Removing paint?

[KGNickl]

What is the best type of material to remove old paint from tanks? I have (2) steel 72 cu ft. tanks that are doubled and it looks like the bands and tanks where coated w/ cheap white paint (like something you would paint your house with). The paint can almost be chipped away and is literally falling off most of the tank. Luckily it looks like the tanks where just painted and not prepped for proper adhesion. Also under really hot water the paint even starts to dissolve or melt.

Basically I want to remove the paint from the tanks and bands, but not damage the galvanized coating on the tanks if possible. I just don't know what type of thinner, stripper, etc... does or does not damage galvanized coating.

 

[skdvr]

NOTHING!!!!

They are junk.... I will come by and pick them up and dispose of them for ya so you do not have to bother with them....

Wish I knew, but I am sure someone will be able to help out with this...

Phil

 

[Charged]

Ive never done it, but my assumption would be to consider soda-blasting them. Essentially, this is a form of sand-blasting, however, soda-blasting uses baking-soda (sodium bicarbonate) as the media instead of sand or some of the other various medias available. This particular media is not going to damage your steel, is non-toxic, water-soluble...and effective. Google the term for more info.

I would however, being that this is life-support equipment and not some guys fender off a '65 Mustang, I would contact a tank manufacturer and ask their opinion as well...just to make sure.

The only concern I would have would be contaminating the inside of your equipment with stray media. I would be surgically clean with ANY form of media blasting on SCUBA equipment. Be sure you cover up the manifold. And clean up the mess before you uncover the manifold.

 

[DoubleHoseDiver]

I just did a set and went to Homedepot and bought a spray gel called green something ( not simple green) and sprayed it on and left it for 1 hour and wiped the old paint off! Cleanup was easy...water. I'll try to find the name for you, but really easy. Tim

 

[Charged]

...a spray gel called green something ( not simple green)...

Would it have been Mean Green ?

 

[DoubleHoseDiver]

The product was Jasco Green Strip. Spray on wait 1 hour and wipe off. A couple areas I did use 0000 steel wool to remove some stubborn areas, but all in all VERY EASY. Just follow the directions. Tim

 

[JBRES1]

I am in the process of re doing a set of LP98's. Faber's/OMS)
First I went to my local auto parts store and purchased 2 qts. of airplane stripper.
I put the stripper on and let it sit for 1 hour, then used a scraper to remove the paint.
Klean-Strip QAR777 Low Odor Aircraft Stripper Quart - 6/case
I then took my tanks to a friends shop and blasted them with a sand blaster ( glass shot). (Faber uses a spray galv. , not a hot dip)
Then I sprayed them with ZRC cold galv. spray (3 coats) (Next time I will roll it on. Alot of spray lost in the air, ended up as dust on the floor)
ZRC - ZRC Cold Galvanizing Compound (purchased direct from ZRC)
Then I put one coat of APPLIANCE EPOXY SPRAY from Rust-oleum (home Depot)
RustOleum.com
This week I will do a light sanding of the first coat, put on a second coat, wait 1 week and put on a clear coat.
RustOleum.com
After all this I will take them in for a new hydro, then o2 clean them so I am ready for the spring.

Jim Breslin

 

[EastEndDiver]

Someone mentioned using steel wool a better solution to steel wool would be Bronze wool ,reason being some of the steel "fibers" from steel wool will become imbedded in the finish and can/will rust on contact with water Using Bronze wool will eliminate the rusting problem (Bronze does not rust that is why it is used in through hull fittings in marine applications).Bronze wool can be found in any marine supply store.

 

[captain]

Someone mentioned using steel wool a better solution to steel wool would be Bronze wool ,reason being some of the steel "fibers" from steel wool will become imbedded in the finish and can/will rust on contact with water Using Bronze wool will eliminate the rusting problem (Bronze does not rust that is why it is used in through hull fittings in marine applications).Bronze wool can be found in any marine supply store.

You can get stainless steel scrubbing pads at the local supermarket. This isn't rocket science, any paint remover will more than likely remove the 40 year old paint that is already flaking.

 

[Gilldiver]

I never recommend blasting of a tank as it will remove some of the galvanizing on steel tanks or oxide coating on aluminum tanks. These coatings are the main anti-corrosion protection for the tank.

Use a jell type paint stripper that has methanol and/or methylene Chloride and strip them outside. These strippers will not harm the protective coatings on any tank. These strippers will also work on the heavy vinyl type coating that is found on some 1970's USD tanks.

Always use good thick rubber gloves, old clothing and some type of eye protection

Do not use any caustic or paste "Green" strippers like those that need a paper backing. The caustic will etch the galvanizing and aluminum of the tanks.

Once you are done, touch up any bare spots and the hydro stamps with a good metal primer or even a hard paste wax.