MTFCA Forum

Hello everyone,

I decided to repaint some Boyco cans that I have, and once getting into them found that they were in pretty terrible shape (completely rusted through on one side). Since finding a replacement proved both difficult and prohibitively expensive and I do not have the skill to fix them properly yet, a friend and I made 3D-printed replicas. If anyone is interested in the STL and STEP files, I have them on Google drive here (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... drive_link). They print in two separate pieces and can be super glued together. They don't work as functioning cans, but they but they should look pretty good once painted and finished. If anyone wanted the accessory just for looks and hasn't found any at a reasonable price, this could be a good alternative.

Thanks for the work, they look great. J

I commend you for your attempt and skill set! They look very presentable.

On another note.., with very little investment those cans are easy to fabricate at an entry level sheet metal person level. YouTube has good instructions, don't be intimidated, just practice. A hand rolling machine from HFT will work. Modern epoxies like 3M Panel Bond 8115 are fuel proof. Reuse the existing caps and spout as required. You can even use Red Coat gas tank sealer after done for long term preservation and keeps the sweating down in the long run.

Just sharing info!

Hank

Really great idea Eric!

Thanks for sharing the files.

What do/did you do for a cap? Is it a separate piece, or is it a non-removable/non-functional part of the two sides?

Just for appearance, a repo like this is great. If you do much driving, especially on trips, you want a functioning can or cans. But as most of us have found, original cans are scarce and expensive. I was extremely lucky to find three original Boyco cans at auction for $2 to $3 each. They are a little oversized for a Model T, but making a carrier to keep them on the running board was pretty easy. But I don't expect to ever find a deal like that again, and you're not likely to either. So what is a good alternative?



I see these five gallon cans turn up at estate sales and farm auctions quite often. They frequently sell for $5 or less. The ones with plastic handles and post-1930 brands are not appropriate but I think the generic ones with wooden handles would fit the bill nicely. I often see kerosene cans (similar but two or three gallons) also at auctions.

Hank:

I may consider fixing them some day to have functional cans, but for now my T has an enormous storage compartment that I can already fit extra gas/water in, if needed. Perhaps making reproduction Boyco cans will be my contribution to the collective hobby one day, but as I have a long way to go in life before I can invest that kind of free time, I'm afraid that day may come when the demand for cans has become zero (or close to it).

Terry:

There is no removable cap, it's a solid piece that attempts to look like one (from a few feet away, at least). The modeled picture is just showing a cross section of the internal structure. The model actually prints as a single bottom half and a single top half that fit together; much easier to align and assemble than gluing two vertical halves together.

I like the idea of 3D printing for use in car restoration, sadly (or thankfully) there’s not anything that was or can be plastic on the interior where it would excel. I have found good use for 3D printed items to protect threads on wheel hubs and as paint masks for spindle bushings so that they remain unpainted bronze. If you can find or have a 3D printer I would highly suggest using 3D printed parts for paint masks it’s helped me a lot.
-matt

Finished "cans," complete with 5 foot paint job.

Somebody was making nice looking reproductions about twenty to thirty years ago. I wonder what happened to the jigs and dies from those?

Pretty sure those were made by Howell's Sheet Metal Products many years ago but I remember some wording about having to seal them if one intended to actually put fluids in them.

...but I remember some wording about having to seal them if one intended to actually put fluids in them.

I remember the same thing. I decided to look for the real thing, and I got lucky. I found three at an auction. It's been several years, but I think I paid $3 each for them. Probably my luckiest buy ever. They're larger than the ones you generally see on Fords, but it was no trouble making a carrier to fit them.

I never leave home without them.
They have saved me an unscheduled long walk more than once.