Amon Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 Hello everybody i am new to the blacksmith world and i have a question, i want to build my forge and i have two propane tanks one is the standard size you get at gas stations or wal-mart and my other one is larger one, witch one should i use for my forge and i need to neutralize the left over propane but i cant get the nozzle off the tank nor do i have any special adapter to hook a water hose up to dilute the propane, how should i go about this p.s. my grammar and spelling is as bad as a retarded monkey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 Why would you want to nuetralize the propane in the tanks? Just get them refilled and hook them up. Either tank will work on a gasser. I use 20 pounders on mine. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fciron Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 George, I think the plan is to use one of the empty propane tanks as a shell for the forge. Amon, people usually use the 20 lb. (small tanks) for that, but it doesn't have to be a propane tank. It's kind of a waste to turn a useable tank into a forge. Any round sheet metal shell will work: an old five gallon bucket or a piece of round duct-work will make a good forge too. (Heck it doesn't even need to be round.) I snagged a couple of empty freon tanks in the alley a while back so I try not to mess around with propane tanks. I do have an empty one; I let it run on the grill until it nothing else came out and then I removed the valve on the top with a large wrench. I believe it has a 3/4" pipe thread, nothing special. It had some super nasty stinky oily stuff inside that I assume is the odorant they add to the propane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksnagel Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 Hey there Amon, Are you going to use these tanks "on" your existing gas forge, or are you wanting to cut one of them to use as your forge? If you intend to use one as your forge let me try to assist you in your decission to cut a used propane tank. DON'T DO IT! There are many other options for a forge other than a used propane tank as many others will tell you. Again I respectfully say, "DON'T"! Mark<>< Just trying to keep the statistics on explosions down a bit. Talk to a local propane rep or provider if you insist on cutting one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amon Posted December 7, 2010 Author Share Posted December 7, 2010 O ok well I have plans for a forge but I am a broke person I figure I could spare a tank to use as a forge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 Two things: 1: Where are you at? If you are near central NM; I'd be happy to scrounge you a tank to use---for free as long as I don't have to ship it. 2: I need a vehicle please tell me if I need a 2 door car, a 4 door car, pick-up, dump truck, race car, etc.. Pretty hard to do without know what I need to do with it, right? So how are we to tell you what size forge you need without knowing if it's for knives or 4" dia stock? (However in general a small forge is more handy than a large one for a beginner, faster to heat up and cheaper to run too!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamptroll Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 O ok well I have plans for a forge but I am a broke person I figure I could spare a tank to use as a forge We used 20# tanks at a build. The first thing that was done to them was to remove the valve and then steam clean them. Then they were ready to have the openings cut out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amon Posted December 8, 2010 Author Share Posted December 8, 2010 ya i had no luck removing the valve on the tank with my tools Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fosterob Posted December 8, 2010 Share Posted December 8, 2010 I think you should scrounge something else for the shell. Talk to some air conditioning guys to get there empty refrigerant tanks, they trash them. If you cut open your propane tank then you will probably need another propane tank in the near future for a spare for when you run out at odd hours and dont want to go to the store right then. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweany Posted December 8, 2010 Share Posted December 8, 2010 Use a hacksaw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted December 8, 2010 Share Posted December 8, 2010 ya i had no luck removing the valve on the tank with my tools I used to use propane tanks for various projects. Strap the tank to a tree with a comealong or a chain and binder. Use a pipe wrench on the valve, with a pipe extension on the wrench if need be. Be sure to fill and empty the tank with water/detergent and rinse several times before cutting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddog Posted December 8, 2010 Share Posted December 8, 2010 Yeah the valve stems are tough to remove. I've done it just the way arftist described and I consider that perfectly safe. But why scrap a perfectly good propane tank. When you get your forge going, you will be glad to have a spare tank when you big one runs out. Try for a freon tank. I got one once from an auto shop. A 5 gal drum will work fine too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilson and Son Posted December 8, 2010 Share Posted December 8, 2010 We used to use Freon tanks available from work. Now I pick up empty disposable helium tanks( same size) that are sold to fill party balloons. I agree, DO NOT use the propane tank, for several reasons. It's all about safety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted December 8, 2010 Share Posted December 8, 2010 SAFETY and staying alive should come before making a forge. Just because someone said "Propane tanks" does not mean that they are the best choice of materials for a forge. Propane is flammable and is explosive. Best idea is to have someone else, like a propane dealer cut the end out of the tank for you while you travel to another zip code to pick up lunch for you both. It has been said before, BOOM is not a nice noise. The neighbors will tell you how loud and powerful the blast was as you recover in the hospital, if your lucky. There are many other types of containers that can be used as gas forges, freon cylinders, 5 gallon metal buckets, pipe, and the list goes on. Your resourcefulness is what is important, not the exact materials. You can make the forge from fire bricks, insulated bricks, and no one ever said the forge had to be round. What about square, hex, octagonal or other shapes? It is more fun to forge, than to recover in a hospital. Think of how to do things safely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted December 8, 2010 Share Posted December 8, 2010 Black stovepipe makes an excellent forge shell. Fastening can be done with self drilling sheet metal screws. Freon tanks are often free and make excellent forge shells. Call the local HVAC place. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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