Another Tank question

[mitchy]

Has anyone airbrushed/painted a picture or something else on their tanks? If so, what is on them?

[CompuDude]

I've seen it done. More for props around the shop, though... the pretty, but delicate paint jobs don't last long when you start cranking down straps and other normal tanks treatment.

[fisheater]

Plus, some shops will fail a painted tank in VIP.

[cummings66]

They are within their rights to fail a tank that's been painted because they don't know how the paint was cured.

The inspection standards basically say that air dryed paint is the only acceptable paint on a tank, if in doubt you'll ship it off for hydro. But that's more for a tank that's been stripped and repainted.

Basically they just need the documentation it was done the right way, lacking that you're out of luck and it's going to cost you. I would assume that if a tank had a VIP sticker on the tank after it was painted that all would be well, but it would depend on many factors.

If you want it done I'd suggest contacting the dive shop who does your VIP's and talk with them and the air brush artist, get things right the first time, and in writing.

[JahJahwarrior]

Technically speaking, shops are also supposed to actually remove stickers to visually inspect tanks too. I have hardly ever seen a shop actually remove stickers. I got a tank hydroed just last week and put a duct tape strip on it with my name, what I wanted done (hydro, vip, fill) and the date I left it. That tape was still on in the same spot when I got the tank back. Neither the shop nor the hydro facility saw fit, apparently, to follow their "standards" and remove the sticker to check for corrosion.

Makes me want to buy a very pitted tank and put a sticker over the pits. Get it vipped, then in the store remove the sticker for them to see what they just let me get away with.


Also, I have seen some airbrushed tanks and the only word that came to mind was "stroke" and it come to mind very quickly and with other adjectives too And they weren't nice adjectives

Get a silver tank. End of story.

[cummings66]

That is why I want to get the course done where I'm going to be trained to do PSI tank inspections. I've seen way too many tanks that look like mobile billboards.

I wonder why the makers of tanks put their logo's on them? My Sherwood Genesis made by PST in the 80's still has the PST label, or parts of it at any rate still on it.

I myself pull the old VIP's off my tanks before the inspections, plus any other labels on it.