0F110E7590F
Victoria V99
It turned out to be impossible to get all the dents out through the filler opening, so it was dismantled by taking out the bottom.
Now some of you may be wondering: " why do all the work to remove all these dents when there' s things like filler ? "
Well, the strength of a piece of metal is not only determined by material thickness, but even more by its shape.
Rounded objects are much tougher than box- shaped ones and the surface should be as smooth as possible. Certainly when it comes to fuel tanks or mudguards.
A 16 liter rippled tank on a vibrating single like this, could crack quite easily...

Besides, I have been working as a panel beater and mechanic during the eighties in a local garage and I became rather picky when it comes to restoring body panels...

( From then on, my work needed full attention and over the next months, not many hours could be spent on the bike and it was March 2006 when the project finally continued... )

Before gas- welding ( oxyacetylene welding ) the tank back together, I sandblasted the inside. After welding, some minor adjustments were done by filing down some very small bumps and then the outside was blasted as well.
A coat of epoxy sealant was put inside to prevent corrosion and leaks and the outside got a coat of zinc- primer.
Fuel Tank 4
Above: the tank after welding and prior to final sandblasting.
Only a very small amount of filler was used to get the last little dents and scratches smoothed out before a thin layer of surfacer paint was applied.

As modern day fuels are very aggressive - certainly on synthetic based paints - I chose to use spray cans to paint the tank.
Several coats of colours - including lining and BSA logo, were applied before finishing it off with the final coats of clear varnish.

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