Issues stripping paint from Al40s

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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.
 
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. :shakehead:
 
SB,
Got a message from my buddy. He says he used Jasco stripper, and it worked well. Hope this helps.
Charlie
 
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.
 
There's absolutely no reason for Luxfer to paint their tanks with this stuff.
 
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.
 
Another satisfied TDL customer...

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

:wink:
 
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.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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