Technical Tech week. Radiator overflow or steampunk pipe bomb

I made one of these a few years ago for my build thread. (my 36 Ford build or how to ruin a perfectly good car )but was not super happy with the outcome. so since it's tech week I'll make a new one.
First you need a 2 in piece of copper pipe about 2 feet long. you can get it any plumbing store. 2 model t radiator caps and a neck. You can get these from speedway motors. Some solder flux and a brush. It's all about $80 worth of stuff.

Next cut it to the length you would like your tank to be.
Then cut your self 2 1.5 in pieces.

You'll want to ream the edge off as it is quite sharp. Trust me.

Next (after you install bandaids from previous step)clean up all your stuff with a scotch bright pad.

Take your small pieces and cut them in half. Then bend them to make a mount.
Next you'll want to cut the top off your model t neck and chuck it up in the lathe. Need to put a lip on it to fit into the pipe. Then fit it up.


For the bottom. I took another cap and spun the threads off. It is a touch to small for the pipe so I dollied the edge over a bit.


Next clean everything really good. Then mark where you want your mounts to be. This is important. Because solder will only stick to areas that have flux on them. So you only want flux where to want solder. next put on a light layer of flux and clamp everything together. It's important to make everything tight otherwise it won't stick. Administer fire and solder away.


Next. I sanded everything with 650. Now Time to polish.

For the inlet I got some flare fittings. Then drilled and tapped the bottom. With the inlet at the bottom it won't need a dip tube. And a small hole in top cap to vent. With the radiator full and the overflow about 1/3 full it should work fine.
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Next mount it up with your favorite temporary holding Device to admire your awesomeness. Next brag about your skills to the old lady and crack a cold one you earned it.

Nothing like having something on your car you need to polish constantly. But polished copper is gorgeous. Hope this helps. I still need some final filing and polishing. But will wait till final assembly

 

Nice work and it looks great,you could always let it age and take on the green patina that copper is known for,real traditional. HRP

 

That looks pretty cool!

 

" if I only had a lathe" woodcutter from wizard of OZ

 

I do like it.

 

That's very cool, and I will definitely use that, likely for my remote p.s. reservoir too.
By the way that looks like a massive windshield chop on your car!


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Very nice! Polished brass looks so cool.

 

Great idea. I like it. Another option would e to clear coat the copper after you polish it. It looses alittle sheen with clear but saves a lot of polishing for many years.

 

I really like this. I hope you don't mind if I use it.

Is there a vent in the cap?

 

I think I will drill a small hole in the cap to vent. My first version had a over flow on it. But. I didn't care for it. So I think just 1/16 hole in the cap should work

 

Nice work. Its very similar to one im building for my A radiator in my T RPU, except for the cap. What do you have on the underside of the T cap? JW

 

I will put a rubber gasket under it. I don't know if ts had one. I don't believe they were pressurized.

 

it wont need one, I was meaning is there a hose or something going down into the reservoir? JW

 

Cool.
Al.

 

very nice overflow. Its good to see something different than the stuff you can just buy.

 

nice work, doesnt it need a rubber hose down to the water level and that way it has room to push out water and suck back in as needed.

 

I'm glad someone asked this. I was curious myself

The inlet is at the bottom, so it doesn't need a stand tube inside.

Nice work , BTW

 

there is a difference between an expansion tank and an overflow tank.....
expansion tank is pressurized, overflow tank, like above, is vented (or needs to be..)

 

Very nice. Would work as a catch for just about any fluid.

 

Quick question, you don't mention where to cut yourself. I always seem to cut myself when doing a project but never plan for it.
Nice looking overflow!....Add a copper pot and some copperline and you could make moonshine.
Good tech!

 

I like it, I would one up you in that I would use silver brazing instead of regular solder.
Much stronger.
I have grown to not trust regular plumbing solder.
Must be the welder in me, always wanting to overbuild something

 

Great post, classic look!
Rich

 

Don't want to seal your thunder, but not all of us have a lathe. I still wanted and needed an overflow container with
a minimum of tools. So I did this with a cordless drill and two bits. Oh it also took a bid on Gun broker dot
com. This is a 1943 40mm Bofors antiaircraft shell used to shoot down Jap Zeros' (politically incorrect) during
WW II in the Pacific. Has a long tube and a short tube coming up from the bottom and a screw on cap. I have been
a member of the H.A.M.B. for 11 years and started with a 1938 /Chevy. Ten years ago I put a little old deuce on
the road. Have been tearing up the Northern Plains since.

 

I like your Deuce, but it looks better when it appears to be driving across the screen

 

That's pretty wild. Makes my pipe bomb look like a firecracker

 

Great Tech. Thanks for the write up.

I always thought locomotives made the best steampunk pipe bombs....

 

That bofors shell tank is cool too.It reminded me a story my dad told me.My granpa died in the 80's,so i guess this crime is outdated.
My granpa was a truckdriver in WW2 and he smugled a live cannon ammo home from the front.He hide the ammo in the engine bay of his truck.Really crazy move from him.I dont know what he did with the ammo,but i guess he blow up rocks or something in his farm.
I've heard that he used to blow up tree stumps on the field with hand grenades,so i guess the purpose for the cannon ammo was something like that too.

 

No need to debate anything. Yes, the regular solder will be fine and is more than enough for the job.
I just like the superior look strength and performance of the silver brazing alloy. I use easy flow 45.
Another great alloy to use if you are doing copper to copper is Sil Phos, you can use it without the flux as the phosphorous is the fluxing agent.
And it's always funny when someone brings up years in anything. One constant is that there is always someone out there that that has more than you.
I have been an Industrial pipefitter- Tig-stick pressure welder for more than 40 years now. Including lots of HVAC work.
It really doesn't matter all that much in the end.