External rust, stripping & painting steel tanks

[Druid]

PUWDER COATING steel tanks any thoughts?

Don't do it.

The heat needed to powder coat a metal object will anneal the steel and soften it - not a property you want in a compressed air cylinder.

 

[FredT]

While I doubt the heat (generally 300-400°F for most polymers) applied would damage the steel druid's correct. ANY tank exposed to heat is DOA as far as the US DOT is concerned.

That same temp will permanetly kill the metal strength of an Aluminum bottle.

FT

 

[D-Diver]

Hi Guys,
OK, 1 more time here.. I bought a new pst E-7 and my local bodyman told me that as on newer cars the body panels
are hot dipped galvanized andproper cleaning and epoxy primer is all thats really necessary to paint the tank especially as it is new. No heat will be used.

I want paint!!! Unless of course there is a downside other
than I'll look like a newbie which I am. Can anyone ( especially the old salts...much respect here) give me a valid reason why I shouldn't do it? I've read the threads about
refinishing rusted tanks and looking like a newbie but somehow I've missed a single reason not to have the tank
properly painted!!! Or should I just try to get enough bottom time in that sponges and anemones start growing on it.... and I can pass 4 a hermit crab?

I plan on removing the boot regularly and paying close attention to the condition of the paint, and after paying over 2 grand in gear whats another 30 4 a hydro......So please help me out here with something other than the worn seasoned look is the way to go line. I wore starched utilities as a former US Marine 2....lol!!!
Thanks guys!!!!!!
D-Diver...Newbie OW

 

[captain]

Down side is that it will get scratched up no mater how careful you are. To me a scratched up paint job looks worse than the galvanize and adds no protection to the tank.

Captain

 

[Fireboat57]

D-Diver: you wanted a good reason to not paint your PST E-7's --- I wrote to PST and here is what they said:


Subject: Painting Steel scuba cylinders

I just purchased a couple of PST scuba cylinders and want to know what your stand is on painting them. I figure that since you built them you would be the ones to ask the question of.


Thanks - Toby

Original Message-----
From: Thomas Ivey/PST Scuba [mailto:t.ivey@verizon.net]
Sent: 30 January, 2004 8:55
Subject: RE: Painting Steel scuba cylinders



Painting will only cause you problems, our product is designed with a zinc coating only.



Best regards,

T.Ivey
Scuba Product Manager
E-mail: tivey@pressedsteel.com
Webstscuba.com

 

[jgarysmith]

Can you paint PST E series tanks. I know most serious divers love the dull gray finish they become, but I don't. Personally I like the finish of OMS Painted tanks. I just want Prefer the smaller HP size. Anybody done this or know about painting them. How hard is it? Thanks :dazzler1:

 

[SDAnderson]

Hot dip galvanized surfaces which are intended to be the final finish (i.e., Pressed Steel Tanks) have a treatment which paint does not very well adhere to. Google "painting galvanized surfaces" for about a million relevant hits.

It's not that people necessarily love the matte galvanized finish, however in the battle between form and function, many will choose the latter. There isn't much of a middle ground, unfortunately.

 

[FrankT]

What stripper would be safe to use on a PST tank that someone painted a light coat on with a can of spray paint? I tried some MEK on a rag, and it works, but seems like a stripper would be faster and do a better job.

 

[Ben_ca]

You were right, it was primer. I thought I was going to get off easy with this one, because the paint came right off. But now the primer is coming off VERY slowly with the stripper. I haven't tried using a wire brush or anything else, I guess I'm too worried about taking too much off. There's a pretty good galvanized coating underneath, and I don't want to mess it up. I wish whoever painted it in the first place would have left it alone.

Sorry to revive an old thread but I think I have the same thing as northcoastdiver.

The top orange layer was a rubberized coating that peeled off relatively easily... then there is some white powder corrosion and then seems like another layer... primer maybe? some of it flaked off near the hydro stamp. Could it be a galvanizing coat? The corrosion under the orange rubber paint/covering is white and not rust so that makes me think it's something like that. Besides the parts that have flaked off near the hydro stamp it is pretty much intact so maybe a ZRC touch up?

Thanks in advance,

Ben

http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/34188/cat/533

http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/34187

http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/34186

Can't seem to embed the pictures sorry

 

[FredT]

That tank is hot dipped, with adhesion failure at the stamp. Wire brush the stamp and ZRC coat the area a couple of times.

FT