tank coating

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oldsurfer

New Member
May 21, 2010
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thousand oaks,,,ca
i'm in the process of sealing my gelt 1903 tube tank...i have sealed the holes with jb weld..what is the best coating to use?...been told the pour15 turns the jb weld to gum and it leakes,,gold sandard tank seal aand caswell tank seal seem the best....any recomdations????cvlt1
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
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Littleton, Colorado
I've not tried it but a product called Kreem, (I'm not certain about the spelling) seems to be recommended here often. I have a tank project coming up soon so I'll be looking for something too. I understand that Kreem, is available at motorcycle shops. I'm sure someone else will correct me if I spelled the product name wrong.
Tom
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
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living the dream in southern california
kreem is right. i've used it on 5 tanks so far, and i like it. (by the way, the kit that comes with tank prep, wash and a 16oz bottle of sealer did 4 tanks)

never used anything else, and i've heard people have used it in the Felt tanks over JB weld with no probs.
 

Elixys

New Member
Sep 14, 2010
127
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Midland, TX
i have also used KREEM (yes thats the way its spelled) on two tanks to great effect. only bad thing is you have to keep that stuff moving around in the tank until it sets (20 minutes to an hour of rotating the tank) otherwise you'll have thin spots in some areas and thick spots in other areas. also it can be kind of pricy....i think my kit with the cleaner/etcher, rinse, and final coating cost me about 55 bucks at the motorcycle shop....also the cleaner and rinse are very noxious chemicals and if at all possible should be done OUTSIDE or at least in a very well ventilated area....the bathroom sink in your apartment is not the best place to do this. even with the little vent fan running, those fumes just build up too quick to do it indoors. (you'd think after the first tank i would have learned this but i guess i just forgot how strong that smell can get) oh and dont use any open flames around the chemicals as they will go boom. if you need to look inside the tank use a flashlight not a bic lighter./////of course i dont have your set up or a shop to work in.....just the apartment and i didnt want to go outside to mess with it being in community living with apartmenters all around me i was worried of theives and all that.....but other than that, yeah KREEM is probably the best thing out there to use to seal/rust proof a gas tank..........i need an emoticon of smileys passing out from fumes.....:)
 

Smoothe

New Member
Sep 12, 2008
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Phoenix, AZ
And what to do with those chemicals after you've used them?!

I have a tank showing up next week that I want to kreem, but I don't want to be dumping that stuff in my backyard!
 
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2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
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Littleton, Colorado
Since we're on the subject; If I use Kreem to seal small rust spots/pinholes...what happens on the outside surface of the tank if the Kreem seeps through? Can it be sanded and painted effectively? I have great looking little tank that I want to use and I'm sure, from what I've read, that Kreem will seal it but I also want to paint it afterwards. The pin holes are right on the side where they will be obvious so how do you surface prep for paint if the Kreem seeps out?

I asked this question previously but I've lost that thread and don't remember if I got an answer or not. Sorry :(

Tom
 

Ted

New Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Leavenworth Wa.
One of the best ways to seal a gas tank is to use lead, seals isn't effected by gas and it's sand able, put a chunk of dry ice in the tank and put the heat to it and seal it.
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
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living the dream in southern california
2door, i remember that thread. i think my reply was JB weld. if you dent in the pinhole area and use the Jb like bondo (or more like spot filler,) then sand it all smooth, the Kreem will work great.

Kreem is a rubbery type coating, and it's white. depending on the size of the holes, it could seep out, and it's not really sandable. if you tried, it could rip or peel off, leaving you back at square one.

also, the kit comes with a metal etching prep, to prepare a rusted or old surface so the kreem sticks, and it says if the metal is too thin in some areas, the prep can eat through it.

also, like Venice said, the prep and the wash are reusable, so you just funnel it back into their bottles for next time.
 

2door

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Sep 15, 2008
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Littleton, Colorado
Thanks guys. I'll do some experimenting. Years ago...many years ago, I did some work with an old body man who taught me how to use lead for body repairs. Its a lost art today as most use 'plastic' fillers but I know the basics of leading and with a little practice I might be able to 'lead in' the rusty areas before I try the Kreem on the inside.
I'll keep you posted but this might be a spring project. Working with a torch, lead and acids is not something I want to be doing in a closed garage.
Tom
 

Ted

New Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Leavenworth Wa.
Tom, it isn't that bad, really clean the surface and acid core solder from a hardware store and don't get in a hurry, tin it and slowly build it up to cover the hole keeping the heat away from the solder already laid down, make sure the solder is shinny and not dull looking.
 

Ted

New Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Leavenworth Wa.
MEK= Methyl Ethel Ketone, if you don't wear rubber gloves it WILL be absorbed through your skin and can effect your liver and reproductive system, it has a very low flash point and the vapors will get you Hi while you die,,,well not die so much unless you breath way to much of it. It is a heavy duty solvent that when it dries leaves no residue. Treat it with respect in a WELL vented area.
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
Tom, it isn't that bad, really clean the surface and acid core solder from a hardware store and don't get in a hurry, tin it and slowly build it up to cover the hole keeping the heat away from the solder already laid down, make sure the solder is shinny and not dull looking.
Thanks, Ted.
Yeah, I remember that old body man saying, "Keep it shiny, don't let it get grey...keep it shiny!"
He used wooden paddles to smooth the lead while it was molten.
Tom
 

Allen_Wrench

Resident Mad Scientist
Feb 6, 2010
2,784
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Indianapolis
Thanks, Ted.
Yeah, I remember that old body man saying, "Keep it shiny, don't let it get grey...keep it shiny!"
He used wooden paddles to smooth the lead while it was molten.
Tom
When I was growing up in Mansfield, I remember the guy across the street and down a few doors did old-school bodywork out of his garage. He showed me a few tricks. He taught me how to coat the hardwood paddles with beeswax to keep 'em from getting burnt. He taught me how to use shrinking hammers and dollies. And he had a pair of pliers which made flanges. He could cut out a section of fender that was rusted away and make a flange around the edge. Then he'd fabricate a section of sheet metal to fit it. Weld it in. Grind down the weld. And sometimes he didn't even need lead to hide the seam. A coat of primer, and his repairs would vanish. I miss the old geezer. He was a Brit who loved working on some of the old MGs and Jags we had kicking around.
 

Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
6,237
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N.M.
Doing bondo work these days The metal is so then. Especially on doors if we did not reskin them. I had to put Fiberglass resin [with the fibers] on the back side . Then I could block sand the door with out making a wave in my bondo work on the outside.

When a guy can do metal work for the most part and only need a bit O primer that's a true body man!
 

oldsurfer

New Member
May 21, 2010
126
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thousand oaks,,,ca
caswell tank sealer is the only stuff to use...you can seal holes with duck tape do'nt even have to use j b weld...tank does'nt have to have the rust removed..goes over rust..is not just a thin paint like pour 15..dries to a rock solid coating...will hold 300 psi..adhears to inside if tank better than anything on the market....i could go on and on...read info yourself...google....caswell tank sealer............$39 for kit than will do 4 felt top tube tanks