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I'll respond to Bob's question first. > Asking out of ignorance, why is the vinyl lining undesirable? Linings (both internal and external) were originally intended to keep rust and corrosion from forming on steel tanks. In theory, this works pretty well - if oxidants cannot contact the metal, then no rust can form. In practice, however, if the coating becomes chipped or damaged, or if the bonding process was incomplete, then it provides an avenue for oxidants to get onto the metal in such a way that further damage is undetectable. The metal surface becomes corroded underneath the coating, but the corrosion cannot be readily seen, so the tank can become weakened over time without anybody realizing it. The trick with these tanks is to have them inspected fairly often (I do my steel tanks at least twice a year), and make sure you take them to a competent inspector who knows what to look for. If the tank is carefully maintained, then the coatings themselves do not really present a problem. Now, Keith's (original) question. > I've got a vinyl lined tank (1972). How do I get rid of the stuff? There's really no reason to get rid of it unless there is evidence that it is working loose, in which case tumbling is a good idea to remove any stuff that is no longer bonded to the metal. If the bonding is still good, then it shouldn't be a problem. I have a USD steel 72 from 1970 that has a liner which is in fine shape. It also had a vinyl outer coating, which I removed (it was starting to peel in spots anyway). TechDiver relevant content - I use this tank as an O2 bottle for deco. It works great :-). -JimG
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