Painting tanks?

[SDAnderson]

Shop rules and PSI/PCI standards: Any cylinder that comes in freshly painted doesn't get filled until it passes hydro. Too many guys fooling around with tanks that should have been condemned, too many guys using heat to cure finishes, etc. Remember, when a cylinder explodes, 90% of the time its during filling. You may be OK with the risk but I want to go home at the end of the day, too.

If they hydro shop says it needs painting, have them do it - I've had it done many times, including bank bottles. It's not expensive, it will be done right and you'll minimize the aggravation. You'll also get a fresh hydro stamp out of the process.

 

[CPH]

I had my double tens shot blasted, polymer coated then powder coated then hydro tested and it was fine.
Cost me £10 per tank.

 

[Mark Derail]

How about taking the tank to a car bodyshop, and getting it chromed through electro-plating?
What a sight that would be.

 

[Ulfhedinn]

Do the alums have to have paint? I perfer the raw look of steels but I have two Alums for now.

 

[Ulfhedinn]

I will be picking up some used tanks today with anyluck. They will need to be hydro'd so I thought I might take the oppurtunity to have the paint removed and get them brushed or shotblasted? Any recomendations for a shop who can do this in the Inland Empire or close?

 

[NAM001]

i dont remember the exact numbers but aluminum is tempered at 200 and steel is 450 degrees. rexposure at those temps weakens the metal.

 

[Mitchell Teeters]

Are talking about tanks or cars here? I'm going to put zombie stickers on my tank to cover the scratches.

 

[boulderjohn]

Are talking about tanks or cars here? I'm going to put zombie stickers on my tank to cover the scratches.

And if I do the vis I will scrape off the stickers, as I am instructed to do, so I can measure the depths of those scratches.

 

[junebug]

I use a gel type, brush on stripper from any hardware store....removes 100% of paint to bare metal with little effort & no heat,grinding, sanding.
Quality primers and coatings are of course the wise choice, but many thin coats are always superior to a few thick ones. Fight the urge to recoat before totaly dry between.
All of the painted tanks I have, I painted this way, AL & Steel.
My $.02

 

[NAM001]

lots of interesting ideas. Question........ if i had a tank with a gouge in int,, lets say 1/2 way through the side. and i get it bondowed and repainted..... How is any inspector to tell that there is a dangerous gouge in the side of the tank? After all you are only allowed maybe .060 deep gouge. I would have to agree with an other poster . i would not condemn it because i would decline to do the anual for anyones repainted tank. I can tell you that some shops are actually removing all paint from thier rentals. Lastly any hydro shop that says i need to paint my tank will have to do a lot of convincing. After all they do vis's as part of the hydro process. no pass vis ,, no get hydro'd.