Paint Removal

[Teller]

Any good ideas on how to remove paint off of AL cylinders so I can repaint them. I was planning on using rustoleum paint. Is there a better option.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I would sand blast or bead blast, it cleans and gives you a good surface for the paint to bond to.
Even then, I would consider just using a clear coat so that if you get chips and nicks in the finish it is hardly visible.

 

[Teller]

What about sand paper or a chemical remover?

 

[Scared Silly]

If you do a search there are multiple threads on this subject. Most techniques will work but sanding is not recommended.

 

[spectrum]

I used chemical stripper with a plastic putty knife. The knife soon wears to match the cylinder radius and works real well. Rinse and call it good.

Painting is a waste of time. As soon as you have a blemish you'll be trapping more corrosives.

Natural aluminum is timeless and easy maintenance.

Pete

 

[Rich Keller]

Has anyone ever tried a pressure washer?

 

[chrpai]

I stripped two tanks this past summer. Technically you are supposed to use a non-caustic stripper (marine gel stripper) but I used the stuff mentioned in a thread around here and it worked out well.

Paint them? Nah. But, I do need more tanks so if you want to sell me your ugly tanks and buy pretty new painted tanks, let's talk. I still have some stripper left.

 

[Teller]

I stripped two tanks this past summer. Technically you are supposed to use a non-caustic stripper (marine gel stripper) but I used the stuff mentioned in a thread around here and it worked out well.

Paint them? Nah. But, I do need more tanks so if you want to sell me your ugly tanks and buy pretty new painted tanks, let's talk. I still have some stripper left.

I prefer no paint myself but I picked up some tanks cheap and want to resell them. Pretty paint sells.

 

[KD8NPB]

Rustoleum chips like crazy and takes about 3 days to dry. Just a heads up.

I refinished my LP72s in safety yellow...sprayed on with a Harbor Freight HVLP gun, thinned with acetone. I sprayed on some etching primer first.

As said, took forever to dry.

 

[w ripley]

The best chemical stripper several of us have found is the stuff used to remove paint from airplanes. You can buy the spay cans at many paint stores, especially the ones that carry a good line of automotive products. I've used it on alum & steel tanks with the same good results. It's the only stuff I've found that really takes it off, reapplying when a stubborn area needs it.

Good luck with the paint. I've tried a lot of different stuff and nothing really works if you are hitting the tanks against anything like rock ceilings in caves. I've even tried the truck-bed liner that you can buy in a can for those areas, but it's only a temp. fix. I use Rustoleum these days, and just apply touch ups when an area starts to get beat up, hitting the area with a wire brush or sandpaper.