Advice please - first (used) steel tank

[Schwob]

First used tank purchase... read up on this stuff, still seem to need help to be sure...

1.) What Faber tank did I buy here?
Is there really such a thing as an LP112 ...or is this basically an LP108 (at 2400 PSI) that becomes an LP112 at 2640 PSI?
An if so, the data I find on LP108s is basically right?

It has these markings:

FABER - ITALY M8303 03/0781/ 108
OCEAN MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS 112 CUFT
TC-3AAM-184/DOT-3AA2400 REE 86
WARNING: DO NOT OVERPRESSURIZE

Hydro stamps:
08 (32/32) 17
9 (C9/96) 10+
03 (triangle sign) 03+ (seems to be the original hydro)

2.) Is the line starting with "TC-..." the serial number?

3.) Is the missing plus stamp at the 08/17 hydro date an indication that it lost the plus rating and is now not plus rated anymore?

4.) If yes, does that / could that mean trouble?

5.) Or is it always plus rated until condemned once it was plus rated the first time, whether that plus got added to the latest hydro or not?

6.) The epoxy paint was removed where the later hydro dates were applied. There seems to be a slight amount of cold galvanizing paint on there, but too little. In the right light a slight amount of surface rust starts to show. (see pic. if I get it attached). How to treat and paint (what product/s) that area to do it right and protect the tank, yet not loose the all important #s?

 

[Schwob]

Here is the picture of the hydro stamps.
You can see rust starting to form (zooming in:

 

[Schwob]

bump.. hoping someone has mercy with me... especially on the rust protection part. What method (wire brush, scotch brite / sand paper / motorized ... dremel ?) & paint product is known to work well.

 

[sh1513]

As far as I am aware this is what all the markings mean:

FABER - ITALY - Manufacturer
M8303 - DOT manufacturer facility identifier
03/0781/108 - Serial Number
OCEAN MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS - Distributor
112 CUFT - Cylinder size
TC - Transport Canada
3AAM - Canadian Special Permit Number
184 - Working Pressure (BAR)
DOT - US Department of Transportation
3AA - DOT special permit number
2400 - Service Pressure (PSI)
REE 86 Rejection elastic expansion

There should also be a TP xxxx marking which is the testing pressure in PSI

It was hydro tested 08/2017 - the "+" symbol means it can be overfilled by 10%, without it it can't.

I would not be concerned about the very light oxidation.


S.

 

[tbone1004]

1-Faber 108=OMS112, they tested them at different temperatures, hence the difference gas capacities.
It is 108-112 ish cubic ft at 2640 psi

2-TC-Canada's DOT equivalent

3-sort of. It just means the hydro shop didn't use the REE to give it the plus rating. They should have since it is stamped on the neck. I wouldn't have an issue filling it to 4000psi though, my OMS 125's didn't have the + on them until their last hydro and they'd been sitting for about 4 years with 3600 in them

4-not unless your LDS is a stickler for only filling to their official limits in which case I shake my finger in your general direction for purchasing low pressure steel tanks, especially 8" diameter ones

5-technically it needs a new + each hydro cycle, again it assumes that the hydro shop actually uses the REE number which is why they are now stamped on the tank crown so they don't have to go looking for it

6- you're in Illinois, no salty water means I wouldn't really worry about it though you can paint ZRC on there if you want to. Most of us don't

 

[Schwob]

@sh1513 : Thanks

@tbone1004 : Thanks.
About that shaking finger (#4). Understood. I was struggling finding local cylinders at a price that made sense to me, and apparently missed the same seller selling two sets of hp doubles... Wasn't looking hard enough I guess. Anyway, he had a pair of lp 108s, I thought I give those a try (maybe SM in mind), but they were looking way different (& one had a boot, the other did not) and with the 112 marking on one of them I lost my nerve for buying both, not being sure how good a pair they'd make. Now, I am thinking you might shake a finger at me for not buying the other LP tank in that case...
Anyway, the one I got came with an H-valve (I know, that shaking finger is getting tired, want to try anyway, especially since I don't have a doubles rig yet) and went for $125... and since I only have two AL80s right now (and pony), I figured I move at least in the right direction in terms of tankage...

On 6. true no salt water. yet... That family drive to FL this winter just got scrapped by a revolution of the younger family members who sort of declared they want to go skiing with dad (didn't do that in years) before he's not even able to do that well anymore... that and to probably rub in how much out of shape I am... Anyway, now that I started diving it seems incomprehensible to me to trade skiing for diving (well, the former was my favorite, albeit somewhat unaffordable sport for 46 ish years or so, so I understand a little bit... as far as affordability goes (or, heck, complete lack of) it seems a fair trade I think...)
So anyway, I am hoping there might be saltwater in that tank's future, but not soon...

Sorry about your tired "shaking finger", but always open for advice...

 

[tbone1004]

@Schwob sh!t for $125, I would have grabbed them both.. No finger shaking at that price, h-valve be damned. They will probably be OK doubled up, but I'd be hesitant to say they'd work in sidemount. I haven't done enough side-by-side comparison, but I'd bet they'd behave slightly different in the water which in sidemount is annoying.

Even if you're going to FL every few months, just hit up a spring afterwards and rinse them off. You're not diving in salty stuff every day, so it'll be fine

 

[Jack Hammer]

If you're gonna have it filled via partial pressure it will need to be tumbled and O2 cleaned and the valve O2 cleaned. The light flash rust inside the tank is not an issue for banked nitrox or air fills. It's a nice tank with a sizeable capacity, they are heavy on land though.

That is how hydro on steel tanks look, sometimes there is gold, silver, red, white, whatever color paint put over the hydro stamp, sometimes not.

 

[Schwob]

If you're gonna have it filled via partial pressure it will need to be tumbled and O2 cleaned and the valve O2 cleaned. The light flash rust inside the tank is not an issue for banked nitrox or air fills. It's a nice tank with a sizeable capacity, they are heavy on land though.

That is how hydro on steel tanks look, sometimes there is gold, silver, red, white, whatever color paint put over the hydro stamp, sometimes not.

Thanks.
It does still need an official VIS, but the inside looks very nice and shiny to me, so I have reason to hope to not face a hard sell on tumbling. The flash rust is just on the outside where the hydro #s were stamped.

 

[Jack Hammer]

@Schwob sh!t for $125, I would have grabbed them both.. No finger shaking at that price, h-valve be damned. ...

Tom, if I'd known you were interested I'd of picked them up for you last month when I grabbed a bunch of other stuff for people and brought some to the Midwest Conference.. I think the other single tank was a Sherwood 100, i forget. I didnt need the 112 but I grabbed the steel 45s, the Worthington 100s, and some other stuff for friends.