Issues stripping paint from Al40s

[mangrovejack]

I had two brand new Catalina tanks (AL80 and AL40) to strip the neon yellow from. I used some citrus-based paint stripper. I found that I had to leave the stripper on more than double the amount of time that they recommend to make a dent in the thick new paint. I only used a plastic scrapper at first but then turned to a metal one as the plastic just wasn't cutting it (no pun intended). After I managed to loosen some paint, I kept reapplying the stripper on the edges and let that sit for a while to further loosen more paint.

Basically you have to be patient with it and it will take a few hours this way, but there is no sanding involved or any other source of heat.

 

[dannobee]

Go to Home Depot or Loews and get a can of "Jasco Premium Paint & Epoxy Remover." Don't waste your time with the other crap.

Use one of the cheap brushes and some gloves.


.

 

[SparticleBrane]

Maybe I will do that. I caught a cold from a friend of mine a few days ago and I've been feeling like crap, so these tanks will have to wait until I'm not hating life.

 

[cwkline]

SB,
Got a message from my buddy. He says he used Jasco stripper, and it worked well. Hope this helps.
Charlie

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

I had a little aluminum 6 that I got used. it had been completely covered with VIP stickers (360degrees top to bottom) getting some of those off was hard and then the yellow epoxy paint under it was a nightmare. I had a glass bead blasting chamber so I plugged it and blasted away. I covered the whole tank with a newly blasted yellow finish cause the beads wouldn't cut through that stuff.

next step I tried soaking the tank in a bucket of MEK ( I had it around ) thinkin it would soften things up and make the blasting go better. let er' soak for a hour and still had no luck so I threw it in the bucket overnight.

in the end good old fashion scrapping took off 80% and the rest came off in the blast chamber but it took a long while.

I bet I had 2 1/2 hrs into bead blasting that thing.

I tried to chuck it up in the lathe and use a file to scrape the paint off to but that was a terrible idea.

it only cost like $40 so it was a good experiment. I would never do it again though, its easier to buy unfinished tanks and pay a few dollars more.

 

[Tamas]

are the new(er) tanks painted with epoxy paint?

 

[SparticleBrane]

There's absolutely no reason for Luxfer to paint their tanks with this stuff.

 

[WD8CDH]

I hope someone finds a stripper that really works. I want to remove the paint from a few tanks without removing the "ugly" (supernatural) gray heat treating finish below the paint that bead blasting will remove.

 

[Rainer]

Another satisfied TDL customer...

At least you didn't have to wait over a month for these to ship.

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

are the new(er) tanks painted with epoxy paint?

I shouldn't have said it was epoxy because I dont know for sure but that is what is felt/looked like. either way its thick and there is a definite base coat primer and a color coat and a top clear coat based on my tank. you could see the various layers peel away in the blast chamber.

The paint peeled off the tank with a razor just like I was peeling an apple, several times I got 6" long peelings and they would have been longer if I had not already screwed with the finish. $100 says I could get one continuous peeling from the neck to the base, thats like 24 inches. tought stuff for sure and totally uncalled for.