can you recoat OMS tanks..

[trymixdiver]

After reading the other post i was wondering if OMS tanks can be recoated? I like the tanks but the paint chips and it rusts. Can i have them galvenized? if not what can i do ?

Andy

 

[Rick Murchison]

I stripped and repainted with clear epoxy.
Rick

 

[ninja]

HI ANdy,

The majority of tanks that are OMS that i've hydro tested or visualed have had a lot of rusting problems because of there finish..

I haven't heard of any fixes for them yet but i'm a bit concerned..We usually sand blast them and corrostop the insides and have em reapinted without heat!!

I would recommend selling them off and buying pressed steel..

As you already know they are hot dipped galvanized.. we have tanks in our rental department that are form the late 60's!!!

We've seen very few problems with these tanks!!

HOPE SOME ONE ELSE CAN BE OF MORE HELP!!
HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND


NINJA

 

[trymixdiver]

My OMS tanks were just hydro tested , i pick them up tomorrow. I dont know if they passes or were tumbled or what. They did have some exterior rust. Mainly from my bands, but i am conerned none the less. I will let you know tomorrow what they did to them.

Cant afford to buy new tanks right now, these need to last me another year.

I will boycott OMS if i have any problems with these tanks rusting on the inside or outside and being failed. I took great care with these tanks the 5 yrs i have had them. After all the OMS bands are what is rusting and marking my 112s. I like the tanks and hate the damn paint they have on them.

Andy

 

[Rick Murchison]

I believe OMS has a superior interior coating that resists rust much better than most, though a properly maintained tank of any brand will have very little interior rust. It is the exterior rust under the paint that's a problem - PST doesn't have this problem because of the hot-dip galvanization.
As I said, I stripped mine and painted 'em with clear epoxy so I can see the exterior surface - and any rust spots that start again under the paint.
I personally wouldn't junk 'em.
Rick

 

[Campana]

if not galvanized, spray them with cold galvanizing and paint them with tractor paint or rustoleum. What the hell, you can do it again in a year or two. I've got a red one and a real John Deere Green one. I guess I've got some Christmas Doubles.

Dave

 

[trymixdiver]

Thats what my dive buddy did to his. Had them spray galvinized and painted black.


Is this a better solution to the grey they are now?

Andy

 

[Rick Murchison]

Originally posted by Campana
if not galvanized, spray them with cold galvanizing and paint them with tractor paint or rustoleum. What the hell, you can do it again in a year or two. I've got a red one and a real John Deere Green one. I guess I've got some Christmas Doubles.

Dave

Is that IH Red?
Don't you know that in modern Scuba "Color Coordination" is the number one rule, Dave?
Christmas Doubles! I absolutely love it!
Rick

 

[devjr]

Trimix, a few stains doesn't qualify as a problem. The interior should be OK anyway.

In days of yore, I would have had the tanks blasted and metallized(flame sprayed), and then coated with CRC zinc cold galvo; alternately, electroplated with zinc and then sprayed. In the good ol' days, you could fly your tanks anywhere, no questions asked, and no damage or lost items either. I just carried mine to San Diego and had San Diego Sandblasting do the whole job for 15 bucks or so, each. The electroplating was done closer to home, near DC. Why the trouble? Mainly because the individual cylinders comprising my triple 40's could not be replaced. Then, also, if somebody wanted a like set I would liberate some 40 cf life raft CO2 tanks, cut off the external thread, tap the inside neck to 1/2 inch NPT, and plate the tanks. They usually passed hydro but not always. One kept spitting back water at the neck.

I doubt that people do that kind of stuff nowadays.

That's getting ahead of the story though. Let us know.

 

[trymixdiver]

Well the tanks came back and just needed Hydro. Unfortunately the new stamps they put in the tank will force me to touch up the paint.

I am just gonna touch them up and see how it goes. If they continue to rust on the exterior i will have them re painted. i am concrened about the bare metal by the new stamps, the paint was chippping off around the stamp pretty ez.

Andy