Tank re-finishing

[pbidiver]

I recently purchased two alum. tanks that have a lot of wear on the outside. Does anyone out there know a good way to safely remove the rest of the paint and if it is possible or necessary to apply a fresh coat of paint. Please be as specific as possible. Thanks in advance.

[IyaDiver]

Use your search engine to look for luxfer tanks, they have all the info. Definitely no acid to remove paint and no oven/heating for drying a new paint.

Good luck

[Stone]

Most automotive chain stores (like Autozone) carry a stripper that is safe for aluminum. One good product is called Aircraft Stripper. The spray can works great.

[junior]

I prefer to sand blast the paint off of the tank. It leaves a finish that will never need maintenance...unlike the painted finish.

[fernandezh]

My personal recommendation is to leave it alone. There is no real reason you should paint an aluminum tank other than for asthetic reasons or that you simply don't like neon pink anymore. :D

[deepstops]

Originally posted by pbidiver
I recently purchased two alum. tanks that have a lot of wear on the outside. Does anyone out there know a good way to safely remove the rest of the paint and if it is possible or necessary to apply a fresh coat of paint. Please be as specific as possible. Thanks in advance.

You absolutely should remove the paint. Sandblasting is the better method. Paint and scuba tanks should not be mixed. Any chip in the paint will cause water to migrate under the paint and start the corrosion process (rust for steels, oxidation for AL). Paint is the only thing worse for your tanks than tank boots :)

[Stone]

RE: Sandblasting

I am sure it can be done without compromising the integrity of the tank if you really know what you are doing. There are other blasting media besides sand that can remove paint without removing aluminum as well.

The aluminum-safe stripper works in seconds and doesn't remove any metal.

[TGuthrie]

I'm with Junior and hector, NO PAINT. If you do anything you should blast all the paint off and get a great finish at the same time.

[junior]

Check with your local fire exstinguisher re-certification companies. The one we used in Ft. Lauderdale offered a sand-blasted, smooth aluminum or bead-blasted finish. The bead blasted is my favorite because it tends to look the best after a few years of use. Then again, tanks ain't pretty I guess:D

[bluephoria]

The name of the company that does the shot blasting is Hydro-Stat. they are out of Pompano. They do a nice job. The shot blasting also adds a nice grip to your tank which helps prevent it from slipping out of your BC.

[Divin' fool]

The best paint remover we have found to remove the finish from tanks is the "aircraft alum paint remover"..not sure of the maunufacturer... you can find it at Home Depot for around $18. But be careful to use thick rubber gloves when applying it... this stuff is nasty.
Once you remove the paint, just leave them alone. Don't refinish.

[Screen Name]

Sand blasting and lesser so bead blasting removes metal. While they can relieve stress, they can also create stress in some cases, therefore making weak spots. I wouldnt trust either if I were doing it myself.........

Shot blasting, when done by someone who knows what they are doing and are equipped to do it with the right media (shot), can relieve stresses, making the metal stronger. I wouldnt hesitate to use Bluephoria's vendor.

Paint remover like Stone and Divin Fool suggest make the most sense to me for us backyard :D guys.

[cbulla]

I would like to thank you guys for getting me started on yet another project! Sooner or later when I get it all done, I'll post a pic of the "naked tank!"

[Divin' fool]

If you use the aircraft paint remover, let it sit on for around 30 minutes. It will be much easier to remove the old epoxy paint. I then use a razorblade "scraper" and scrape off all the thick spots. lastly, put another layer of the paint remover on..let it sit and rinse the rest of the paint off. I did 8- al 80's in about 2 hours last year. DONOT let the paint remover get on your hands! It is nasty chit. Use the thick rubber chemical gloves when applying the stuff! Hopes this helps.

[Doyle]

At the previously posted price of $18.00, the stuff is pretty expensive. How many tanks can you do on one can of the stuff?

[swathdiver]

About 1/2 of my tanks have been shot blasted. Way easier to keep salt off of then chipping paint. Had it professionally done by hydro-stat in Deerfield Beach, Fl. www.hydrostat.com

[cbulla]

Makes for a beautiful looking tank, swathdiver! :)

[Divin' fool]

Doyle... I did 8 tanks with one gallon. Still had some left.

[Prater]

Dont forget eye protection when using that stripper.

[pbidiver]

I do appreciate all of the info that was posted. I chose to use the brand BIX Paint Stripper. I purchased this product at home depot for $7.00 . Bix makes three different strengths paint strippers and I chose the middle of the three. The stuff comes in a metal can and includes a sprayer that you pour the solution into. I applied the stripper heavily and waited 20-30 minutes before trying to remove the paint. On one of the tanks, the paint bubbled up and came right off. On the other tank, the paint just thinned out and only some came off. I applied another coat and allowed it to sit overnite which worked just fine. Just as a warning, make sure you are up wind when spraying this chit on, it will eat you alive if you do not. Another mistake I made is allowing this stuff to get on the grass. There are very very large brown spots in my back yard. Once again, thank you to all who responded and I hope my experience can help you as well.