Hello,Anyone equipment specialist or have experience in repair dive tanks?Please share a little bit of your knowledge on what tools to use, how to do it. Really need help. I know a little bit on how to repair tanks, experience from previous working place. I can solve common problem but the tools to use im not really sure the name and size. Im still new here, maybe thread about tank repair and service someone already open before. Please give me the link or if no one discuss about this please help me.Thank you so much
Tank Repair And Service.. HELP!
- Thread starter MiE
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84CJ7
Contributor
Tank valves can be serviced, but the short answer is there is absolutely nothing you can do to repair a scuba tank for reasons of metallurgy and heat treating.
dumpsterDiver
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Unless you wanted to tumble the tank, brush the tank, repaint the tank, clean up the threads or the valve seat.. or maybe clean the tank for oxygen use..
bradells
Contributor
I'll bite,
Have an AL tank that's painted (and flaking off). What's the best way to remove it?
BRad
bakodiver391
Contributor
The official answer is that you cannot use any method that removes any parent metal from the tank, to retain the DOT certification. The real world solution is to use a razor paint scraper and then a palm sander with around 80 grit sandpaper, but you didn't read it here. To the OP, Global Scuba supply has bottom brushes, abrasive whips, and neck thread wire brushes to clean up the inside of the tank. Trident has a tool that cleans up the tank neck O-ring mating surface. I made my own and just buy their abrasive discs for the reseating tool. There is a lot that can be done to return an unservicable tank to service, provided the tank manufacturer's and gov't regulations are followed.
84CJ7
Contributor
If we are talking about refinishing rather than repairing tanks that is a different conversation.
Aircraft stripper was designed specifically to remove durable aircraft paint without damaging the thin delicate sheets of aluminum underneath the paint. I would imagine it works just as well on anything painted though I don't know how it would behave on a galvanized surface.
As for recoating the only real rule is you can't use anything that has to be baked to cure or requires heating the tank up like powder coating. Some shops are anal enough to get difficult if a tank has been recoated at all, especially if it hasn't been hydro tested since the recoating so I would suggest doing it beforehand.
I had my steel tanks internally shot blasted to remove rust some light rust speckles at the hydro tester the last time around. I don't plan to do anything to the paint over galvanized (faber) exterior even though they are fairly beat up though we were told you can scuff off any exterior rust and use rustoleum spray paint for touch up by the manufacturer.
Aircraft stripper was designed specifically to remove durable aircraft paint without damaging the thin delicate sheets of aluminum underneath the paint. I would imagine it works just as well on anything painted though I don't know how it would behave on a galvanized surface.
As for recoating the only real rule is you can't use anything that has to be baked to cure or requires heating the tank up like powder coating. Some shops are anal enough to get difficult if a tank has been recoated at all, especially if it hasn't been hydro tested since the recoating so I would suggest doing it beforehand.
I had my steel tanks internally shot blasted to remove rust some light rust speckles at the hydro tester the last time around. I don't plan to do anything to the paint over galvanized (faber) exterior even though they are fairly beat up though we were told you can scuff off any exterior rust and use rustoleum spray paint for touch up by the manufacturer.
oldschoolto
Contributor
Don't waste your time painting over a galvanized tank... The paint will bubble at hydro.... 
Aircraft stripper works really well... Cover with plastic wrap to do the best / fastest job.... You can use a rust converter to stop further rusting under the primer...
jim...
Aircraft stripper works really well... Cover with plastic wrap to do the best / fastest job.... You can use a rust converter to stop further rusting under the primer... jim...
halocline
Contributor
Just use paint stripper, the paste stuff that is based on methylene chloride. Wear gloves and safety glasses!! This stuff is safe for aluminum but very nasty on skin and eyes. You will probably need several applications. Once all the paint is off, you could buff it with very fine sandpaper.
As mentioned, use a chemical stripper. I found that a plastic putty knife soon forms to the radius of the cylinder and is quite effective. Once cleaned and rinsed leave it be. If there is crusty scale you ca knock it off butr don;t in any way try to belend anything down to a uniform surface.
Repeat.. Don't waste time and money trying to paint wrap or otherwise cover the thing. It's futile, aunaturale is a timeless finish is the lowest possible maintenance and safest for the cylinder. This applies to aluminum and hot dipped galvanized cylinders.
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