Do you use old propane tank for forge body?

Sissies!

Yes DaQo'tah, you would get a fair fireball but I doubt an explosion. You need containment for an explosion. The only containment is the tank and unless it has a vacuum rather than pressure, it can't suck air.

Now for real fun, get some potassium nitrate, screw the valve off, pour it in, screw the valve back on, fill it with propane and then use the campfire and 06.

:eek:
 
My own new forge - that has been fired a few times but not used yet - was made of stainless steel folded sheet but I have seen people making them out of fire extinguiser's bodies and they work just as good.
 
A 22lr will not penetrate a propane tank. I've tried they just dent em.

On the episode of monster garage where they tried to turn a hearse into a car crusher and failed, when they put the car into the shredder the shredder operator offered to throw in a propane tank. It was one helluva explosion. The whole car crusher/shredder was engulfed in flames.
 
Using a torch to cut an enclosed cylinder is dangerous. Any fuel left inside the tank combined witht he oxy from the torch has a potential for an explosion, the fuel includes propane, petroleum product, grease ,soap, oil and unburnt acetylene from the torch.

Over on the junkyard, one of the regulars is a fire and accident investigator, he says it's a matter of when, not if you get hurt.

Then he told us about the kid that straddled a 55 gal drum and cut into it with a torch. Blew his jewells off.

Even antifreeze in a tank has potential for an explosion.

Have fun play safe.


DaQo'tah, just one word, shrapnel. Been there done that. You want to use something like milk jugs and rocket motor ignitors, much safer, still dangerous but much safer.

Cheap chineese SS cooking pots and old steel tire rims don't blow up.
 
Tons of good information. Is there anyone actually using a propane tank?

Terry – Good idea on the refrigerant tank. I would like to use a Freon tank but the ones I have seen are not large enough to do what I want to do. I need a tank diameter of at least 12 inches. I want to have at least 3 inches of thickness of the castable refractory I am going to use.

Sweany: Thank you for the information – really (and antifreeze - who'd a thunk it?). I don't plan to use a torch to cut around the circumference – I am going to use a pneumatic die grinder with a cutting wheel. Plenty of sparks but no acetylene or extra oxygen. I have not seen the plans for making a gas forge out of SS cooking pots??

--SAK
 
Yup. Me.

I purged the tank as much as I could - couldn't get the valve off. Then drilled 2 10mm holes in the top of the tank using a hand drill - no significant heat buildup, no sparks at all, so lower risk. It was actually an easier job than I had expected - the steel is quite soft, and not as thick as I had anticipated. Filled the tank with water (which is why I had 2 holes - water in, air out...), left it for a couple of days then tipped out water to the level of the intended cut line. Used an angle grinder to slice all the way around.

Peter
 
I have not seen the plans for making a gas forge out of SS cooking pots??
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Everything can be done with a drill, a hammer and a chisel. The local dollar store has em for $8.00

Lotsa guys use propane tanks.

SAWs or discs sound safest, specially if they are filled with water.

Pretty much all you need for a forge shell is something to attach the refrac to. Wire mesh would work, Five gallon bucket. SS beer keg.

black wood stove pipe, sections of channel iron, couple steel wheels with the center cut out,etc.etc. etc.

I like a gasser to be light , no 1/2" steel shells for me.
 
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