We have a leased 250-gallon propane tank that has a bad and mildewed paint job. The tank owner says it's OK to paint it, but we'd like to strip the several layers of old paint first. It's nearly full of propane. Can I use something like this surface conditioning tool to strip the paint, or some other power tool (angle grinder, sander, etc). Owner thinks it's safe. Any ideas?
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I wouldn't use any power tools on a tank with any level of an explosive substance. Sparks, static, busting/cutting through the metal, etc. would be "bad". Also, it might be a good idea to know who actually owns it; in many places, these are rented or part of the bill from the fuel supplier and not actually owned by the property owner.
I'd remove loose paint, clean it with a detergent, rinse, dry, and repaint.
If absolutely forced to remove the old paint, I would use a pet-safe paint stripper gel and a plastic putty knife. It'd be slow and take quite a while, but not dangerous to work around generally.
UnhandledExcepSean
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I'd personally feel reasonably safe using an electrically powered "water blaster". I'm 73, am less risk averse than some, and/but have not killed myself, yet.
Whether that actually WOULD be safe enough for your risk profile is for you to determine.
Russell McMahon
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