Removing Paint from fuel tank....

So i want to get all the old pain off of my tank.

What is the best way to go about this?

Should i remove all the hardwear and just get it sand blasted?

Or should i use paint remover of some kind?

I plain to just finish the tank as the clean steal with a no gloss coat on it..


Thanks,

Scholz

 

Sand blast will leave a rough surface, Glass Bead blast will be alot smoother. Paint strip will just remove the paint and leave a natural metal finish.

MN

 

what paint remover works best?

 

I like to use Zip Strip. Not sure where you live but Ace Hardware handles it.


MN

 

I have been told to use aircraft paint remover that can be bought at walmart. I have tried that but for me it only takes the clearcoat off. I don't know I thought I read the instructions...

 

anything but the orange stuff

 

When I bead blast my tanks the clear comes right off but the original paint is really on there. Must have been baked on or something.

MN

 

Either that or it has had 25+ yrs to stick on there :lol: .

 

The biggest thing with any chemical paint stripper is to give it time to work through the paint. A 25 year old finish may need a good soak to soften it up. Don't be afraid to toss a second coat on, it hasn't damaged the tanks I have done in the past. I'm working my way up to having a blast cabinet, but the chemical strippers will get everything down to metal just the same. As a note, I'm sure you have already done so, but remove the cap and petcock to avoid damaging the rubber parts.

 

cool i;m going to try and use an enviromental friendly stripper on it.... thanks guys... will remove the petcock and gaskets

 

i just finished up a bike (the pedal kind haha) with a steel finish and learned far too much about it. Using just a paint stripper will leave all scratches and impurities on the tank, but if you polish it up and use a semi-gloss or gloss clear coat (or a ton of wax or else will rust up in no time) you will get a relatively shiny tank on there, but will reflect any light that hits it possibly blinding you. I decided on sandblasting my frame, which i am very glad I did. It left the frame a beautiful medium gray with all the steel lines still visible. Finished it off with a matte finish to get a non-glossy, quiet finish that still has some attitude and personality. Depends on the look you're going for. Realize though, its a lot easier to go from polished to matte than matte to polished. Good luck and enjoy!