thinking about building a set of boyco cans out of wood and doing a fill,prime and sand then paint will look like metal but for show only, ideas for lids?? can make the concave ends using a raised panal cabinet door bit.
Ronnie, love the idea, need to show some pictures when finished. How about some trimmed anti-freeze caps, with the safety tab removed.
Ronnie, If you are making them for show you could have a hinged top section with the hinges "hidden" on the rear side for storage of something inside!
Michael is right. It would be a shame not to have that replica doing double-duty as a storage compartment.
AH-HA...boot legger building a secret storage area!
The older metal one gallon gas cans had metal lids that look a lot like the Boyco lid. Also peanut oil or cooking oil that comes in 5 gallon plastic jugs have lids that may work. Check with your local fast food establishment or doughnut shop who buy large quantities of cooking oil to see if they will save you the lids.
I believe carrying gas on the running board of a Model T is more dangerous than running out of gas. Using a Boyco mock up for storage or as a toolbox is a neat idea.
That's a dandy idea!
Anyone have a dimensional drawing of the cans?
I have long disliked phony items on a vintage automobile. It would be much more creative to make a set out of sheet metal. There are original sets for sale, off and on. I thought that there are some reproductions available. I have seen excellent recreated fenders and body items. The time and effort to make wood "look al likes" would also be the time and effort to recreate a set out sheet metal. My original set will look nice on my 1910. I do not plan on filling the gasoline can.
I temporarily lost one of the caps off my Howell gas can. It turns out that those liquid chafing dish fuel cans have the identical lid. I now have an endless supply of caps.
I can not see how a gas can on the running board could be more dangerous than a Model T ford. If you are worried about fire, then the running board is the best place for it, the gas tank is above the exhaust, the carb normally drips gas (on mine anyway, and many others from what I have read here) so a T is on the verge of bursting into flames with a careless match or cigarette, but fortunately, smoking has become frowned on in public places, and this reduces the danger of fire tremendously. I always carry a spare gallon of gas, and if (or when may be more accurate) my T catches on fire, I will bet it is not the spare gas can.
Best
Gus
I carry spare gas on the running board of the Touring and in the bed of the TT. I have never given any thought that others would view this as dangerous. Ain't a gonna make me quit though.
ok once i get the t back running i'll build a set thought about metal just don't know how i can reproduce the raised panal look around the edges as most of my equipment is woodworking and cabinet machines.
Ronnie -- Make a form from wood using your panel-raising shaper or router bit. Then you can put sheet metal on the form and beat it to that shape using a rubber mallet. The sides for all the cans will be the same, so you need only one form.
Tom, Hey THANKS for the great tip about the caps!!
I haven't lost any yet but they don't seal the liquids very well either so that may be good for a try.
Three cans, six sides, you're good at woodworking. Make a wooden inside form to hammer 24 gauge (thin) sheet metal over (90degrees). Tin snip that folded edge to 1/8 inch high. Make another form for outside the can. Carefully place and block the outside sheet metal inside the outer form, with the end piece and its 1/8 inch edge facing up. Using pliers, crescent wrenches, chisels, blocks and hammers, begin folding the outer metal skin in, trim it, and fold it the rest of the way in and crimp it.
Solder from the inside if you can, otherwise outside.
I have made numerous items using this basic plan. Never a gas can however. You may want to solder
the inside before doing all the folding and crimping. That would help hold things in place.
With a real set of running board Boyco cans, you wouldn't be faced what this guy is sad about
But, if making clones, be sure to paint them the right colors
Note the paint colors in the adv copy.
And here is the repro set made by Howells Sheet metal, they look good, but if to be used, they need to have the seams soldered, or coat the insides with gas tank sealer.
Dan -- Thanks for the ad stating the colors. I recently purchased a nice set of Boyco cans with the original paint still on them. They appear to be red, blue, and gray, although most of the "restored" ones we see are red, blue, and white.
Dan,
Looks like help is on the way for the guy in the ad. Looks like he's already got AAA on the phone.
Here's another BOYCO link from the past.
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/118802/142944.html
I've often wondered about the "Filer" they advertise for the later sets. Was there something included that I haven't see or were you supposed to use the can lid protector or what? I dunno? I have a set of cans but no rack.
I think the main danger referred to above would be from a side impact. If the cans were hit and ruptured. you could have a fire danger. 1 gallon of gas on the ground would be bad if it caught on fire. It all boils down to chance and probability. I carry a gallon with me sometimes. But I also carry a good fire extinguisher in the front seat with me. But any wreck in a model T is probably going to be bad.
Has anyone but me, ever seen or had a can with a small diameter filler/discharge at the top of the can? I have one that has a machined brass filler neck and a machined brass cap that is internally threaded into the neck, instead of externally threaded like the normal cans with the externally threaded necks.
Why make separate cans especially if it's a dummy set-up and might be better used for storage? With a little thought you might be able to make a really useful carry case if the whole top hinged up (or lifted off) and was fully open inside. This sounds like a hell of a good idea for a new "accessory".
May not even need the caps if you make mock units with the strap-down as shown above as it covers that area.
Any one that thinks the SKY WILL FALL IN must not drive very far. I can show you places in Colorado and Wyoming that are 100 miles between service stations. The tree huggers have forced many of the service stations out of business in the small towns. A good example of this is the Federal highway between Casper, Wyoming and Shoshoni, Wyoming. There are lots of small towns in between but they have ALL had to shut down their stations. I had a good friend in Eastern Colorado that was in the service station business for many years but had to close his station when the tree huggers tried to make him bury his gas tanks. It was going to cost him $50,000 to bury the tanks so he just had to close his station. I am glad this post came up it reminds me to check my can set tomorrow.