To strip or not to strip?

So I am starting to get ancy for the warm weather and I want to start some paint removal on my gas tank. It has been rattle-canned with god only knows how many coats. I was wondering what the people here thought as to the preferred method of paint removal. Do I put a paint stripper on it? Do I just sand the hell out of it?

If it's been rattle canned, you can buy Aircraft Remover at wal-mart. It will eat the paint right off the metal. Temps above 70 degrees help it work too.

I like to use a stripper on rattle can paints. I usually use an abrasive wheel in my die grinder, but rattle can paint always seems to smear around a lot.
I found some stripper at Lowes that smells like oranges and it works really well. While you're there buy some small wire brushes to get in the nooks and crannies.
I've also used a heat gun to remove paint, but I probably wouldn't try it on a gas tank, unless I was sure all of the gas fumes are gone. And if you completely dry the tank of gas for any length of time, you should slosh some motor oil around in it to keep it from rusting.
Another thing is, if you strip the outside of it now, then wait for warm weather to re paint it, you need to protect the tank from rust. I use Dupont metal prep for that.

thanks. And Riverroad: I love your avatar photo!

Based coat / clear coat or many other paint can react on what is underneath. (specialy over cheap rattle can paint)

Or you could probably use a good sealer. but best wait is to strip it.

I agree with everone who has poster so far. The only other advice I would give is to be very careful with the stripper if there are any patches of bondo (or any other filler) underneath all of that paint. Bondo is so porous that it has a really nasty habit of absorbing stripper and slowly releasing it after you have put a few coats of paint over it causing a real mess. No ammount of final sanding or sealing will fix this. Most commercial strippers have very specific directions on how to neutralize and prep an area for paint after you are done stripping, so if you follow the directions on the stripper exactly you will not have any problems. Just be very careful and don't cut any corners. Good luck and be sure to post pictures when you're done.

Be careful with the stripper on the plastic parts.
Mark

thanks to everyone who posted. I got a can of spray stripper that has worked really well so far. I certainly have a couple bondo spots that I'll have to treat before painting.

so what do you treat the bondo spots with to ensure they don't ruin your future paint?

I would grind all the bondo off and start it back.

Just in case rust would had started under the bondo.

You'll passainr a few hours stripping, sanding and painting the tank + a few $$. So why not assure you that everything is fine underneath the bondo.

My 2¢ has they say!
Joce

one more question: if I want to rinse out my tank to get out any foreign material that may have found it's way in there what should I use? Just water? Gas?

Bicycle Lee wrote:

one more question: if I want to rinse out my tank to get out any foreign material that may have found it's way in there what should I use? Just water? Gas?

I'd wear gloves and use Acetone to do this.