Tank tumbling hell.

[Thate]

I use a tank whip..only, and N ir gun to remove all particles. This has worked for me year after year.
After hydro.s i always have flash rust in my tanks, i plan to whip then asap.

 

[rddvet]

Years ago an old hydro guy told me to put a quart (or whatever the standard size is) of 91% alcohol into the tank and tumble it. Dump the alcohol and dry out with air. It works well.

 

[Jimchris]

I've had great success wet tumbling with a solution of blue gold. Followed by a hot rinse and air dry, never seem to have issues with flash rust.

 

[cshannon]

:UPDATE:

I couldn't leave well enough alone. Went to the store and got isopropyl alcohol and distilled water while I put my tanks back on the tumbler.


:ROUND 6:

While tumbling heat up distilled water in microwave. Fill 5 gallon bucket.

Make a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water with 1 gallon of hot water. Set aside.

Empty tank of media and rinse using tank rack.

Turn back right side up and fill with 5 gallons of hot distilled water. Cap and swish around to heat the entire tank, then drain.

Pour isopropyl alcohol mixture into tank and drain immediately. Stick cut off low pressure hose into tank and blast for 15-20 seconds.

View attachment 623853

It worked perfectly, My tanks are now beautiful inside.

Thanks for everyone's help. I'm going to sleep great tonight.

I’m in the same hell you were with my Worthington HP steel 119’s... I packed up after round 5 and am on the couch reading this.

On your successful try with alcohol, did you wet tumble with aluminum ox and simple green then rinse as you described here?

thanks for posting this!

 

[Wookie]

Excuse my ignorance but does flash rust require tumbling?

Not in my book. I would never spend the time or angst to combat a little flash rust.

 

[bakodiver391]

A guy who has been through all the applicable courses told me to rinse with acetone immediately after the water rinse and blow dry with high volume scuba grade air, (I use a long open ended regulator hose from a 1st stage and tank) until there is no more smell. He claimed acetone was the the only solvent that would evaporate 100%, leaving no residue or smell, and my experience over a hundred or so tanks tends to confirm this. I had a hard time getting rid of alcohol smell before switching to acetone. Just make sure to blow out with air until all traces of acetone are gone, and then a couple of minutes more.

 

[nadwidny]

A guy who has been through all the applicable courses told me to rinse with acetone immediately after the water rinse and blow dry with high volume scuba grade air, (I use a long open ended regulator hose from a 1st stage and tank) until there is no more smell. He claimed acetone was the the only solvent that would evaporate 100%, leaving no residue or smell, and my experience over a hundred or so tanks tends to confirm this. I had a hard time getting rid of alcohol smell before switching to acetone. Just make sure to blow out with air until all traces of acetone are gone, and then a couple of minutes more.

As someone who worked in a lab testing breathing air this is bull...Acetone will be there. You won't smell it but it will be there.

 

[bakodiver391]

A

As someone who worked in a lab testing breathing air this is bull...Acetone will be there. You won't smell it but it will be there.

And alcohol won't? As I stated, it is MUCH easier to get rid of the acetone smell than alcohol.

 

[bakodiver391]

I did some reading and per Wikipedia, "Acetone leaves a small amount of residue on a surface when dried", so my buddy and his well known instructor were wrong. EPA does not consider acetone to be toxic and it is produced in the body and contained in many consumer goods. Based on this I would not use acetone in SCUBA tanks, nor would I use alcohol, so back to the question "How do we stop flash rusting in steel tanks?"
We all know alcohol is toxic, although some single malt Scotch whiskeys appear to be less toxic than other forms of alcohol. More field study is required.

 

[rjack321]

I did some reading and per Wikipedia, "Acetone leaves a small amount of residue on a surface when dried", so my buddy and his well known instructor were wrong. EPA does not consider acetone to be toxic and it is produced in the body and contained in many consumer goods. Based on this I would not use acetone in SCUBA tanks, nor would I use alcohol, so back to the question "How do we stop flash rusting in steel tanks?"
We all know alcohol is toxic, although some single malt Scotch whiskeys appear to be less toxic than other forms of alcohol. More field study is required.

I only dry with scuba air after rinsing out the tank with the hottest water I have until the metal is quite warm. In almost 20 years I have never had a flash rusting issue. You can use nitrogen to dry the tank if you really want - its crazy dry.

Acetone is not highly toxic, but the fact that you need it suggests you're doing something else wrong. Hydro shops do 100s of steel O2 cylinders a month and there's no acetone or alcohol involved.