Petrol tank stripping

[julesh]

need to strip and respray a tank before the start of the trackday season, i have stripped several old layers already but the original factory paint is an absolute nightmare, the paint stripper wont touch it theres also layers of paint still in the nadgery hard to get to bits, quick google for my local area and we have a few shot blasting companies that do industrial, i'm thinking i'm going to need somebody who uses a very fine grit/sand so as not to leave the tank pitted and rough as a*seholes, somebody who takes a little care

Any recommendations please preferably in the Somerset area but can post if need be

[Ruffian]

Look for either soda or vapour blasting rather than shot blasting.

Will make a big difference but personally a decent 40grit or 60grit da will tear through most paints.

[TLS-Moose]

What Ian says. I'd avoid any kind of blasting process for the tank. No matter how careful you are, blasting media will find its way into the tank, no matter how hard you try to keep it out.

[ptolemyx]

Another in agreement with Ian. I'd DA it down to bare metal. Finish the primer to at least 1200 grit before base coat etc.

[Jug]

Is there any need to go all the way back to bare metal if you're going to repaint anyway?

[ptolemyx]

Saves the (admittedly rare) possibility of solvent interaction, especially if the item was previously wax polished to death. I do have that t-shirt

[Mervin]

are you using nitromors or diy store paint stripper ? I have noy used this but am told it is lethal to most paints https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Heavy-Duty-I ... SwaTtdvWAo

[Ruffian]

need to strip and respray a tank before the start of the trackday season, i have stripped several old layers already but the original factory paint is an absolute nightmare, the paint stripper wont touch it theres also layers of paint still in the nadgery hard to get to bits, quick google for my local area and we have a few shot blasting companies that do industrial, i'm thinking i'm going to need somebody who uses a very fine grit/sand so as not to leave the tank pitted and rough as a*seholes, somebody who takes a little care

Any recommendations please preferably in the Somerset area but can post if need be

Sod it, if you cant be arsed,
Will do it for some beer tokens if needed.

[Jug]

are you using nitromors or diy store paint stripper ? I have noy used this but am told it is lethal to most paints https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Heavy-Duty-I ... SwaTtdvWAo

I have used that (or something very similar looking) and it took my Hornet forks back to alloy pretty quickly.
I then used it on all the lacquer'd alloy bits that were looking nasty, before polishing and re-coating.

[MellowYellow]

Fill it up with water and set about it with a blowtorch...

[gee46]

There is no need to go back to bare metal you just need to sand it back to give it a decent key for the primer to grip into but a good sand back with 120 grit on a DA sander will be more then enough.
Then once high build primer and a flat back with 500 grit it will be ready for top coat.
All metallic colours and straight colours will easily cover 500 grit sanding.