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Hello and Greatings from Utica, NY  .  I have a question that I can't seem to find an answer to.  A good friend of mine has ran a Junk business for the last 40 years.  Lately he has been over run with Propane Tanks.  He would like to take these in for scrap but they won't take them unless they are cut in half.  I searched you archives and found a post with alot of ways of doing it, but none seamed to be "high production".  I am wondering if anyone has tried to cut these things with a modified lathe? Even if I had to rig up a pump to run cooling fluid on the cutter.  Thanks for any Info Too Poor To Pay Attension
Reply:My guess would be that they want them cut in half so that there is no possibility that a pressurized tank would inadvertantly slip in.Cutting them in half on a lathe does not seem like a "high production" method.  Cutting torch or plasma cutter would be quicker, but I'd be sure to puncture the tank first to make sure that it is really empty.I know that there are issues of cutting through tanks that used to hold petroleum products, but are there any issues with "remnant" propane even if the tank is empty?
Reply:The scrap dealers here in Houston will take pressure vessels of all kinds as long as the valve assembly has been removed.
Reply:PA Toyota,              Yes there will be stuff in the that could blow up, oils and some gas.When I use tanks for projects I fill them with water and let them sit for awhile. You'll see the oil work to the top. Then I empty them to just below where I want to cut, near the top for the first cut. Here in Michigan we can bring them in if the valve is off also. But I found some use for that size of pipe.Hope this helps. Just my .02Brett B & B Fabrication and Welding Inc.Spalding, MI.
Reply:There is no "High prouction" way to blow something up unless you work for the Marines....  But the safest way is to pull the valve( not easy) purge it with Nitrogen, run Nitrogen threw the plasma cutter. Pound for pound you will not make any money, even with the price of scrap what it is today, at best you just break even. For a little bottle (like for a grill) you just need a 6" hole, for a 100 gallon tank you need three 10" holes and they will take them off your hands. Even the best car crusher does not like 100 gallon tanks over and over again......  I hope this Helps.
Reply:Kind of off the subject but a similar question.  I am getting a plasma cutter this week and need to make up something to cut on.  At a local shop they use a 55gallon steel drum with a grate on one end and cut into the drum...what a great idea for the small stuff I will be cutting.  One less fire hazard, all the sparks go into the drum.  So I am getting a drum tomorrow but don't know what was stored in it and how long ago it was, I need to cut one end off, withOUT blowing myself up.  Is it safe to just fill it with water and then use a sawszall to cut the end off ? I know its not safe to use a torch on it depending on what was stored in the drum.  But will a sawszall create enough sparks to blow up ?  I just need one end off.
Reply:Cold Chisel!!!!!!Never, never, ever,use a torch on a drum. Use a 1 1/2" wide cold chisel, with overlapping cuts, lean the chisel toward the outside of the drum, (this keeps the inside edge safer), work your way around the inside top edge. It works a lot better if you have a helper to hold the drum stable.  Do not do this from the side, as you will loose the "chime" the rolled over section of the drum that you need for strength. If you have an air powered chisel/muffler type tool, that will make the job easier. When you are done, turn the drum on it's side, clean it out, and bang any sharp edges down, (at some point you will drop the part you wanted to save into the drum, and you do not want to get opened up by a sharp edge)Last edited by tessdad; 05-24-2005 at 06:39 PM.Just my  opinion, not from a book, just from the road.Howes Welding Inc.www.howesweldinginc.com
Reply:ok, I can do that.  I have a air hammer with a chisel attachment, I had not thought of using that.  Thanks
Reply:Originally Posted by mikeyrok, I can do that.  I have a air hammer with a chisel attachment, I had not thought of using that.  Thanks
Reply:>How about smashed?? Evidence of being empty right there. Pull the valves and crush 'em. Most of the valves were put in with high strength lock-tight material so are pretty dern hard to crack loose. The stinkem they put in the propane is embedded in the metal and will last a looooonnnng time. Just handling the interior of the metal leaves an oder on your hands.
Reply:fill with water ,leave valve open ,use a slice pac, or broco underwater  cutting torch and cut around bottom of tank