Corroded tank, parafin sheen flame gun

[misterroy]

Hi, I have a Sheen flame gun. A nozzle has been blocked several times with crud, today I took the thing to bits and flushed the tank with water, there was a lot of crud in the tank, thin flaky bits which probably came from the inside of the tank. The amount does not seem enough for the structure of the tank to be compromised but a small amount is enough to block the jet.

1. Is there a way to clean the tank, there is hardly any access?
2. Can a coating be applied to stop the corrsion?
3. Will I just push a gauze up the outlet?
4. Bin?

ta

[Andrew Gabriel]

Don't know this device. If it's similar to the primos blowlamps where you pressurise the tank, then the steel ones were declared very dangerous because unseen corrosion in the tank would occasionally cause them to blow up when pressurising, showering you with parafin whilst you (were) holding a lit blowlamp. The ones with brass/copper tanks were somewhat safer as they don't corrode.

[misterroy]

I have at work a suitable oven, could I plastic coat the inside with pvc? The tank sounds robust, the steel is quite thick.

[Dave Liquorice]

What do this thin flaky bits look like? Flaked off paint or varnish, or bits of dried on crud from dirty fuel that has flaked off?

Bear in mind what Mr Gabriel said and steel tanks does it look like rust?

I'd not use water for a start but slosh about paraffin inside and pour out, leave to settle, decant, repeat.

I believe so. Try asking over in uk.rec.engines.stationary. A fuel tank is a fuel tank though old stationary engine ones aren't normaly presurised.

If you want to bin it, you can bin it this way. Where are you? B-)

[misterroy]

the crud is thin, brittle and black and very rustlike I'm guessing the parafin has blackened it.

[jim]

Given Andrew Gabriel's comments, IMHO it would be wise to ring Sheen in Nottingham & ask (1) why rust occurs (2) how to remedy the problem (3) can it be avoided?

Sheen appear to be still in business; Google showed;

Greasley Street, Nottingham, NG6 8NH, UK

0115-927 2321

which is same address & tel no they had when I bought mine.

My Sheen flamegun has given good service for c.10 years, but in my view it requires circumspect use for safety, as do most machine tools. The flame gets extremely hot & the tank pressure is around

30psi. Not a happy thing to hold in your hands if defective.

If you can post how you resolve the issue, I for one would like to hear what Sheen say. TIA