Anil Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 I've finally removed the oil tank in order to attempt a refurb i.e. clean back to bare metal and repaint. Most of the paint flaked off easily with some gentle scraping, but there are some areas of thicker paint that seem really stubborn where the scraper and the wire brush attachment on my drill don't really do much. Pics below show what I'm currently left with. Just wondering what others have used to safely remove the paint prior to refinishing the tank? ...Or is there someone out there that offers an oil tank refurb service that would undoubtably do a better/quicker job of it than me ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phill Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 (edited) Just get it sand blasted. Probably cost you £25 if that. Edited October 21, 2019 by Phill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjwright944 Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 I stripped mine back to bare metal on the outer face and the seams but found the inner face was perfectly ok so left it. Keyed up the edges of the existing good paint and overlapped it with the new paint. I use a prep wheel (screwfix) and some emery cloth. The prep wheel will remove paint alot easier than a wire wheel. I treated any rust with fe123, then two coats of bonda primer, then two coats of rustbuster epoxy primer. After it was finished I sloshed it through with petrol. Looks like you've done most of the hard work already! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALEX P Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 I wouldn't get an oil tank blasted. You just cannot guarantee that no media will get inside however careful the guy blasting it is & you are never going to be able to guarantee that you get it all out so you may as well stick it in the bin at that point. From your photos It doesn't look that bad to get off. Wire brushes on drills only get you so far. You could gently use a cleaning disk or a flapper wheel on an angle grinder on the nice easily accessible open faces or you can get some fairly nasty paint stripper (not the pansy B&Q stuff) that would get that off pretty easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phill Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 22 minutes ago, ALEX P said: I wouldn't get an oil tank blasted. You just cannot guarantee that no media will get inside however careful the guy blasting it is & you are never going to be able to guarantee that you get it all out so you may as well stick it in the bin at that point. I had mine sandblasted and then chemically stripped inside. As long as the openings are sealed up well there will be no problem at all. Everyone on here worries so much I'm surprised they leave the house, let alone drive their cars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longman Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 Don’t give it to @tea boy 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
World Citizen Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 28 minutes ago, Phill said: Everyone on here worries so much I'm surprised they leave the house, let alone drive their cars I've not been outside without adult supervision in years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jevvy Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 With the right combo of pads and tools you can get them clean enough without blasting. No way would I ever get an oil tank blasted, no wonder your head studs popped Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicestershire Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 Blasting of other abrasive methods will remove the protective coating and greatly reduce the life of the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingnonut Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 I managed to get mine to look like Jevvy’s with just a wire cup brush On a drill and some scotchbrite pads. Then painted it with Rustbuster 121 epoxy mastic. Still looks good under there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Type911 Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 Phill runs with scissors........................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phill Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 1 hour ago, Type911 said: Phill runs with scissors........................ Walk under ladders and kick black cats that have the gall to cross my path! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anil Posted October 22, 2019 Author Share Posted October 22, 2019 Thanks for the feedback chaps. I wanted to avoid blasting hence the DIY route. I was also keen to remove all the old paint just in case there was any hidden corrosion, and I don't want to be doing this again. I don't have an angle grinder so a drill (or dremel) attachment will have to do. Impressive work Jevvy ! That's the finish I was aiming for. You don't offer a refurb service do you ? So, checking on Screwfix, I see the following drill attachments which may help: https://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-abrasive-flap-wheel-80g-60-x-30mm/78877 https://www.screwfix.com/p/surface-preparation-wheel-with-arbor-100mm/31074 https://www.screwfix.com/p/norton-expert-wire-brushes-3-piece-set/7944h (the 25mm brush looks useful...) Anything else I may need? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjwright944 Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 The bottom two links are what I used, prep wheel and wire brush for the awkward bits. Fe123 Rust treatment from rustbuster or something similar. Primer Top coat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nige Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 For the sake of £30 buy this https://www.screwfix.com/p/mac-allister-msag750-750w-4-electric-angle-grinder-220-240v/970gf and some of these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-FLAP-DISCS-CHOOSE-40-80-Grit-Fits-Angle-Grinder-Wheel-4-5-115mm-Sanding-Disk/191313227548?hash=item2c8b282f1c:m:m5WGiOx-71xiwVq8BUxLLKA Drills just don't spin fast enough for effect crust, crud and paint removal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phill Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 1 hour ago, Anil said: I don't have an angle grinder IMO an angle grinder Is a must have tool. Makes life so much easier for all sorts of jobs. Doh! Posted at the same time as Nige. Do what he says.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
World Citizen Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 4 minutes ago, Nige said: For the sake of £30 buy this https://www.screwfix.com/p/mac-allister-msag750-750w-4-electric-angle-grinder-220-240v/970gf and some of these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-FLAP-DISCS-CHOOSE-40-80-Grit-Fits-Angle-Grinder-Wheel-4-5-115mm-Sanding-Disk/191313227548?hash=item2c8b282f1c:m:m5WGiOx-71xiwVq8BUxLLKA Drills just don't spin fast enough for effect crust, crud and paint removal. 40 grit discs are you sure you just want a pile of steel filings or a clean oil tank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 Just use wire wheels ideally a cupped one on an angle grinder as others have said , wouldn't bother with the flappers , may be able to manage with a decent drill ideally mains with a bit of power and rpm . Plenty of advice here 🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nige Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 47 minutes ago, World Citizen said: 40 grit discs are you sure you just want a pile of steel filings or a clean oil tank Don't they have 80 grit listed? Just don't press on so hard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuchs915 Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 I like the clean and strip discs, I've found them really good at this type of job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
World Citizen Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 only 40 listed, it's a tad aggressive at material removal my left wrist looks like I've had a go at a suicide when a 40 grit disc bit me wish I hadn't pressed so hard that time too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris T Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 2 hours ago, Fuchs915 said: I like the clean and strip discs, I've found them really good at this type of job. Agree 100%. 3M clean and strip discs, available for drills or angle grinders. Rips the paint and rust off without harming the metal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicestershire Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 The bright plating on the oil tank is very delicate anything abrasive - scotch pad, wire wool, 80 grit etc will remove the coating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anil Posted October 22, 2019 Author Share Posted October 22, 2019 Thanks again for all the suggestions. Popped into Screwfix this afternoon and bought all three of the wheels/brushes I listed above. The Surface Prep Wheel (which looks like the clean and strip disc recommended above), used with my drill, worked perfectly to clean off the remaining paint/surface rust very quickly, and I used the 25mm wire brush attachment for the bits around the tank brackets. Not quite to Jevvy's level, but the tank is now paint free and ready to prep for the primer/mastic. I will be buying a few more of the Prep/Clean & Strip discs in various sizes for other projects as they worked so well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jevvy Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 Good work Anil. I've been using these quite a lot recently and really like them. They flare out with RPM which really helps get into nooks and crannies without taking any metal off which some abrasives can do. They last quite well too as long as you are careful around sharp edges. I mainly use them with the air tools but also bought a mini die grinder / angle grinder thingy for when I cant be bothered to fire up the compressor or trying to make a bit less noise. https://www.aimtools.co.uk/products/katsu-hobby-art-mini-electric-special-narrow-places-angle-grinder-3 Looks a bit budget and is super cheap but I've given it death for hours on end and its still going strong. Needs an adaptor to fit the 3m bristle discs which can be found on ebay but then you can use any roloc disc type on it which makes it quite versatile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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