Cutting propane tanks

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I dunno about you, but I like to take the top off and shoot some air in the tank before cutting into it... Skip to 0:44 for the action. Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom.
Reply:I do it ALL THE TIME to empty propane tanks.  I even made a tool to simply slide over the valve (cut the handle grip lobs off first with a simple mini hack saw) and using an air impact wrench, I remove it.  Then I fill the tank up to where it's overflowing with water.  Dump on the flowers and cut the tank in half with plasma or cutting torch.  Works every time and I've made around 15 wood stoves that way.  No problems or concerns.Lincoln Power Mig 216Lincoln AC/DC-225/125Miller  625 X-Treme PlasmaMiller 211 Forney 95FI-A 301HF 91110Victor Journeyman O/PMilwaukee DaytonMakita  Baileigh NRA Life Member
Reply:funny thing about propane tanks leave the valves open for a week and there is no more propane in themtrailblazer 302thunderbolt ac dc machine Hobart fluxcoreAHP tig 200x 2015
Reply:Originally Posted by akphillfunny thing about propane tanks leave the valves open for a week and there is no more propane in them
Reply:this is what you need to build...
Reply:I open the valve, turn upside down. Wait for full vaporization, and shoot a hole through them. After a day or so I make a fuse out of a strip of rag, and ignite the residue. I'm always amazed how long a feeble little flame continues to burn. The last time I did it was in desperation when I had a pin hole in an air brake tank. I couldn't find a new tank that didn't need a lot of alteration, so I patched. The donor tank continued to stink an incredibly long time in the junk pile. WillieAn optimist is usually wrong, and when the unexpected happens is unprepared. A pessimist is usually right, when wrong, is delighted, and well prepared.
Reply:4:55 minutes of my life I'll never get back. In some cases, propane can leach deep into the metal of a cylinder. I know a friend and former customer of mine who works for a company that refurbishes rail cars and do a fair amount of tankers. He said they had to do some cutting and welding on one that had held propane once, and after steam cleaning they usually get right at it. The guy got pulled away and come back to it some time later (a couple days I think). He failed to make another air sample in the tank before he started cutting on it, and over that time more propane had leached out of the metal. They would normally get a guy back in the car and re steam clean it, test the air quality and then cut it from the outside. For some reason it got skipped.He said the explosion sent the car (a rail car wheighing several dozen tons) across the work area and shook buildings all around. Miraculously the guy wasn't killed but was seriously injured. I guess it blew damn near all the windows out of the building facing the explosion. I heard the story from him, but he wasn't the type to BS ppl about anything. Real respectable guy.I'm too chicken to cut on anything like that myself Expert Garage Hack....https://www.facebook.com/steven.webber.948
Reply:I've read somewhere that hydrogen should not be compressed into a tank that formally carried acetylene as the metal of the tank is contaminated with its former fuel.  The result is explosive.  This tells me that some fuels will permeate the metal of the tank.  I don't think propane is one of those fuels as I have cut open and welded a number of used propane tanks.  In all cases, I filled the tank with water before subjecting it to heat.  Afterwords, I welded the metal without incident
Reply:Originally Posted by BrainfarthI dunno about you, but I like to take the top off and shoot some air in the tank before cutting into it... Skip to 0:44 for the action.
Reply:Originally Posted by SuperArcI do it ALL THE TIME to empty propane tanks.  I even made a tool to simply slide over the valve (cut the handle grip lobs off first with a simple mini hack saw) and using an air impact wrench, I remove it.  Then I fill the tank up to where it's overflowing with water.  Dump on the flowers and cut the tank in half with plasma or cutting torch.  Works every time and I've made around 15 wood stoves that way.  No problems or concerns.
Reply:Originally Posted by 7A749In some cases, propane can leach deep into the metal of a cylinder.
Reply:Originally Posted by pin2hotI think it's the Mercaptan (odiferant aka smelly stuff) that is leached into the metal.  I used to use a 100 lb or so propane cylinder as an air surge tank for blowing out sprinkler lines.  It smelled like a gas leak when blowing lines for years after the tank had ever seen any propane.Mercaptan itself is flammable.Also, from one MSDS for Mercaptan "REACTIVITY: Contact with water or moist air may form flammable and/or toxic gases or vapors."
Reply:Originally Posted by pin2hotI think it's the Mercaptan (odiferant aka smelly stuff) that is leached into the metal.  I used to use a 100 lb or so propane cylinder as an air surge tank for blowing out sprinkler lines.  It smelled like a gas leak when blowing lines for years after the tank had ever seen any propane.Mercaptan itself is flammable.Also, from one MSDS for Mercaptan "REACTIVITY: Contact with water or moist air may form flammable and/or toxic gases or vapors."
Reply:Originally Posted by akphillfunny thing about propane tanks leave the valves open for a week and there is no more propane in them
Reply:Someone on here last year posted one that had a partition or something in it they found after cutting it open. Kinda spooky.
Reply:Originally Posted by pin2hotAlso, from one MSDS for Mercaptan "REACTIVITY: Contact with water or moist air may form flammable and/or toxic gases or vapors."
Reply:Originally Posted by SuperArcNo quite.  Since April of 2002, ALL propane tanks in the USA are made and sold with "OPD" valves.  Opening them up and turning them upside down, sideways or whatever, will NOT allow propane to come out.  It needs the proper hose connection like from a bbq, heater or whatever.   In fact, unless you have an OPD valve, you will NOT get a propane company to refill it.  The old ACME valves are obsolete and propane refill locations don't even (legally) carry the right valve for refills.You can only do that on tanks made prior to April 1st, 2002.   Nothing will leak out by simply turning the valve open etc...
Reply:Originally Posted by SuperArcPropane itself is already "flammable" and toxic if you inhale it directly, so the point about "water" is moot to begin with.  Don't breath it, nor light a match around it, just like anyone would do when handling an old propane tank to prep it for a future welding project.
Reply:Originally Posted by SuperArcNo quite.  Since April of 2002, ALL propane tanks in the USA are made and sold with "OPD" valves.  Opening them up and turning them upside down, sideways or whatever, will NOT allow propane to come out.  It needs the proper hose connection like from a bbq, heater or whatever.   In fact, unless you have an OPD valve, you will NOT get a propane company to refill it.  The old ACME valves are obsolete and propane refill locations don't even (legally) carry the right valve for refills.
Reply:Originally Posted by SuperArcNo quite.  Since April of 2002, ALL propane tanks in the USA are made and sold with "OPD" valves.  Opening them up and turning them upside down, sideways or whatever, will NOT allow propane to come out.  It needs the proper hose connection like from a bbq, heater or whatever.   In fact, unless you have an OPD valve, you will NOT get a propane company to refill it.  The old ACME valves are obsolete and propane refill locations don't even (legally) carry the right valve for refills.You can only do that on tanks made prior to April 1st, 2002.   Nothing will leak out by simply turning the valve open etc...
Reply:if I have to cut any tanks or barrels ill wash them out with water and a little dawn dish soap, it seems to cut all the crude and residue from the inside of the tanks, even let them soak for a few hours ...
Reply:Originally Posted by Willie BI open the valve, turn upside down. Wait for full vaporization, and shoot a hole through them. After a day or so I make a fuse out of a strip of rag, and ignite the residue. I'm always amazed how long a feeble little flame continues to burn. The last time I did it was in desperation when I had a pin hole in an air brake tank. I couldn't find a new tank that didn't need a lot of alteration, so I patched. The donor tank continued to stink an incredibly long time in the junk pile. Willie
Reply:I take out the valves and any other fittings and let the tank air until the next time I'm burning trash. I put the tank on the pile, light it and quickly walk away. I've never had one blow, but if one ever does, I won't be leaning over it. The burning gets rid of propane, oil, paint, spiders and anything else combustible. I just have to wipe the soot off and I have clean metal to work with.