Cutting open a 55 gal drum.

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Can anyone tell me the best possible way to clean out a drum that has been labled with a flammable material inside?  I am wanting to make a grill or smoker out of it. I have several to do and I was looking for the best way to clean one out as not to harm myself when cutting into one. Or should I just leave it alone and try and find some that has had food grade substances in it? I was told that dawn dish detergent works well. Just wanna be on the safe side.Thanks for your help.Derrick
Reply:Originally Posted by derrickCan anyone tell me the best possible way to clean out a drum that has been labled with a flammable material inside?  I am wanting to make a grill or smoker out of it. I have several to do and I was looking for the best way to clean one out as not to harm myself when cutting into one. Or should I just leave it alone and try and find some that has had food grade substances in it? I was told that dawn dish detergent works well. Just wanna be on the safe side.Thanks for your help.Derrick
Reply:The best way is steam cleaning but doubt you have that. I'd personally try and cut full of water or filled with inert gas. Just washing with water can leave residues that are explosive. Not saying it won't work 99 percent of the time but there have been people killed by only washing with water.
Reply:A pneumatic nibbler would work without all the work of cleaning it.  I've seen those used to cut up fuel oil tanks for disposal.But the best option is junk the flammable drum and find one that is new, never used or held something inert.  There's just too much risk in cutting a drum that once held flammable liquids.Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:Just how flammable is this oil tank?? is it like petrol? or engine oil? theres a difference and theres a wide variety of things you can do, but it depends on whats been in there previously. Do you know??
Reply:I cut up five last week that were filled with engine oil. I did nothing to them and smoked out half the shop. I wore a respirator and that's what they wanted, so here you go, go choke on em. All depends on what was inside bud!I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:Air hammer with a sheet metal cutting chisel works good and is fast. I cut the top off one today, took less than a minute.
Reply:They sell "drum deheaders".  They aren't that expensive, but more than you would want to spend for a one time job.  Kinda like a big can opener.  I would dump about a 1/2 bottle of dawn in it and fill 2/3 with water.  Put the plug in it and roll it around a whole bunch.  Drain and repeat with the other half bottle.  Then fill and rinse a couple times with water then cut while full (quickly!).
Reply:I'm on my third 1000 gallon above ground fuel tank converted to a burn barrel at the shop. Two I know were gasoline storage and the other diesel till they would no longer hold liquid leak free. On the gasoline tanks I set them crossways on the other burn barrel then lit the lower barrel. After the fire died down, I then rolled the tank around a bit to it's final resting place and just cut them open without any water and had no problems using the edge of a 9" grinder disc.SlobPurveyor of intimate unparalleled knowledge of nothing about everything.Oh yeah, also an unabashed internet "Troll" too.....
Reply:Originally Posted by weldermikeI cut up five last week that were filled with engine oil. I did nothing to them and smoked out half the shop. I wore a respirator and that's what they wanted, so here you go, go choke on em. All depends on what was inside bud!
Reply:Originally Posted by Gerry1964Just how flammable is this oil tank?? is it like petrol? or engine oil? theres a difference and theres a wide variety of things you can do, but it depends on whats been in there previously. Do you know??
Reply:I made a UDS this summer.  I used a removable top 55 gallon drum which is best.  Thats what I recommend.  If you use one of them just hose it out and simple green / 3m pad it.  Then light a hot charcoal fire in it.  Then spray or rub with cooking oil when cool to rust proof it before you cook.  The smoke heat and oil combine to make a protextive coating
Reply:The quickist  way to dehead a drum  . is 10 drop of gasoline  shake drum attach long fuse to M80 light drop in drum  take cover , pick up pieces. what could be simpler .Sometimes it will even flatten the sides out..gxbxc
Reply:Originally Posted by M J DAir hammer with a sheet metal cutting chisel works good and is fast. I cut the top off one today, took less than a minute.
Reply:I normally use an air hammer with a chisel myself but that doesn't ensure I'm spark free. I suppose it would be safer if the barrel was full of water... but then I'd get wet. The correct tool is a deheader, the cutter is generally bronze to prevent sparks. Food grade does not ensure it's safe to cut. I look at every barrel as being a possible bomb and try to only open ones I know are clean.Eric Leighton was killed when a barrel he was working on in a class at Mother Teresa High School exploded in May of 2011. The class was working on a project to turn the barrels -- which had formerly contained peppermint oil -- into barbecues.http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/explosion-w...ived-1.1743886
Reply:I cut them with a skillsaw.My evolution 180 is awesome.plunge and slit....
Reply:I routinely cut #2 fuel tanks with an acetylene torch. The liquid in the bottom Quenches sparks before they ignite fuel. I had a wild experience once when I intentionally set a 10,000? gallon tank with a bit of sludge on fire. I now know where the idea for jet engines came from.
Reply:Willie did you also see the video of the guy venting his gas tank with a vacum cleaner , turned it into a jet engine until the motor burned up , and no it wan't that crazy English guy either.
Reply:A lot of dangerous advice in this thread. ..Miller Dynasty Dx 200Miller bobcat 250Esab Miniarc 161
Reply:Can't tell you how many diesel fuel tanks for trucks I've welded up without washing or doing anything to them except grinding, or cutting out a bad section to weld in new. The standard burn barrel for an auto body shop is a 55 formerly used for lacquer thinner. Just let it air out a few days before cutting into it.On cutting gasoline tanks or barrels formerly holding gasoline you can let a CO2 tank slowly discharge into the barrel causing a very slight positive pressure blanket while the inert gas bleeds as you cut. CO2 will not support combustion.SlobPurveyor of intimate unparalleled knowledge of nothing about everything.Oh yeah, also an unabashed internet "Troll" too.....
Reply:5 wears back a guy have ghe idea to use two barrels as a platform to work in high. The barrel have thinner so she wash the barrel very good. But wasn't enough. It start to weld. The spark ignite the thinner vapor. The leat fly and cut pure man head.. Go find a clean barrel and don't gamble you life
Reply:i cut an old oil drum open with a torch once...it smoked a lot...my previous dumbass employer said it would explode....it just smoked a lot. drill some vent holes and cut away!AHP alphatig 200xclarke 130en MIG (first welder i ever bought)NT Plasma 375craftsman 240/180 ac/dc ARCcustom 60x30x30 powder coating ovenhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Rossi...18853401526643
Reply:Haven't even read through all the posts so maybe this has been said..................You can buy used barrels for $10 - $20 that have never contained flammable liquid.
Reply:^this is also true! LOLAHP alphatig 200xclarke 130en MIG (first welder i ever bought)NT Plasma 375craftsman 240/180 ac/dc ARCcustom 60x30x30 powder coating ovenhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Rossi...18853401526643
Reply:You can go bang stripper without a hat and you might not get anything. It does not mean you will not.Sent from my SCH-I545 using TapatalkCRIME SCENES, COURT DATES, FUNERALS, RIDING THROUGH THE CITY WITH A BITCH THAT IS JUST BEAUTIFUL IT'S JUST BUSINESS AS USUAL.Such interesting advice.Before trying to work on a used drum that had any kind of flammable material you should google the phrase "weld oil drum explosion" and follow a few links.   That should give you a few things to think about.It's not the liquid that gets you, it's the fumes that ignite.   Unfortunately the fumes might be generated from crusted on gunk on an otherwise empty tank that gets heated by the torch or cutting blade.  Last,  remember that ANY oil can become flammable at the right temperature and conditions.   Cooking oil will flash at about 600f.Dan
Reply:These guys have pretty much told you what has worked for them, the rest have told you what not to do.Now it is up to you to decide how you want to proceed knowing one of two things will happen.Something did OR Nothing did!
Reply:If I were to cut one I would set down with a bottle of Bourbon and when the time was wright I would do it. At least I would go out happy.
Reply:You know it's threads like this that makes me shake my head at the shear ignorance on the internet.  The original poster said it was a barrel labeled flammable, yet there's been multiple people ASSUMING it contained oil and just suggesting to start cutting.  Fuggin dumbasses, and people come on here whining about others being mean to people.  I personally could care less if ignorant people kill themselves but my mind knows that there are usually innocent people effected by ignorance.
Reply:Cutting something like that you may get by with it a 1000 times but it only takes one time. Herd to many bad things happening.
Reply:Originally Posted by AntiblingYou know it's threads like this that makes me shake my head at the shear ignorance on the internet.  The original poster said it was a barrel labeled flammable, yet there's been multiple people ASSUMING it contained oil and just suggesting to start cutting.  Fuggin dumbasses, and people come on here whining about others being mean to people.  I personally could care less if ignorant people kill themselves but my mind knows that there are usually innocent people effected by ignorance.
Reply:Originally Posted by A_DAB_will_doA pneumatic nibbler would work without all the work of cleaning it.  I've seen those used to cut up fuel oil tanks for disposal.But the best option is junk the flammable drum and find one that is new, never used or held something inert.  There's just too much risk in cutting a drum that once held flammable liquids.
Reply:Originally Posted by Antibling  The original poster said it was a barrel labeled flammable, yet there's been multiple people ASSUMING it contained oil and just suggesting to start cutting.
Reply:Originally Posted by mikecwikOil is flammable.
Reply:Originally Posted by AntiblingYou know it's threads like this that makes me shake my head at the shear ignorance on the internet.  The original poster said it was a barrel labeled flammable, yet there's been multiple people ASSUMING it contained oil and just suggesting to start cutting.  Fuggin dumbasses, and people come on here whining about others being mean to people.  I personally could care less if ignorant people kill themselves but my mind knows that there are usually innocent people effected by ignorance.
Reply:Originally Posted by AntiblingBig round of applause here people, completely missed that point thrown out here.  And I'm done with the internet for the day, time for me to go out to the shop.
Reply:use a drum deheader for the end,length wise I wouldn't do it,using a barrel marked flammable[they did that for a reason]is unsafeeither you LIKE BACON or you're WRONG!!!! "There are three kinds of men.The ones that learn by readin'.The few who learn by observation.The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves"-Will Rogers
Reply:Originally Posted by mikecwikWho said it contained oil? People just stated what they did with drum that did contain oil.
Reply:Originally Posted by AntiblingThe original poster only said it was labeled flammable.
Reply:Unless the drums you want to cut are the same size as the popular weber 22.5"  top and you feel like buying one I would stick to removable top drums.  The key to a smoker is air control and you need a good seal between the drum and the top.  To do it safe... fill with water and use a pneumatic cutting tool.  Not grinding or sparks.. Save money on tools.. sell drums to someone who wants liquid storage and get a removable lid one I had a gas tank that was rinsed 3 times and filled with water burp on me when I started welding ( small explosion).    If I would have been likely hurt if I just rinsed it without fillingLast edited by bikesandcars; 10-13-2014 at 04:19 PM.
Reply:derrick> Big huge thanks to you for starting this thread!!!--12V71> “I use the Giant can opener tool. Its just not worth the possibility of dying.”  May I ask what exactly a giant can opener tool is please?MM 211Smith Tru Lite O/A set, Thanks Bob!Lincoln AC-225--But you must not change one thing, one pebble, one grain of sand, until you know what good and evil will follow on that act. The world is in balance, in Equilibrium- Ursula K. Le Guin
Reply:Look up "drum deheader"