Painting Inside a Propane Tank?

[Iplayfarmer]

I scored an old propane tank at a farm auction a while ago. It was one of those deals where the farmer had a line of junk a quarter mile long and the auctioneer was selling it by the foot. I bought "everything from these old drain augers to those old pots" for $25 because the drain augers were actually stock tank heaters and I needed them. The propane tank happened to be in there. Having previously been inspired by TBN members as to the continuing value of junk like propane tanks, I decided to take it apart for a project.

The plan is to use the tank as a portable pressurized water tank. Initially I'm planning to use it as a sprayer. Later it may become part of another project.

Now that the long winded introduction is over, here's the question: How would a guy paint the inside of a propane tank?

My assumption is that these tanks are just bare metal inside since propane is not particularly corrosive. Painting the inside seems like a good idea for two reasons...

1) It will protect the inside of the tank from rusting.
2) It may minimize the awful stench that comes out of these tanks for decades after they are emptied.

P.S. If anyone ever wondered how much one of these tanks holds, I measured it last night. It's one of the standard barbecue size tanks and it holds just over 6 gallons.

 

[Cap-n-Cray]

I know there are gas tank coatings were you pour in the coating. Then rotate the tank so everything is coated then drain out the what is left. I have used a product from Eastwood. It covers rust and seals it. I am sure there are coatings for water tanks.

Cary

 

[joes_427_vette]

I got a free 300 gallon gasoline tank a while back. The plan was to make a trailer and use the tank for watering trees. I haven't run across a paint or process to coat the interior either. Don't know if the gasoline soaked metal would contaminate the water doing harm to plants. I will be watching your solution progress closely.

 

[jjmarotz]

As Cap-n-Cray said, here's the link Eastwood Co. - Gas Tank Sealer Kit For Cars might give that a shot.

 

[john_bud]

kreem or cream (sp) is a product used too with good reports.

I would probably not bother with coating it. Just get a hot water heater Ssrificial annode.

 

[bobodu]

Since these tanks tend to be FREE come garbage day,I wouldn't go to the expense of buying a sealing kit.Just get a pint of Rustoleum and dump it in,roll it around the yard and pour out the excess.Set the tank in the sun for a week.
Best thing to do would be to do nothing...if the tank is to be pressurized,you are likely to have flaking of whatever you coat it with due to the expansion of the tank under pressure.

 

[Tig]

Rustoleum would work. I would suggest thinning it out 2:1. Save the excess for a second coat, and then a third.

 

[Mighty Dodge]

I used gas tank sealer in my homemade cheetah tank. You can get it from JC Whitney. I got mine from an antique engine parts supplier, Otto Gas Engine Works, http://www.dol.net/~dave.reed/rangcast.htm. They call it sloshing compound. It works very well. Clean the tank with Super Clean and roofing nails. Does a good job of scouring the insides.

M.D.

 

[cmuncy]

Motorcycle shops carry this as well.

One thing you might try is get some pea gravel, or even aquarium rocks, add it to the tank, then roll the tank for a while. The small gravel will help remove any loose rust or flakes that might be in the tank.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Motorcycle shops carry this as well.

One thing you might try is get some pea gravel, or even aquarium rocks, add it to the tank, then roll the tank for a while. The small gravel will help remove any loose rust or flakes that might be in the tank.

Sounds like a job for the kids. "Here, roll this large noismaker around the yard for a while. Be sure to leave it out with all the other stuff I trip on. Just don't forget where it is so that when I need it I can find it."

When I filled the tank to check the volume, I noticed a bunch of small black flakes of something floating in the water after I poured it out. I don't know if it was a buildup of impurities in the propane or something else. In any case it seems like a good idea to scour the inside of the tank with something.

$40 for a coating for the inside of a tank meant to replace a $35 sprayer seems like a bad idea. The rustoleum concept sounds a little better.

I wonder if there's a used paint dealer around here. Used stuff is always cheaper.

 

[CurlyDave]

Around here, I would just take the old tank to one of those tank exchange places and exchange it for a new, in-specification, full tank for about $16.

Then I would buy a purpose-made sprayer, which would result in a better sprayer than I could make, and a full tank of propane, which is always useful...

 

[Eagleview]

If you plan on pressurizing it at all , have a good look inside it to make sure it has no dangerous rust damage . If it's old and be laying around for years it could become a home made bomb .

 

[Eagleview]

"has been" , stupe .

 

[Iplayfarmer]

If you plan on pressurizing it at all , have a good look inside it to make sure it has no dangerous rust damage . If it's old and be laying around for years it could become a home made bomb .

I went ahead and pressured it up Saturday before I saw your post. The outside of the tank looks to be in pretty good condition. It's ugly, but there's no canker.

Will a propane tank rust from the inside?

I pressured it up to 60 PSI. That was the slickest little spray rig. I sprayed round-up on the whole garden spot with one tank full (just before it clouded over and rained). It took all of about 3 minutes.

60 PSI really puts out a nice spray. It sure beats the heck out of the little leaky hand pump job that I was using before.

I still haven't painted it. I was going to set it up first and just make sure that the concept would work before I put the time and effort into it. For now I'm just pressuring up the tank and then turning it upside down. I keep trying to figure out a way to put a tube to the bottom of the tank so that I can leave it upright. I haven't come up with anything yet.

 

[bobodu]

Should be easy enough to braise a dip tube to the bottom of the valve.

 

[Eagleview]

Sounds like a great little gadget . And yes gas bottles do rust from the inside out . They get acumulated condensation inside them just like any other fuel container , if not worse because of the extreme temperature difference between the inside and outside . Also you can buy the correct tube to reach the bottom of the bottle as "liquid" delivery bottles work this way .

 

[WVBill]

I had heard (I think on this board) that RoundUp is corrosive so I looked up the MSDS on RounDup and it does not higlight corrosivness but it does have this note:

"INCOMPATIBLE MATERIALS: Do not apply with a galvanized or unlined steel sprayer, or through any irrigation system."

WVBill

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I had heard (I think on this board) that RoundUp is corrosive so I looked up the MSDS on RounDup and it does not higlight corrosivness but it does have this note:

"INCOMPATIBLE MATERIALS: Do not apply with a galvanized or unlined steel sprayer, or through any irrigation system."

WVBill

I'd better start saving up now so that I'll be able to post bail when the MSDS police come to get me.

I didn't know the details, but it just seemed like a good idea to line the tank with something.

Come to think of it, I only ever see plastic spray rigs. Even the big coups.

 

[aczlan]

Come to think of it, I only ever see plastic spray rigs. Even the big coups.

plastic or stainless.

Aaron Z

 

[Tom_Veatch]

...I wonder if there's a used paint dealer around here. Used stuff is always cheaper.

You think you jest, but I saw in the local newspaper awhile back that the our county hazardous waste collection point is a "used" paint dealer. As I recall, they mix compatible paints from partial cans that are dropped off and make the resulting ??? available to the discriminating customer.

I haven't been tempted to take advantage of the opportunity and seriously doubt you'd be able to match a desired color.