paint stripping

[loki00]

I have a luxfer aluminum that was half stripped when I bought it from a FL dive shop on ebay.

My question is how do I safely finish the stripping process? I saw an older thread about steel tanks, but I don't want to damage the aluminum. I don't have a compressor or blasting equipment so it must be a chemical stripper. What do I use?

Also, the refinishing, what type of paint should I use? would it be safe to anodized it? I also play / work on paintball equipment and all of my PB equipment I ano.

thanks all,

Jeff

 

[teknitroxdiver]

Aircraft aluminum stripper works great. Put it on, the paint bubbles up, finish with what the directions say, and rinse.

 

[loki00]

Aircraft aluminum stripper works great. Put it on, the paint bubbles up, finish with what the directions say, and rinse.

where would I be able to pick that sort of item up? thanks.

btw- can you pressure test kittens?

 

[ScubaBabe22]

where would I be able to pick that sort of item up? thanks.

btw- can you pressure test kittens?

NO! You cannnot pressure test kittens!!! :11:

 

[teknitroxdiver]

where would I be able to pick that sort of item up? thanks.

btw- can you pressure test kittens?

You can get it from AutoZone most likely...It'll be in a spray can. One brand I know of has an airplane on the front and says Aircraft Coating Remover, that's the stuff.

As for the kittens.....it gets a little messy, so it's not advisable.

 

[teknitroxdiver]

Oh yeah...forgot some important stuff:

Take your 'good' valve off of it and put an old one in, or at least one of those plastic dust caps that comes in them. The paint should bubble up right away and come off in sheets. After it does, put another quick coat on, wait 5 minutes, and rinse with a water hose. Unfortunately Luxfer uses pretty good paint, compared to Catalina, so since yours are Luxfers you may have to scrape the paint off a bit. After you get it all off and rinsed again, lightly sand the whole thing with 600-grit sandpaper.

 

[mike_s]

Aircraft aluminum stripper works great. Put it on, the paint bubbles up, finish with what the directions say, and rinse.

"Aircraft Stripper" works great on stripping paint off aluminum.
(though I've not used it on scuba tanks before though)

I bought mine at Wal-mart and it was in the automotive section (not the hardware/paint section).


A small warning about it. Read the instructions on this one.
Wear rubber dish gloves and goggles. I've got "tough skin"
but this stuff irrated my skin bad. Also getting overspray in
your eyes "really hurts" also.

Simply spray on, the paint will bubble up, wait a few more seconds
and wipe off with paper towels.

the most important part, when you are done, clean the tank very
thoroughly with water to "netrualize" the stripper. Otherwise the
reside that is left on the surface will corrode the aluminum.
(Yes aluminum will corrode). Cleaning with soapy water like you
do when you wash your car will work fine.

The reason I say this is important is that you don't want the tank
to "pit" and corrode when you are filling it to 3000psi.


Hope that all helps.

-mike

 

[loki00]

Thanks for the advice, gentlemen.

I'm going to go pick some up tonight and give it a shot.

now, about the anodizing thought, will it work? My experience with anodizing says I can do it, I just have to increase the size of my vat. the only question is will it do anything to the tank that makes it ill-advised to fill to 3k again?

Tank specialists, help me out.
Ano'ing basics are electrical current is passed through an electrolyte bath in which the aluminum has been immersed. The anodize film is built from the aluminum itself, not applied. It is a hard and porous honeycomb film. The coating thickness may be tightly controlled, based on the end use product. The hardness is comparable to a sapphire.

This is where I get a funny feeling about it. If the tank requires even minimal expansion, the anodizing process will definitely inhibit this, where I see a potential for problems.

ideas?

J

 

[teknitroxdiver]

Also....you'll need to get it re-VIP'd after you strip it, since obviously the sticker will come off with the paint.

 

[SDAnderson]

Thanks for the advice, gentlemen.

I'm going to go pick some up tonight and give it a shot.

now, about the anodizing thought, will it work? My experience with anodizing says I can do it, I just have to increase the size of my vat. the only question is will it do anything to the tank that makes it ill-advised to fill to 3k again?

Tank specialists, help me out.
Ano'ing basics are electrical current is passed through an electrolyte bath in which the aluminum has been immersed. The anodize film is built from the aluminum itself, not applied. It is a hard and porous honeycomb film. The coating thickness may be tightly controlled, based on the end use product. The hardness is comparable to a sapphire.

This is where I get a funny feeling about it. If the tank requires even minimal expansion, the anodizing process will definitely inhibit this, where I see a potential for problems.

ideas?

J

Tanks definitely expand and contract with every use - the value of that expansion is exactly what the five-year hydrostatic test measures. Painting tanks is a PITA for limited gain and there are substantial hazards - heat can damage the temper, chemicals can damage the alloy, abrasion can damage the structural integrity...you need the tools and the knowledge, both of which are expensive.

Personally, unless you have easy access to a shop, I'd dump the tank. With a shop, I'd finish the strip job, shot blast for appearance, have the tank hydro-tested and call it a day. Nothing wrong with an aluminum colored tank.