Topic: removing factory paint from gas tank

[Geeto67]

if the tank is rusty inside I usually have my local radiator shop boil it out. The Merc acid strips all the paint off it in the process. If you have good insides on your tank I don't recommend this as it will strip the factory coating right off.

[pelicanwheel]

wow...two pages of posts and I don't think anyone mentioned going down to your local sandblaster or powder coater (they have blasting booths) and having it done there.  I've done it twice, once in Chicago and in Phoenix.  Both times it cost $10.00 and took 10 minutes.  I'm all for saving money, but I think stripper and supplies could cost $10.00, but don't forget the cost of inadvertenly inhaled fumes to your body.

Pelican

[Steve F]

wow...two pages of posts and I don't think anyone mentioned going down to your local sandblaster or powder coater (they have blasting booths) and having it done there.  I've done it twice, once in Chicago and in Phoenix.  Both times it cost $10.00 and took 10 minutes.  I'm all for saving money, but I think stripper and supplies could cost $10.00, but don't forget the cost of inadvertenly inhaled fumes to your body.

Pelican

Um......look up 4 posts prior.    But yes, sandblasting is easy to do, no toxic substances, and you have to buy something else to get high.  Mot to mention, sandblasting (glass beading) reveals all kinds of things that may need attention....like pin holes.

[Zane]

Is there any danger glass bead blasting can be too aggressive?  Like, can it take off some metal and put the integrity of the fuel tank at risk?

I'd love to do my spare 400F tank by blasting it, but I'm nervous about making the metal too thin in places.

Cheers,

Zane

[Steve F]

Is there any danger glass bead blasting can be too aggressive?  Like, can it take off some metal and put the integrity of the fuel tank at risk?

I'd love to do my spare 400F tank by blasting it, but I'm nervous about making the metal too thin in places.

Cheers,

Zane

Glass bead blasting is very gentle, especially at lower pressures.  Better yet would be plastic media blasting.  The stuff is used on fiberglass and really thin aluminum too.  If you DO go with the glass bead blasting, or someone else is doing it for you, caution them to keep the pressure light, and not to blast straight at the metal (right angles) as this may cause heat and slight distortion.

[ProTeal55]

I use brake fluid and good ol' sandpaper to strip tanks (works really well).
Alittle degreaser after all is done, and paint the thing...

[drlarryw]

BobbyR.....I may regret asking, but what is "chelation"?  My observations support your knowledge that the molasses binds to the rust, as the effluent that poured out of my tank was, well, rusty molasses!  Mmmmm.
Larry

[pdrides]

yup, the zip strip works great. I've used it a few times. Spray it on and walk away for about 15-20 mins., then use a plastic putty knife to scrape it off.  Wipe the whole thing down w/de-natured alcohol then go after it with some steel wool or something of that nature. Don't forget to wear gloves and eye protection, it's pretty nasty stuff. Good luck.

[Zane]

Thanks a lot Steve F!  That's great - I'm lucky as I have access to a good sized blasting cabinet owned by the business of a friend of mine.

They only ever use glass beads to blast, so that's what I'll try.

I really appreciate the tip about controlling the angle of attack.  Plus the pressure control is right there - I'll go low ......

[scout18]

Hey  I used my heat gun and my pocket knife to scrape the paint off. Kind of tedious but only took an hour or so and as far as I can tell caused me no lasting harm harm haa ham ah hahahahahahhaa.

[BobbyR]

BobbyR.....I may regret asking, but what is "chelation"?  My observations support your knowledge that the molasses binds to the rust, as the effluent that poured out of my tank was, well, rusty molasses!  Mmmmm.
Larry

Exactly, you would up with rusty Molasses. Here is the most simple explanation I can come up with:

The word "chelation" comes from the root word, "chele" which is Greek for the claw of a lobster or crab.  So, "chelation" refers to a "grabbing" action as when a lobster grabs something with its claw.

Chelation is a process where some substance grabs another -- the more technical term would be that some substance "binds" to another substance and puts it into suspension so it can be flushed away.  This "binding" involves the actions of atoms and gets rather complex, at least in terms of chemistry.

When people have Mercury or Lead poisoning, these heavy metals get stuck in the body tissues. The Doctors use a chemical known as EDTA which will bind to the metal and and "covert" it to a form that can be excreted quickly. Some Holistic Doctors us it for other purposes, but I am not going there.

[drlarryw]

 THANKS, BobbyR.  I appreciate your fine articulation of the chelation process.  Also happy to know I can have the mercury removed from my tissues.  Actually, as a kid I did bite the end off a thermometer.  Everyone panicked, but I seem to have survived.  Maybe. Kind of.
Larry in Boston

[Lumbee]

...didn't see it mentioned anywhere, but I use a knotted wire wheel on my 4.5" grinder.  Looks like aircraft stripper is the favorite...I'll have to give that a try sometime...sounds messey though???