Black stuff and metal shaving in new tanks?

[SR_matt]

I picked up an SL2 matte from ANS a week ago and when I got it I noticed threads were kind of dirty, cleaned them, and then took a look inside and found that it was not nice clean metal but was dark and had some fine metal shavings. Was able to rub some of it off with a bore scope and seems like it may be carbon fiber dust and a bit of aluminum shavings. ANS is replacing it but then I decided to check my other on (different color but same SL2 matte line that is a bit older so they are discounted). Well found the same thing in the tank I’ve been using for 8 months… and I highly doubt it’s from the air fills as I have another tank that I filled from the same place that didn’t have that in it (plus the new one I didn’t even air up).

Anyone seen this before? Is this “normal” and I just never had pulled tanks apart to notice?

[William the Third]

I've been seeing metal in quite a few new tanks recently. It's swarf left over after the threads are cut, and it's not being properly cleaned out.

[SR_matt]

I've been seeing metal in quite a few new tanks recently. It's swarf left over after the threads are cut, and it's not being properly cleaned out.

yeah I guess I am confused how that happens as the tank has to get hydroed and I would assume it should get washed out in that process. At least I can't imagine that cutting the threads after hydro could be an acceptable practice as it would be modifying the tank after testing.

the metal I am honestly less worried about than the black crap. metal I could wash out easily, this black junk is like caked on kind of.

[Axel]

I know nothing about this particular issue, but as a supplier quality professional, let me just say that while you might expect manufacturers to have their collective sh*t together on the basic qualities of the parts that they make every day for years and decades, you would frequently be wrong.

[Grendel]

Lol, you ain't kidding. I worked with manufacturing quality for years and is a constant battle between what is right to do and what it costs to do. I am so glad I am no longer directly connected to manufacturer or supplier quality.

[SR_matt]

Oh yeah I was a quality manager in regulated manufacturing for a while and now work for a company that does regulatory and quality consulting (med device and alternative tobacco products primarily). I feel like if I didn’t have at least 3 WTF’s per day then that mean I was going to end the week with an absolute shit show haha.

Granted I also understand that even 100% inspection doesn’t yield 100% good parts. Hell the amount of times I had retail stores that were part of a sister company selling what we made say “oh yeah we have seen that issue for months” and I would look at them and have to refrain from punching them and say “and when did you report it? Because I don’t have it listed in my quality complaints log…”

[SR_matt]

So after I found the junk in the other tank (be it not as bad) I called Ninja. They said that it was an issue with the tank not being blown out before assembly. Apparently ANS is one of if not the only retailers that normally buys everything separate from them and assembles per order. According to Ninja some if it is also "slag from the extruding process" which is why even after cleaning the tank inside looks dull and rough in some spots. They said the dirt and all can be cleaned with just a little dish soap and water and then let upside down to dry for the day (I actually was able to balance it onto of my dehumidifier so it was getting dry air forced into it and it dried pretty quickly). Ninja also is sending me a rebuild for the reg as I found black debris on the top piston o ring.

But the replacement tank I got from ANS also had junk in it. To their credit though they went and pulled other colors for me, blew them out well, and then actually sent me videos of the insides of the tanks for me to see if I wanted one of those instead of just cleaning the one I have (and offered a partial refund if I just wanted to clean the one I have). Granted I still will likely wash any of them out but they are at least being very responsive and helpful.

So my suspicion is that one manufacturer for Ninja has a bit of this issue and it at least seems to be wide spread in the SL2 matte tanks made in 22- early 23. But was not seen in the Lite tank made in 23. Still waiting on my back ordered 45/45 lite to see if this holds true or not.

So long story short, I will always be either buying tanks and regs separately or just pull the reg off a new tank and checking it out before airing it up.

[Chuck E Ducky]

I wonder if that why the FS tank reg crap the bed so often. Could just be debris in the tank. I don’t remember if mine had anything in it when I switched the reg out. I did blow it out with my air compressor. I do that as a precaution whenever I swap out regs. You would be surprised how much stuff builds up in the tanks over time. Not all Air fill stations are serviced properly.

[SR_matt]

I wonder if that why the FS tank reg crap the bed so often. Could just be debris in the tank. I don’t remember if mine had anything in it when I switched the reg out. I did blow it out with my air compressor. I do that as a precaution whenever I swap out regs. You would be surprised how much stuff builds up in the tanks over time. Not all Air fill stations are serviced properly.

I wouldn't be surprised. the amount of gunk that got on my reg piston was a little shocking. The guys at ANS seemed rather surprised with how much crap was in these tanks, hopefully that means they will make sure all of them are blown out before assembly in the future... but that may just be the Quality Manager side of my brain being hopeful a retailer would implement that additional work for themselves when they really shouldn't have to int he first place.

For what its worth, they blew the tanks out with 800psi out of another tank with macro down to the bottom of the tank being blown out and the videos they sent still showed some stuff in one of the tanks. It really may be a good practice for those that have the skill level to pull it off to actually wash the tanks out.

I really should pull the on/off piston out of my mag and try and clean out the air line too just to be safe. The X valve seemed clean inside when I pulled that reg piston out of that but I am a bit worried other crap is still in the line (and I run a loop so no fore grip to catch it. Making me consider swapping out a filtered nipple on my x valve QD just as a precaution but not sure how that would effect my RT... granted the may need to be tamed a little but I don't want a lighter trigger return on the ULT so that may actually work to slow the recharge slightly.

[caylegeorge]

I've had the same experience lately - I bought 2 of the HK 36ci bottles new (without reg) from ANS a month ago. Both had a ton of metal and some black oily crap in them.
I ended up following the procedure to clean out Scuba tanks

Rinsed out.
Added a tiny amount of dish soap to distilled water and rinsed it.
More distilled water, little dish soap, and some plastic bbs (used clipped heads from zip ties). Shook it all around for a bit in the tank.
Drained it out.
Rinsed 4x with distilled water.
Shook out some drops.
Let dry.

Worked quite well. But, annoying af on a new tank.

[SR_matt]

I like that concept for a bit of scrubbing action. I was co tempting using a plastic bottle brush but I don’t think I have one that doesn’t have a metal core.