Painting steel tank

[Wayward Son]

galvanized tanks always look about the same. Painted tanks get beat to hell over time...

 

[aviator1243]

Amen Brother,

That's what I dive with, all the decals etc. Love my LP 72's

 

[Gilldiver]

I know.. the coating is 70% zinc...the epoxy resin used to hold it together acts as a reaction rate reducer (resistor if you will) that slows the galvanic reaction rate.

The product was invented for coating transformers used in south florida.. where high heat, salt air and large temperature swings cause normal coating to fail, including galvinized, with a powder coating topcoat. We tested both hot and cold zinc, and while it did great for the first 2,000 hours, after that, the zinc was gone.

We tested out to 4,500 hours (for those that don't keep track of this sort of thing.. that is roughly 9 months.. and you do get a red line at something pass 3,500 hours.

I will bet several million motors have been coated with this process.

Note: I would feel bad about making the above post for being a bit too technical, but I am just responding to Gilldiver's Mil spec post.

Note2: Chromated epoxies don't go 500 hours without some rust on the scribe line.

Note3: The worst salt water corrosion is cause by salt exposure in air... the under water part is easy.

I do a lot of aircraft aluminum and steel corrosion testing at Sikorsky aircraft. What we are seeing is that there is not a real good corresponding between B117 and the real world, but it is good for comparisons between coatings. Only beach exposure at Kennedy seems to be reproducible to the world at large.

We are also do a lot of SO2 salt fog to simulate shipboard decks with stack gas. Its a whole nother world once you add the H2SO4 to the mix.

 

[mksmith713]

Powder coating wouldn't be a great idea.
Requires baking it.
Not good for your tank.

 

[Puffer Fish]

Powder coating wouldn't be a great idea.
Requires baking it.
Not good for your tank.

High temperature IR... does not heat the tank.

 

[WD8CDH]

High temperature IR... does not heat the tank.

Yes, but the dive shop thinks it does.:depressed:

 

[The Kraken]

Personally, I think the battle scarred patina of a steel tank is much more desirable . . .
. . . has that, "Been there . . . done that" look.

the K

 

[WD8CDH]

I wouldn't paint a galvanized tank (except for a vintage restoration) but I would paint an ungalvanized tank.

 

[WD8CDH]

I have a VERY hard time carrying a tank because of my rheumatoid and it's weight. My instructor advice me to buy a hp steel 80's. They are not very good looking. Can they be painted and how???

Hi Stinggirl,

What tank did you decide on?

 

[Leadking]

Note3: The worst salt water corrosion is cause by salt exposure in air... the under water part is easy.

You point out what most do not understand; salt on the surface attracts moisture from the air, and with unlimited exposure to O2....