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Is this a liner?

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 11:07 am
by jvanostrand
I picked up a pair of Wallter Kidde 38s, stamped 1963. With 3/4-14 pipe threads I'm hoping to reuse these tanks for sidemount. They appearsto have a liner. It's not the kind I've seen in the past though. Is this plastic,, epoxy, or paint? Is a tumble the only way to remove it? Would any chemical treatment work. like paint stripper?
There's a local fire services guy who will tumble and hydro for $100. It seems like a lot.
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Re: Is this a liner?

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 11:20 am
by captain
Looks like it's lined. One type was off white another was brown, in both cases I believe it is an epoxy. Having a liner doesn't automatically disqualify a tank from being hydroed. Just as rust presents it's self as bubbles or blisters in a cars paint the same applies to a tank. A good visual inspection should determine if it needs to be removed before the hydro. I have had lined tanks hydroed.

Re: Is this a liner?

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 10:49 pm
by luis
From the picture that looks like the white liner I have in a few of my tanks. Because of the white liner reflects light so well, it is very easy to see any imperfections.

I have one that is perfect with no imperfections.

Another one I have had a few rust spots, but they all polished out with a whip/ wire spinning brush on a drill. The coating is thin enough that if any rust gets under the wire brush just cut the coating and cleaned the rust. The rest of the coating where it was firmly attached tot the base steel was not affected.

I have never tried to remove all the coating, there is no point. At least with the type of coating on my cylinders it is easy to inspect for rust (blistering) and it has been hard to remove the imperfection.

With some of the thicker coatings the situation may be different if you see any blistering due to rust.

I would not remove the coating unless there is a definite need due to rust under it.

BTW, the dark spots looks like someone tried already to remove the liner, but as long as it is smooth and well stuck to the steel, it is hard to remove.

Good luck