I’m cutting an oil tank to make a grill. A torch would leave an uneven edge and has some explosion risk. Seems like a sawzall would be a workout and be somewhat difficult to cut a straight line. I was considering an abrasive blade in a circular saw. Any thoughts?
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Replies
Air chisel with panel cutter chiesel, used by auro body shops. Noisey but works fast, no sparks. I used it for cutting oil tank and aslo large drums. You will need large compressor cause it uses lots o CFM . You can find air chisel for less than $20, maybe rent a large compressor, or 't' in a extra tank to a smaller one also helps.
" IT IT WAS EASY, EVERYONE COULD DO IT !"
harbor freight has a metal cutting 7.25" blade for your circular saw... they've gone up to about $16 but... you'll be amazed i used one( ie...one blade) to cut 14 ten inch channel stringer for some metal stairs... just like i was cutting wood... cut 4" channel sttel for the landings... still on the same blade...
I was pretty amazed and i have torches, plasma, every abrasive cutting tool... short of waterjets... and i reach for the circular most of the time..
good luck
p
It's amazing what a good ole power saw will do isn't it. If you ever get around to customizing yours, you'll find another 1000 uses. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Quote of the day: "...can't be done, it will take too long, not enough pipeline capacity, yada yada but yet they don't apply the same skepticism to their own "solutions" such as wind and biofuels"
How about a right-angle grinder with a metal cutting disc. You could score a line halfway through and then bend it along that line until it breaks. It would still be hard to cut a straight line, but easier than a sawzall.
And just in case you don't have one, Harbor Freight sells one for $20. It may not last the test of time, but it doesn't matter if it's a one-time use tool.
Plasma cutter. Seriously.
I would use these. Cheap and easy.
http://www.amazon.com/Grizzly-H5503-Electric-Sheet-Shears/dp/B00012X4SM
See larger image
Grizzly H5503 Electric Sheet Metal Shears
Other products by Grizzly
Ships from and sold by Grizzly.
"It is what it is."
They must make the walls of oil tanks thinner down your way. That would never handle the oil tank sitting in my yard.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I have only done it once with mine when I went to gas, it worked pretty well.
"It is what it is."
"They must make the walls of oil tanks thinner down your way. That would never handle the oil tank sitting in my yard."Agreed. The ones made for inground are very thick, probably close to 1/2" thick, the ones I've seen. The regular above ground ones are very thin but shears would probably be a tough go. I've taken out a dozen above ground oil tanks and a recip is the quickest and easiest.
I've done it all three ways - not with gas, oil only and keep water handy
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Maybe I am thinking wrong - is this a 55 gal drum or a real oil tank 275 or so
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
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Like pony said,
'de even gott'em on sale right now! $4.95
Take ya <10 minutes, probably use up 3 of the blades though, so hae ;your wrench handy or it'll take longer than 10 min. .
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96939
REMEMBER TO FLUSH THE TANK WITH SOAP AND WATER FIRST!
Edited 8/16/2008 11:22 am ET by junkhound
why would you want to cook food on something that held hazous material at one time.
My only thought is that almost any cutting tool, except as someone else said, a chisel, will create sparks that are probabbly as much a fire/explosion issue as using a torch.
i just made a hog roaster out of a 250 gallon fuel oil tank this spring and tried various tools sawsall, torch, grinder, and the abrasive blades worked the best.
Edited 8/16/2008 2:27 pm ET by mikeroop
I'm fixin to make a sandblast cabinet outta one in about a week. I was gonna use my jig saw, it's a tough old Bosch that once was used to rip galvy area wells down in size, works well with a good blade.
But I have every thing else mentioned, may just as well try the grinder and discs.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
You gonna play that thing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Ln-SpJsy0
If you ever get to use a plasma cutter, there's nothing else AT ALL FOR CUTTING STEEL SHEET METAL!I laugh at you fools with your noisy, slow, fast wearing, hazardous blades and shears. WAAH HAAA HAAA!uh, don't try to cut brass with a plasma cutter. Ain't gonna happen.
Fri a week ago I "ripped" 1'' off 4 flanges of a "W" beam 27' long..plasma baby. Pieco O' cake..the P.E. REALLY screwed up.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
You gonna play that thing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Ln-SpJsy0
How fast did the cuts go? You can cut up cars pretty fast but I never cut anything like a beam with one.
About 6' a min. in 1/2" thick steel, but the 60A breaker in the panel kept popping and the rig was set at 50A. It was a Vo.tech school that we hauled the beam to. Tried doing it on site but no 3phase power there. So we trailered a 27' beam on a hay wagon right through downtown on a Fri at lunch time..LOLSpheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
You gonna play that thing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Ln-SpJsy0
That's moving along pretty good.
Gotta keep 70psi too, else the slag won't blow an it'll re-weld the drop. So if the compressor can't keep up, you need to bacck off..I don't know what the cfm was, but it was a fair amt. of air.
I wish I had one of my own..it was fun. But hot, and smelly , the beam was in primer.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
You gonna play that thing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Ln-SpJsy0
Actually the spark ionizes the air into a plasma that becomes the fourth state of matter. I hear it's like 30,000 degrees F, and the plasma itself is electrically conductive, so it is sustained by the high current from the transformer or inverter. The plasma itself burns through the metal. If you don't have enough air the plasma will extinguish. The air doesn't really blow the slag out, it's what makes the heat. The plasma does expand in volume and generates a lot of pressure that does blow the slag through. They cut very smooth. I have flat metal parts fabricated with robotic plasma cutters sometimes at work. It's the cheapest way to have them made. I bet burning through red primer stinks.
I understand most of it, but the details are still foggy. Not my forte'. Lucky my customer is friends with the votech instructor, thats why we did it there. This guy also trains welders for Toyota not far away, and sets up the and trouble shoots the robots...if I EVER need serious welding or cutting he is the man to see. I'm glad we met, I now have a whole tech school shop at my disposal.
This all came about due to the engineer speccing a beam at 8x8,but DUH, it was s'posed to be 5.5x8 to fit in the hole...about 1700.00$ for a new beam ( ya gotta buy a 40' and cut to length, which we did , twice , ahem..ahem)..or rip it down.
At least I brought home some of the offal , about 1.25" x 1/2" thick in few foot long hunks..for making fiddly bits and tools at home. Then I went poking around the schools scrap pile and found some cool junk, like sheet stainless about 4" wide by 7' long and 1/8'' thick..gotta be good for SOMETHING , right? I was thinkig zero clearance throat plates for my tablesaws and dado plates..for a start. And the fat beam scraps, maybe some homemade chisels..(evil grin).Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
You gonna play that thing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Ln-SpJsy0
Hey, a new skill for you.Blacksmithing!
That I have done to a small extent, thats why I save steel. I need to make a forge as time allows, the woodstove is my current cooker, and rail road track my anvil.
I learned a long time ago, the FIRST thing you make is Tongs.., lots of tongs.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
You gonna play that thing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Ln-SpJsy0
sheet stainless about 4" wide by 7' long and 1/8'' thick..gotta be good for SOMETHING , right?
Home-made Multimaster blades!The best reward for a job well done is the opportunity to do another.
I make them from pull saws already, this SS is too soft for a blade, I think..but hey..KNIVES!Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
You gonna play that thing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Ln-SpJsy0
Think bigger-
SWORDSThe best reward for a job well done is the opportunity to do another.
Duly noted, damm, yer a bad influence..I got a house to finish..LOLSpheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
You gonna play that thing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Ln-SpJsy0
I could use a machete.
You too. (G)
Hey, most hardware stores here have slick corn/tobbacco choppers, I lost my machete somewhere in the shop and been using that to handle the Poke and Johnson grass..they're cool..just an old saw blade hunk on a hatchett handle with a backstrap to keep it in the kerf.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
You gonna play that thing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Ln-SpJsy0
Edited 8/17/2008 8:21 am ET by Sphere
I made a path about 700 feet long through a cornfield to the factory. It's behind my house, but I can walk there faster than driving because I have to drive a triangular route. Corn's tough stuff.
not everyone who needs to cut metal on occasion has a $1500 or better tool just sittin around. laugh all you want but it worked:)
They start well under $1500. They can also be rented. Or in my case, borrowed. I don't have one laying around either. Very sweet machines.This is what I would like to have. A little cutter. http://stores.channeladvisor.com/affordabletools/items/item.aspx?itemid=266591&CAWELAID=190316884
Edited 8/16/2008 7:28 pm ET by MarkH
Mike,
That's EXACTLY what I'm looking to do. I might have to bug you for more pictures!
That be fine i went out yesterday and took that just for this thread. it's not totally finished like i want it but it still works great. i've roasted two hogs in it already this year. i'm gonna paint the trailer and cooker bright red and put stainless steel smoke stacks on it along with an L shaped stainless counter top to serve off of
That's a hot looking cooker! Red and chrome would be nice on it.
my thoughts are that you guys are nuts,cutting a old tank with something that produces sparks. you may get by with it all but once,then it's going to seem like a pretty stupid idea,at least to your family.
thats my 2cents.larry
if a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
theres probably not enough fumes in most OIL tanks to be a problem i cut the first one with a torch after i cut themi build a good hot fire in them to get rid of the sludge and smell
i'm from the automotive world originally. if you start welding or making sparks on a oil pan still on the car ,you better know you have health and life insurance. it's one of those deals that you can do a hundred times and evrythings fine. one thing i do know you'll only have 1 blow on ya. now off the car ,not enclosed ,no problem the fumes can go the other way. larryif a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
Purge tank with inert gas first. Then make sparks. BTDT. safety first.
larryb
I assume you are thinking of an oil drum / barrel, rather than the tank that was once buried in the yard to hold heating oil. Here are a few things to consider:
While the drum may have held anything from applesauce to xylene, the inside likely has a plastic film over painted metal. You'll have to give the drum a real good 'burn in' to make if suitable for cooking.
The metal, while it may be a PITA to cut well, is thin enough to pose two challenges:
First, edges will remain sharp. Make sure you leave some flaps to fold over. Wrapping the flap around a stout wire is even better.
Second, the metal will burn / rust through in no time at all. Be sure to put down a bed of vermiculite - which both insulates, and can stand the heat- and have some drain holes for the rain that will surely get in.
One reason the metal is difficult to cut well is that it loses all strength as you cut it. You might want to fins a way to support the metal from inside - fill it with sand or something.
Take care in selecting your grill material. Many racks, such as those used in refrigerators, have a layer of cadmium in the plating. Cadmium is just as bad as lead or mercury for you.
For any holes you may wish to make, I suggest you use a Unibit for the small ones, and chassis punches for the larger ones.
If you are using an actual oil tank, a lot of what I've said still applies. You can forget about using any type of saw blade, though. There are metal-cutting saws that resemble circular saws that might work - see if you can rent one. Otherwise, some sort of abrasive wheel or plasma cutter is called for with the heavier metal.
By the way, my tank is a 275 gallon home fuel oil tank. It's oval in section; a little over 2' deep, 5' long and 5' tall.
sounds like the same size i used. where are you located?
Edited 8/17/2008 12:50 pm ET by mikeroop
Mike,
I'm in Maryland; near Annapolis.
Assuming it (The tank) is out of the house, flush out the tank with water first, then fill with water up to your cut line drill a few holes close together and work the bit sidewise back and forth,to create a slot for a Sawzall blade (Metal cutting small teeth) use the slowest speed and cut open along a line 'til you've removed one section. lower the remaining water level to the next cut line and proceed.
Steinmetz.
get started on that cooker yet?
Don't listen to all these sissies and their whining ;)
Hook a hose or pipe to the exhaust on your vehicle, route hose inside tank(make sure vehicle is on as you're trying to fill the tank with an inert gas as previously posted) and fire away with the oxy/acetyle torch. You aren't going to get a pretty cut right away, unless you go find a plasma and know what you're doing. You will need an angle grinder to touch up the cuts anyway. Water will just float all the oil to the top or to the level of your cut, and if you are really particular, any electrical tool "could" produce a spark from the brushes and ignite the fumes that way.
If you're gonna cook like a redneck, you can't be afraid to act like one in the meantime..
:) lol good advice!!!