Cutting open a propane tnak

[Woody]

Do not check for flammable vapors with a match unless you want a new address with 17 different zip codes. Do not fill the tank with water and use a sawzall on it unless you want to put a permanent curl in your hair. Hint Hint electricity and water!

[Warrigal]

I was just thinking, what if you took the valve out, flushed the cylinder with soapy water "37" times and then filled it with dry ice pellets. As they boil off they fill the container with CO2, drop the temperature inside dramatically. Just thinking.
OR
What if you filled it with water and froze it.
Grandad had a light engineering shop he had a big reciprocating hack saw (2ft blades) maybe you could find something like that. ( it would need to be bigger though)
I spoke to dad about it we both agree our personal preference would be to get someone else to do it at their place, while we were at work.
Carl

[Jack Evers]

Just a note to Hammered, The smell is a compound known as Methyl mercaptan' It's a volatile cousin to the oil that is sprayed by a skunk -- butyl mercaptan. A little goes a long way. Butyl has also been used as an oderant in natural gas. It can be smell at concentrations as low as 10 parts per billion. Once in Milan Italy a nearly empty canister of Methyl sprang a leak while on a truck. It prompted alarm cals from as much as 12 km (7.5 miles) away.

Edited November 9, 2008 by Jack Evers

[Rasper77]

How bout filling it with dirt or sand?

[Frosty]

Propane tanks can be safely cut with a couple precautions. Pull the valve out of the tank. Flush with 1 cup chlorine bleach to 5gl water. This will neutralize the mercaptan so it won't smell.

Mark and cut it however you like. As long as it isn't under pressure or sealed propane doesn't have enough energy density to do more than blow a blue flame out the opening.

I HOPE I don't have to say; do NOT have your face over the opening. I will anyway though.

Wear your safety gear, glasses, ear, natural fibers in long sleeves and legs. Do it outside. Yes?

Frosty

[ChrisB]

I cut it open last week. While filled with water I drilled several 1/4 holes on the same line around the tank. Then used a step drill to open them all to 3/4. Used the Sawzall to "connect the dots". Removed the top and dumped the water. Note: Do this away from your shop. I did it a 15 ft from the door and had to smell that "smell" until it rained for two days in a row.

Since then its been cut in two and the bottom section is 90% done as a forge. Just need to line it and put another coat of high temp paint.

I did notice while welding on it that the "smell" would return. Once I got done welding it up and before paint I burned a sunday paper inside of it feeding it two sheets to keep the fire going nice and hot. That seems to have burned that smell out.

[ChrisB]

I would like to second Frosty's safety recommendation. I used eye, ear, leather jacket, long pants.

[Hammered]

Just a note to Hammered, The smell is a compound known as Methyl mercaptan' It's a volatile cousin to the oil that is sprayed by a skunk -- butyl mercaptan. A little goes a long way. Butyl has also been used as an oderant in natural gas. It can be smell at concentrations as low as 10 parts per billion.

I just learned something. Thanks!

[Thomas Dean]

Exactly, and it is absorbed into the metal. You can steam clean, waterblast, sandblast and it is still there when you introduce heat to it. Good for you Chris, that you did use PPE while doing this job. Sounds as tho you had a good plan. But the BEST way to do this, I have found...Get someone else to do it!:)