Touch up paint for AL tanks

[do it easy]

I have a razor thin nick that goes partly around my AL14. Some moron used it as a jig to cut his drysuit seal. I even put some paper between to prevent cutting the paint, but I used a little too much pressure with the razor in some spots.

Anyhow, I was wondering what people would recommend for some touch up paint- it's a painted Luxfer AL14. I was thinking either a thin smear of epoxy or polyurathane of some sort, but I didn't know if this would bond to the paint or interfere with stripping the tank later on.

I'm not terrible concerned about the nick- it isn't deep and I dive in fresh water, but fixing it will help me sleep at night. Otherwise, I'll have nightmares of water creeping under the paint. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Hoosier]

I have a razor thin nick that goes partly around my AL14. Some moron used it as a jig to cut his drysuit seal. I even put some paper between to prevent cutting the paint, but I used a little too much pressure with the razor in some spots.

Anyhow, I was wondering what people would recommend for some touch up paint- it's a painted Luxfer AL14. I was thinking either a thin smear of epoxy or polyurathane of some sort, but I didn't know if this would bond to the paint or interfere with stripping the tank later on.

I'm not terrible concerned about the nick- it isn't deep and I dive in fresh water, but fixing it will help me sleep at night. Otherwise, I'll have nightmares of water creeping under the paint. Thanks for any suggestions.

Put some paint (only need to prevent some rust on the exposed area) and then your dive shop sticker on.... Now you can sleep without any concerns.

BEEN THERE DONE THAT. It works very well.

 

[double80s]

Better yet, get a jug of Jasco stripper and get rid of that pesty paint. Chicks dig bare AL.

 

[do it easy]

It's a brand new tank, so I wanted to leave the factory paint intact for at least a few years before I stripped it.

Hoosier- what kind of paint did you have in mind?

 

[MSilvia]

Otherwise, I'll have nightmares of water creeping under the paint.

Creeping under the paint and doing what? I put some touch-up paint on one of my tanks once, and when I brought it in for the next vis, I was told the paint would have to be stripped off to check that it wasn't concealing damage. I'd say leave it... if you're having trouble sleeping, try counting sheep.

 

[oxyhacker]

No paint that you can apply yourself at home is going to match the original paint, in durability or adhesion. And even to do a decent job using readily available products you are going to spend more than it is worth because you'll need a teaspoon each of 3 or 4 products that are only sold by the pint+.

So whatever you put on will be 90% just cosmetic. That being the case, just about any decent oil based paint will do just fine - my first choice would be auto touch up paint, the stuff in those little brush-top bottles, and if I couldn't find what I wanted it that I'd check out sign painters paint, enamels from the paint store, or those little bottles of model paint sold in hardware stores - anything that comes in small containers and is the right color. If the paint is thick, thin it and apply several coats and you will get a smoother finish.

Prep is probably more important than the paint you use. The thing about painting alu which makes it tricky is that it oxidizes so quickly that if you sand it and paint it you aren't really applying the paint to the aluminum, but to the layer of aluminum oxide that has magically appeared. So to do a good job you got to convert that layer into something more stable, using an acid conversion coating. So you got a choice of removing all the oxidation you can with sandpaper or a tiny wire brush, and swiping the bare metal with a Q-tip of alodine, alumaprep or similar conversion coating or primer-etchant, or just cleaning it up best you can and slapping some paint on and hoping it will hold up for a while and can always be retouched if it doesn't. My vote would be for the latter.
Oxidation of aluminum is to a degree self-limiting, so it doesn't creep under paint as badly as rust does on steel, so many people just ignore it. Which isn't to say it doesn't happen, just that is much less likely to harm the tank.

 

[WVDiver]

Leave the battle scars, it gives it character.

 

[Sideband]

Tape it off 1/4 inch above and below the cut all the way around the tank. Whatever paint type you decide to use, choose a contrasting color. This will give you a nice 1/2 inch ring. It will make your tank very easy to spot.

Joe

 

[Hoosier]

It's a brand new tank, so I wanted to leave the factory paint intact for at least a few years before I stripped it.

Hoosier- what kind of paint did you have in mind?

Oops. Oxyhacker already gave a full insight.

I just used to the ordinary touch up paint from Wally-world or Auto zone. If the exposed area is a simple strait line, you can use the touch up paint strip (like a bar or stick) that is a darn good for the line because it gives a clean shot unlike a touch up brush. An enamel can be a good alternative option becaseu it is also very widely used in the body shop. Like I said, after then, put some stickers (whatever you want) on it. Worry free!

 

[RonFrank]

I would recommend leaving it alone. Alum does not rust easily. A LOT of AL tanks are not painted at all.

If it's really bothering you, my suggestion is to strip the paint off the tank. I also liked the sticker idea.. out of sight, out of mind.

In any event, I'd be unconcerned that your paint issue will compromise the tank, it will not.