Painting

[chicken]

I picked up three AL80's from a dive shop going out of business for $25 each. The oldest tank born on date is 1996 and all of the tanks have current hydro's and vis inspections. The problem is the color. They are ugly and have been tossed around the rental fleet for a few years.

What can I safely use to strip the paint and what can I use as a clearcoat protectant?

[rayaa3]

wow, nice price. I don't own my own tanks, as little as I dive locally (8 tanks a year) It's cheaper to just rent them for 10 bucks a weekend.

I've seen this painting question come up before, and I just don't get it...I think ugly tanks have 'character'.

At any rate - this was the last time I saw this thread come up...

Can you paint a tank???

I glanced through it, not sure if you'll find exactly what you are looking for. Looks like some safety issues.

I also seem to remember Leisure Pro selling what I can only call 'tank covers' in different neat designs if you really hate the look of your tanks.

but like I said...torn up tanks have character

Ray

[rayaa3]

http://www.leisurepro.com/Catalog.aspx?op=BrandDisplay&BrandName=Scuba%20Hid es

those tank covers I mentioned...actually kinda neat you'll be an easy buddy to spot in a group (not that big of a deal in Oklahoma, you lose your buddy from more than 4 ft away anyway).

Ray

[emt]

Good seeing you chicken...I still think about that nice warm spot to run under the chair & get some free gas in the winter to stay warm, picture. It also blocked the sun sooo much in the summer for the little chicken...

Gotta put a similar old joke in:
A little bird was flying south for the winter. It got so cold it froze up and fell to the ground in a large field.

While it was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on it. As it lay there in the pile of cow dung, it began to realize how warm it was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.

A passing cat heard the little bird singing, and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out-and then ate him.

The morals of the story are:

1. Not everyone who drops **** on you is your enemy.

2. Not everyone who gets you out of **** is your friend.

3. When you're in deep ****, keep your mouth shut!

[Vercingetorix]

I'm looking for covers like:

[FishFood]

To remove the old paint Luxfer recommends blasting with plastic or glass.

Or you could just pick up a can of 'Aircraft Remover' and some sand paper.



As for a clear coat.... why would you want to put a clear coat 'protectant' on aluminum?

[rayaa3]

Originally Posted by Vercingetorix

I'm looking for covers like:

Never really had a thing for blondes. Besides my dive buddy (wife) wouldn't share air in a OOA emergency until I dropped the tank. I'de be down there frantically drawing my hand across my throat to indicate OOA...and she'd be there, smiling warm and lovingly, giving me the finger.

[adambayam]

Originally Posted by rayaa3

Never really had a thing for blondes. Besides my dive buddy (wife) wouldn't share air in a OOA emergency until I dropped the tank. I'de be down there frantically drawing my hand across my throat to indicate OOA...and she'd be there, smiling warm and lovingly, giving me the finger.

As already mentioned Leisure Pro has an assortment of tank covers or tank hides. The graphics are printed polyethelyne, which is placed on the tank without any adhesive. Then, shrink-wrap sleeve is slid over the tank and heat shrunk with a normal hairdryer. Because the graphics are printed on the inside of the label, nothing will rub off. The covers do not cover either the hydro stamp or visual inspection sticker.

A great way to personalize your dive outfit!

Ray might I suggest the Matthew Mcconaughey:

[Tassie Diver]

I've done my tanks with varied success. For removal, try a citrus-based paint stripper and a scraper. Then start with coarse wet and dry sandpaper, progressing to finer.

For painting the aluminium tanks, I used an etch-primer and it worked a treat. But the top coat I put on (a brand name enamel) is leaving a yellow trail wherever it goes!

On my steel tanks I followed the same procedure, but used a zinc-rich, gloss top coat. This is holding up well.

I've also seen aluminium tanks sprayed with a clear lacquer.

[cummings66]

I should have read this thread before, don't use sandpaper. The object is to remove the paint not metal.

If a person really wants to do it, Luxfer and Catalina both have instructions on how to strip and repaint their brand cylinder on their webpage. In short, paint stripper safe on al and paint which isn't heat cured. Stripper is the primary method of paint removal because it doesn't damage the metal. They have said certain types of media blasting is OK but not preferred.