Author Topic: Making things from oil drums  (Read 8865 times)

Offline loply

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 260
Making things from oil drums
« on: July 29, 2012, 05:36:19 AM »
Hi folks,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-19035426

This story reminded me of a tip I read somewhere - I thought it relevant as doubtless many on here will chop up an oil or gas drum to make a furnace etc -

If you need to make sure it's empty before you start grinding it, fill it with water. Once the water is empty you can be assured it's been replaced with air.

If the thing contained oil I would be tempted to leave the water in there whilst cutting it (obvious it will drain out to the level of the cut) just to be safe.

Cheers,
Rich

Rob.Wilson

  • Guest
Re: Making things from oil drums
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2012, 05:47:38 AM »
Very sad , what a waist of live .

Your correct Rich , fill the tank/drum with water to purge the vessel , I then drain and fill with CO2 from a fire extinguisher or welding gas shield .


Rob   

Offline John Stevenson

  • In Memoriam
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1643
  • Nottingham, England.
Re: Making things from oil drums
« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2012, 06:29:19 AM »
Problem with oil drums is you never know what they have been used for, not always what it says on the tin.

Few years ago one of our customers rented an extra bit of land at the end of his for parking trucks.
he got some driver to clean all the crap off so it could be leveled.
One driver got this drum and shook it and they was something in it, so like 99% of all of us he unscrews the bung and took a sniff.

Bang out like a light, it was only the fact that he was literally 3 minutes away from a main hospital that he survived as they threw in in a pickup and rushed him straight in, no waiting for an ambulance. Turns out this drum had some waste cyanide in it from somewhere.

Frightening thing was he didn't do anything that any one of us would have done at the time.

John S.
John Stevenson

Offline S. Heslop

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1154
  • Country: gb
  • Newcastle Upon Tyne
Re: Making things from oil drums
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2012, 06:57:39 AM »
Problem with oil drums is you never know what they have been used for, not always what it says on the tin.

Few years ago one of our customers rented an extra bit of land at the end of his for parking trucks.
he got some driver to clean all the crap off so it could be leveled.
One driver got this drum and shook it and they was something in it, so like 99% of all of us he unscrews the bung and took a sniff.

Bang out like a light, it was only the fact that he was literally 3 minutes away from a main hospital that he survived as they threw in in a pickup and rushed him straight in, no waiting for an ambulance. Turns out this drum had some waste cyanide in it from somewhere.

Frightening thing was he didn't do anything that any one of us would have done at the time.

John S.

It's never a good idea to sniff fumes, but it's definitely hard to resisit the temptation, and if you gotta it's best to waft the fumes towards your head with a hand rather than sticking your nose right in. Not sure if that'd help much with cyanide though, it's supposedly got a very faint odour.

Offline bhowden

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 30
Re: Making things from oil drums
« Reply #4 on: July 30, 2012, 01:50:31 PM »
When cutting open propane tanks I fill them with water, invert them in a tub full of water and then bubble in a bit of Argon (welding gas).  I then cut them open with a jig saw keeping the saw at the top.  As I turn the tank, I tape up the seam with duct tape to keep the water in.  So far no problems or even a hit of a problem.

Brian

Offline RotarySMP

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 463
  • Country: at
Re: Making things from oil drums
« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2012, 04:38:47 PM »
When I cut up my aeroshell drum to make my furnace, I filled it with water, and had at it with the angle grinder. Bit messy, but I am still here.
Best regards, Meilleures salutations, Mit freundlichen Grüßen, Cu salutari
Mark
https://www.youtube.com/c/RotarySMP