Dears, I am working on 1947 Coleman Col-Max and I am not sure how to protect tank bottom from rust. Inside it is almost perfect and as long as there is some paraffin I am not concerned. Outside there are some rusty spots. Nothing serious but could you please drop some ideas how to deal with it? Right now I de-rust it using 14% gel vinegar around the rim and on rusty central spot. Most likely after several such a treatments and brushing rust will be gone. If not I will use some othe solution to remove the rust, but gel on rusty spots seems to be a good idea to keep the nickel plating. Otherwise plating may be gone if covered with some chemicals. I consider following ideas after that: 1. Pour some epoxy to cover bottom and rim area. Am I correct that epoxy will protect from rust? 2. Just spray some good paint over the nickel plating (just bottom, not the whole tank). 3. Remove nickel plating from the bottom, remove rust completly and then cover it with: 3a) epoxy and paint 3b) just paint 4. Use some rust neutralizer and cover rusty spots with that. 5. Just smear some thick grease over the bottom As much as I like these lamps, I prefer brass bottoms Any help/advices will be appreciated. all the best, Piotrek
Once you remove what you can I would consider that any permanent or semi permanent coatings are going to be a huge pain if you ever need to remove them or clean up another area. There is no guarantee rust won't form between the metal and coating and then be harder to determine. I take the approach that rust is easier to maintain than cover and if a little returns I can deal with it easily. One preventative is proper storage not in a place that can trap moisture. Second use your preferred inhibiting coating. I like stabil rust stopper or a thicker option is Johnsons furniture paste wax. Both great rust barriers you can reapply or remove in no time.
I think part of the problem with steel bases rusting out is that paraffin and water are immiscible, the paraffin floating on top of the water. What happens inside tanks is that water vapour is taken in by the pump with air. Although it's a small amount, each time the tank is pumped up, the water condenses out of the air and finds its way to the lowest part of the tank and accumulates forming a small 'bubble' of water there. This eventually rusts out the bottom of the tank. My solution is to empty out the tanks completely for storage and then let them dry out for a couple of days before replacing the filler cap. The use of an epoxy sealer such as POR-15 would also prevent the water from reaching the steel base...
Any kind of coating should be helpful and would certainly keep the rust at bay for a longer period than nothing at all. Some folks use the cold-galvanize spray coat. Its not the same as actual galvanizing. Others prefer a clear lacquer. Some would even re-plate the steel for a more durable solution. For me, its usually one of those that require the least of efforts. I'd just spray some fogging oil over the de-rusted surface and gently wipe off the excess. It won't be as long lasting as a permanent coating but it does significantly reduce the likelihood and extent of re-rusting. Fogging oil is thicker than WD-40 and seems less prone to drying or wiping off. It does make the surface a little oily but I don't mind that much on a user lantern.
