So the metal recycling place will take it. It's a 200 gallon, I think. It's been sitting empty for a couple of years, with the fill valve open. Any ideas about how to cut it in half safely?
Ken
So the metal recycling place will take it. It's a 200 gallon, I think. It's been sitting empty for a couple of years, with the fill valve open. Any ideas about how to cut it in half safely?
Ken
may I suggest you have someone else do it. I have a candidate. one of my old ambulance calls involved a teenage who decided to light a match over his filler on the gas tank at night to see how much he had siphoned from his father's car.
I think that having the fill valve open does not mean the gas is truly gone. The valve is not really open unless a filler mechanism is connected to it.
You might just have a slow go at it with a manual hack saw blade till you have created a small hole. Having done that, air it out for a few minutes then go to it with a Sawzall.
Step back about 100 yards. Put at least one, preferably 2 or more 30-06 rounds through the tank. Let it vent for a couple days. Cut to your heart's content.
Bill R
There was supposed to be an earth shattering KABOOM!
Pressurize with nitrogen and purge. Repeat several times then cut.
Remember propane is heavier than air so unless it's upside down there's still gas in there.
Can you disassemble the valve?
Prehumous Entrepid Enplorer of the Innerverse
As mentioned, propane is heavier than air so there may still be gas in the tank. If I wanted to cut it half, I would remove the valve, which should be safe enough to do, and fill it with water making sure it is well rinsed. Then it should be safe to cut.
Unscrew the valve and fill it with water, then drill a few holes in it to start a Sawzall cut. Drain it out completely and cut away.
Somebody will be along shortly to tell you not to do this.
remove valve. Fill it with water untill the water is coming out the valve position, wait one day. Drill with a cordless drill at the lowest point untill all the water comes out, wait one day. Presurise with air for a half hour. proceed to cut. bottom up.
Just take the tank and start cutting with an angle grinder, It will be in pieces in no time. Before you start make sure you have good medical insurance with a low deducible and no upper cap.
Allan of the Grove
"never send a ferret to do a weasel's job.."
notify the new first...or it didn't happen
The doctrine of nonresistance against arbitrary power, and oppression, is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind.
Personal failures are too important to be trusted to others.
kaa has some amazing fire pictures somewhere on the web that involve bullets into b-b-q size propane tanks. One of the pictures, I remember, shows this incredibly huge tongue of flame looking just like a dragon.
There are a couple of approved methods for cutting into tanks containing volatile, combustible fuels. None of them have been mentioned yet.
I suggest that you research it and learn the answers from a better source than the internet.
Thanks for the input. The valve has been removed, and I'd already thought about filling it with water. This whole episode sure makes renting instead of buying next time more appealing. There is nothing wrong with the tank, its the valve that leaks and my supplier says it cannot be repaired or replaced. Something about being new in the '60s...
Ken
I have no idea how to do this. Your post did bring back memories of the one person I know who tried something similar. When I met him he had brain damage and a very odd personality.
Please be safe and good luck.
Yachting, the only sport where you get to be a mechanic, electrician, plumber and carpenter
A bit of thermite should do the job.
Dont you have "Scrappies" there.
We have a lot that drive around taking anything metal and old fridges and stuff.
They are experts in this sort of thing.
Well, this might be interesting:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...ank_peril.html
But this, this (or perhaps these)...
http://www.stupidvideos.com/video/st...ank_Explosion/
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"Congress doesn't regulate Wall Street, Wall Street regulates Congress."
MAKE WAY! MAKE WAY! "I have heard of some kind of men that put quarrels purposely on others."
As a general rule, the better it felt when you said it, the more trouble it's going to get you into.
International Financial Conspirator, Collaborator, Gun Runner, Ace Philosopher-King and all-around smartie pants
I was going to recommend a company taking it and refurbishing it..but,I'm voting to shoot that baby,far far away.and alert the FD. Maybe they'd just take it out of harms way. ...NAAA Shoot it!!!Gota be like Myth Busters-saftey first tho...
Put it on your truck and drop it off outside the recyclers gate at midnight .It's illegal but better than dying .
'' You ain't gonna learn what you don't want to know. ''
Grateful Dead
"I need to cut a propane tank in half"
I think the consensus is, no you don't.
Let the pros do it.
BTW, watched the youtube vid, that's proof of evolution right there if one of them died then a service would have been done for humanity. Darwin, explaining why man is so smart, one death at a time. The vid also had a link after that lead to a vid of a girl shooting a shotgun where the recoil sent the scope into her face, removing her eye. Why do I watch that stuff . . . ?
not propane but worth watching for the lesson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qcrw...eature=related
The doctrine of nonresistance against arbitrary power, and oppression, is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind.
Personal failures are too important to be trusted to others.
The doctrine of nonresistance against arbitrary power, and oppression, is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind.
Personal failures are too important to be trusted to others.
I suggest asking over here http://www.hobartwelders.com/weldtalk/
One time i was driving when we saw a burning RV with a horse trailer on the side of the road.
I stopped and the Lady was getting the horses out.
I asked how could i help as the Fire dept had not yet arrived.
She said hold a horse while she gets the other one out.
Ok i have never held a horse by the reins or even been near one but had watched a lot of Mr Ed so i did know how to talk to the Horse.
Anyway as the rv was burning i looked over into the woods as a small tree was cut in half and grass was mowed down.
Not sure if it was the Propane tanks or tire spit rims going off but THAT scared the heck out of me and cured me of screwing around with tanks.
If i was standing 10 feet over i would have been cut in half.
I did it lotsa times.....large, full prpane tanks, attach grenades to them, pull pins as you kick them outta the aircraft at low altitude......or attach parachute and have the valve set for slow leak....set a timed explosive....tank leaks out on the ground, 20 minnits later big boom.
Wakan Tanka Kici Un
..a bad day sailing is a heckuva lot better than the best day at work.....
Fighting Illegal immigration since 1492....
Live your life so that whenever you lose, you're ahead."
"If you live life right, death is a joke as far as fear is concerned."
OK Chuck, so, first he needs a helicopter.................................... and a grenade, or do you need two?.....
C-123 works better.. C130 works more better.
Wakan Tanka Kici Un
..a bad day sailing is a heckuva lot better than the best day at work.....
Fighting Illegal immigration since 1492....
Live your life so that whenever you lose, you're ahead."
"If you live life right, death is a joke as far as fear is concerned."
Thanks for all the ideas. I have "inherited" the tank. My parents bought it back in the '60s. It started leaking from the valve a couple of years ago, and the propane supplier said it couldn't be fixed, so the brought a new one. Said that since it was owned and not rented it was my problem, and no, they couldn't dispose of it. The local metal recyclers said sure, bring it by but make sure it's cut in half. It's an eyesore it'd like to get rid of. Thanks again!
Ken