Propane tank forge - purging & cutting the tank??

RokJok

RokJok

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Oct 6, 2000
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I've seen forge bodies and dinner bells made from old propane tanks. I am wondering how you cut propane tanks without having them go KABOOM!! What's the process?

I will guess you have to purge out all of the propane gas first. How do you do that? Fill them with water maybe? Flush with inert gas possibly? How do you get the non-propane stuff in there to push the propane out?

How do you cut the propane tank? Cutting torch is my best guess. Angle grind a groove around the outside, then strike it with a maul to crack through to the inside?
 
I've made a number of forges from the old tanks. Some I get from the dealers that have already had the valves removed. Ones that have the valve still on them I'll hook up a weed burner or even to a forge burner and bleed off that way. I've watched them at the dealers and they just use a weed burner to bleed them off and then they remove the valve. Alot of times I've just drilled a small hole in them to make sure there empty. After the valve is removed you can also fill them with water if that makes you fill better.

As for cutting them a torch works but they can also be cut with a sabersaw or a sawzall and a metal cutting blade. Also an abrasive steel cut off wheel in a grinder or a skilsaw.
 
Raymond, Thank you for enlightening me on the process. Once the pressure was bled out of the tank, I wasn't sure if there'd be residual propane left in the tank to pose a danger.

Looking forward to seeing you at the Tacoma Freighthouse Square show this coming weekend.
 
I left mine sit for a day or two with the valve taken aopart to air out. I don't think there was any actual propane left, but the additive they put in to give it the smell is kind of greasy and will have a heavy film on the tank walls. I don't know if its flammable or not.
To take care of that I filled the tank with water and power wash degreaser additive and let it sit awhile, then flushed it with water and started drilling and cutting. Didn't have any problems at all.
You've got to be careful about using an oxy acetylene torch on closed containers though. I'd at least open it up with a drill or sawzall a little bit first.
 
Hey RokJok, Make sure you intorduce yourself to me at the show. I've been trying to call a place in Tacoma that sharpens jackhammer bits. Believe they go by Points Sharp and there on 11th. Do you know if there are open on Mondays? What I'm after is the jackhammer bits that can no longer be sharpend.
 
Hi Ray, I've tried locating them to find out about their business hours and contact info. No joy. :(

However, one of the industrial sharpening guys recommended contacting the city street department to see about old jackhammer bits, since they use them all the time. Thus they'd be a likely source of worn-out bits.

I guess a person could likewise talk to the county/state or other governmental road or building construction/demolition department about getting old bits. On the civilian side, a concrete contractor or heavy landscaping company might use jackhammers enough to have old bits around.

(edit to add) How about checking out the tool rental joints that rent out jackhammers to those of us who use them seldom enough to not buy one for ourselves? While their hammers aren't likely to see the consistent use that a street dept hammer sees, the bits gotta wear out sooner or later, right?

HTH.
 
I'll called one of the rental places here and there's are sent to either to Tacoma or Seatle to be sharpend. I would think for the most part they all end up there. I'll try calling them again tomorrow. They might just be closed on Mondays. I was thinking of staying Sunday night and checking them out on Monday but if they don't open on Mondays I'll just head home.
 
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