we had a 6-ft stock tank as a water garden in our back garden, and after about 5 years, the sides rusted through where hubby put concrete blocks next to the sides with heavy plants... so, we bought a new tank, and decided to do some research on what we could do to give it a longer life. and into our world came Pond Shield. even if you consider yourself handy, just know this is still quite the undertaking... in time and effort, and funds for all the materials. first things first - you'll need a lot of "extras" that you will throw away, so you need to know that going in. there are some great lists others have done, so i won't re-do that here. second thing - this is not a "one and done" sort of project. since we were painting a new galvanized steel tank, there were a number of steps. none very complex, but a lot of stuff to do before you get to the painting. third thing - i used the SEM self-etching spray primer. OMG - that stuff is not easy to use, and the fumes are crazy bad. do not ever think you can use that indoors!! i was outside and it was still awful! BTW - i purchased a 3M reusable respirator with 3M P100 Respirator Cartridge/Filter 60926, and i am so thankful i did! it left grooves on my cheeks for hours, but i cannot imagine using that primer without real protection from the fumes. there was no safety notice on the can... but that stuff cannot be good for you! for our tank, i used 2 full cans. and the good thing is it dries quickly, so you can get on with your painting. ok - the painting. man, not fun. you should have a LOT of good, thick disposable gloves at the ready - you will use them! (and we pulled the tank into our garage and turned on the AC to keep things cool. for me, and the paint, which you can work longer under cooler conditions.) if you don't know how Pond Shield works –– you get a can with the "paint"/PART A and a 2nd can that is the "activator"/PART B. first you pour out the paint into a measuring cup, and in a different cup, measure out the clear activator. IF adding alcohol, you add that to the activator and stir to mix, THEN add the paint to that and stir to mix. then put on a timer - and READY, SET, GO - PAINT! i want to note that my "recipe" was half what is noted on the enclosed instruction sheet: 8 oz part A (paint) 4 oz part B (activator) 1/16 C alcohol (i used a tiny measuring cup and 99% isopropyl acohol) since we bought the 1.5 quart size, their "recipe" would mean i would have only 2 batches to work with –– i thought since i've never done this before, i'll do a smaller recipe and have 4 batches, and i am VERY glad i took that approach. ok, it's all mixed, and i set my timer... and it goes on like you're spreading peanut butter...weird, but not hard. but over time, you can definitely feel that the paint is getting "thicker", and it takes more time to spread, and towards the end of 20 minutes, you start to see blobs... and that's why they invented paper towels. and the smell is almost nothing, it reminded me of Bactine... i think you have to be have been born before 1965 to know that smell! oh, and we got moss green, but i think it's more like a green-ish beige. anyway - i'm happy to report that my smaller recipe and 20 minutes worked out just right. i was able to paint all the sides with the first 3 batches, and part of the floor. then i needed to make the final batch, and finish any touch-ups and rest of the floor. i did end up trying a squeegee for the floor and i think i was able to paint more quickly with the squeegee, but it's tricky to get every part, or near the edges, so i did go back to the brush for the edges of the floor. my final note - my paint job did not need to be perfect - the tank will be filled with plants and fish (i.e., no one will actually see it!), AND we painted a new (should be) leak-free stock tank. so the odds of something i did resulting in the pond not being water proof are pretty low. so - do i recommend??? i'm pretty happy that i was able to manage the overall process without making a complete mess of the garage, or the tank. my shoulders will definitely be sore tomorrow. and the overall cost was more than i thought it would be. BUT, i feel fairly confident it will add some years to our new stock tank, and that was the whole idea. would i EVER do ANYTHING like this again? - not if i can help it! ;-) and if hubby puts his finger through the side of THIS tank, he's on his own... well, probably... (what would husbands do without spouses that like to solve problems?!)
