Register now to get rid of these ads!

How to make a 58-1/2 gallon oil drum (learn from my mistakes)

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by MP&C, Jun 18, 2008.

  1. MP&C
    Joined: Jan 11, 2008
    Posts: 2,507

    MP&C
    Member

    For those who haven't heard about my recent stay at the Burn Unit of Washington Hospital Center, (and the Medivac ride to get there) here is how not to cut the top off an oil drum. My mother was in need of a new burn barrel, so I had asked a local school bus fleet owner if he had any spares. With all the oil changes he does, he buys all of it by the drum. He was fresh out of empty barrels, but had another source. when he did drop off what looked like a brand new oil drum, I mentioned I'd have to get out the hammer and chisel. (someone once told me your first answer is normally the right one) He said he uses a cutting torch on his, and left shortly afterward. My next thought was to go ahead and use the plasma cutter and get it done much quicker, what with all the work I have backlogged. I loaded up the truck and drove down to a friends house to use my plasma cutter. (he had borrowed it to make a rock crawler out of a Suzuki Samauri) We got everything situated, I positioned the torch, and once the purge had completed and as soon as the torch lit, it had already happened. The larger of the two bungs was right in front of me, the exit point for most of the flash. I have never seen motor oil act in this manner, and have had a few people since tell me as well, that it couldn't have been strictly motor oil in the drum. Here is the drum in it's expanded capacity form, and also the extent of how much cutting got done:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Regardless of how the oil should or shouldn't have acted, I can tell you I won't be cutting off any oil drum ends like that again. Getting a barrel third hand, you don't know what could be in there (regardless of label) so don't trust anyone's word on the residue contents, treat it as a worst case scenario and wash it out, purge the vapors, etc, and then fill with water before cutting. Lest you wind up looking like this (or worse)

    [​IMG]

    I'd hate to see this happen to anyone, much less myself, so the least I can do with this time on the mend is to bring some safety awareness to everyone who may find themselves in a similar situation. One of my saving graces was that I was wearing safety glasses and leather gloves, so no finger burns and only singed eyebrows. Please be careful out there.
     
  2. jusjunk
    Joined: Dec 3, 2004
    Posts: 3,138

    jusjunk
    BANNED
    from Michigan

    Damn ... get well soon dude.
    dave
     
  3. Gigantor
    Joined: Jul 12, 2006
    Posts: 3,818

    Gigantor
    Member

    OWOWOWOWOWOW!!! Damn! SO glad you're okay and thanks for the first hand reminder. Now I gotta go try to find my appetite for lunch again.
     
  4. panheadguy
    Joined: Jan 8, 2005
    Posts: 1,102

    panheadguy
    Member
    from S.E. WI

    You have realised one of my worst nightmares. Good luck to you, and we can all learn from this.
     
  5. kustombypook
    Joined: Oct 12, 2002
    Posts: 683

    kustombypook
    Member

    Holy shit. Glad you were not more seriously injured.
     
  6. Dirty Dug
    Joined: Jan 11, 2003
    Posts: 3,721

    Dirty Dug
    Member

    I'm glad you're still around to write about it, could have been much worse.
     
  7. wc chopper
    Joined: Nov 12, 2006
    Posts: 139

    wc chopper
    Member

    Holy Crap!!! Glad you're around to tell us about it. That could not have been motor oil in that drum alone. Get well soon and take it easy.
     
  8. Von Rigg Fink
    Joined: Jun 11, 2007
    Posts: 13,401

    Von Rigg Fink
    Member
    from Garage

    Ohhh Owww Damm..I buy the drums that have the removable top..
    I hope you heal up alright..Burns hurt so bad. been thru a few fires. My thoughts are with you.

    maybe the drain oil had some residual fuel in it?
     
  9. I have to do that this weekend, and I got it third hand, the thing is labeled food safe glycerine (makes soft serve ice cream, soft), that's what seems to be in it... but I think I might fill it with water before I grind the lid off to make a smoker. Thanks.
     
  10. wetatt4u
    Joined: Nov 4, 2006
    Posts: 2,146

    wetatt4u
    Member

    Man .I don't even know what to say...............
    Glad your OK.
    Our prayers to ya!
     
  11. Nasty. I'm glad you survived.

    Friend cut a brake line with torch recently. Surprising amount of flame for such a small amount of liquid. He was also burned, but nothing like what happened to you.

    Thanks for sharing.
     
  12. Thanks for sharing! You're one lucky dude that the barrel actually contained a bunch of the explosion and didn't fill you full of exploding metal pieces. You could easily be dead or very seriously hurt (permanently) . . . guess the big guy was looking out for you!

    Best of luck on healing . . .
     
  13. You mention in the description "once the purge completed".......Just what do you mean by that, 'cause to me it sounds like your saying you purged this drum.

    I welded up a few motorcycle tanks already and the only water I use is an initial flush of the tank w/ chain dropped into the tank. Then I run an extra line from the argon tank to the filler of the gas tank & duck tape that all tight. From there I open the petcock on the bottom of the tank and feel the argon blowing out of the petcock.

    To me, that's purging the dangerous gas tank to be able to weld on it. "I'm kinda lost with what your mentioning about "purge completed" but the tank still blew up.

    If the tanks air tight, I definately wouldn't fill it with water & then start welding on it, 'cause the water evaporation would be likely to blow up the tank just like remaining fuel would.

    Did you purge that oil drum or just what were you meaning by that if you didn't purge that oil drum with a non-flammable gass.

    Carl Hagan
     
  14. Takes a brave man to step up and let others learn from his mistake. Thanks for the reminder. Safty first. Get well soon.
     
  15. MP&C
    Joined: Jan 11, 2008
    Posts: 2,507

    MP&C
    Member



    Carl, the plasma cutter is an ESAB that purges the air line for about 15 seconds to clear it out before the arc starts. That's the purging I was referring to.

    Thanks for all the thoughts/comments guys. Hindsight 20/20 and all that other bs, the only good thing that comes out of something like this is a lesson for all.
     
  16. jleavesl
    Joined: Mar 2, 2008
    Posts: 208

    jleavesl
    Member
    from Houston

    The upside is that you blew everything inside that barrel up and now can use the plasma cutter on it. :) Hope you get better soon.

    John
     
  17. Thanks for coming back & answering my question. I appreciate you posting this entire post along with pictures.

    I just asked because I wanted to make sure I understood.

    Get well, man. Carl Hagan
     
  18. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 35,544

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    That had to have something besides plain Shell motor oil in it. I've cut the top out of dozens of drums exactly like that (they came with new oil in them) with a torch and never had any reaction except sometimes the residual oil in the bottom burns. When I have air available I like to use my air chisel as it makes a clean cut and is quick.
    I don't do any anymore as the county I live in has banned burn barrels because of the clean air act and the chance of burning the place down if something blows out of the barrel when it is burning. Old stove shelves make good grates for the top though.

    Hope those burns heal quick and well, that looks all too painful from here.
     
  19. FINKSTR
    Joined: Oct 8, 2006
    Posts: 300

    FINKSTR
    Member

    I'm glad you were not injured worst, good luck in your recovery. I took a couple years of auto body training at a vo-tech school in the 70's during high school when a kid took a cutting torch to an empty 55 gallon drum that had contained laquer thinner. The drum hit the ceiling but no one was hurt. The school of hard knocks strikes again.
     
  20. DE SOTO
    Joined: Jan 20, 2006
    Posts: 3,857

    DE SOTO
    Member

    Sorry you had to learn this the hard way....

    This is the EXACT reason they make an over grown can opener to remove the tops of these drums, We have one at work to cut the tops out so we can use the cans for others purposes.

    Hope you heal soon !
     
  21. crap man, that ain't good..Glad your ok...I have never tried cutting a barrel...but did braze up a gas tank that was 90% full of water..The 10% of fumes that was left ,came out of that filler spout like a dragon spittin' nitro car...
    good thing i wasn't leanin' into it..
    scared the crap outta me...

    get well, you just used up ONE of your 9 lives.

    1939fiat
     
  22. 31whitey
    Joined: Jan 2, 2007
    Posts: 2,214

    31whitey
    Member

    man

    get well bro

    Im nursing some deep burns right now

    it sucks
     
  23. TvanD
    Joined: Jun 15, 2005
    Posts: 76

    TvanD
    Member
    from Newton IA

    The old " oil don't act that way" line has killed a lot of people over the years. 20 yrs of wrenching on construction and agricultural stuff leaves you with stories. few years back a farmer North of here was using a 55 gallon barrel from hydraulic oil as a welding stand, struck an arc and when the barrel blew it took the top of his head off just above his eyes. Never trust anything combustable around cutting and welding.
     
  24. northerndave
    Joined: Mar 18, 2008
    Posts: 354

    northerndave
    Member
    from Badger MN

    damn dude, glad you are around to tell the story.

    I use a power shears to cut oil drums. I have a waste oil furnace in my shop, that's how I heat it in the winter, so I am always dealing with oil drums that I pick up from all over the place.

    never, ever asume you know what's in or has been in a drum.

    I'm even careful unscrewing the bung, when I get it spun finger loose I try to feel if I can sense any pressure, you can get squirted pretty good sometimes just unscrewing the bung.

    Sure am glad you're OK.

    My gramps used to braze holes in gas tanks for cars & trucks at his station. he'd drop the tank, then take out the sending unit & he'd stick a flex pipe onto the tank filler neck & attach the other end of the flex pipe to the tailpipe on his pickup. He'd let the truck run & purge the tank with carbon monoxide for quite a while before he started brazing. He'd leave the truck running for the whole time with exhaust fumes purging out through the sending unit hole, the whole place would clear out before he sparked up the torch.

    I always thought gramps was just a little bit crazy for that, never blew anything up tho.

    get well soon.
     
  25. dixiedog
    Joined: Mar 20, 2002
    Posts: 1,204

    dixiedog
    Member

    46 make sure that the grinder is running on a GFCI circuit so you don't complete the ground and get electricuted:eek:

    MP&C - GLAD you posted this, you don't know how many people you have saved from pain & death.
     
  26. 39cent
    Joined: Apr 4, 2006
    Posts: 1,569

    39cent
    Member
    from socal

    I think this pretty well covers the subject!
     
  27. Mopar34
    Joined: Aug 8, 2006
    Posts: 1,029

    Mopar34
    Member

    As bad as it was to experience and as bad as the burn looks, really glad nothing more serious happened. I had a drum like that a few years back and I decided not to take the risk and gave it away. Looking back, I wouldn't have used a plasma cutter, but probably would have done something dumb anyway.

    Glad to have you here and glad you decided to share your experience with us. Might actually save a life.:cool:
     
  28. 18n57
    Joined: Jun 29, 2007
    Posts: 578

    18n57
    Member

    WOW, glad you survived !! There was a similar episode years ago near where I lived, guy went to cut barrel top with AOx torch. Barrel head separated(explosively) took top 2/3 of the guy's head off!!!! EMT's said it was a grim scene...............Hope evryone reading your post will warn their friends,etc.
     
  29. Shifty Shifterton
    Joined: Oct 1, 2006
    Posts: 4,964

    Shifty Shifterton
    Member

    I think a plasma flame is significantly hotter than an oxy torch flame. Could explain the difference.
     
  30. Del Swanson
    Joined: Mar 27, 2008
    Posts: 708

    Del Swanson
    Member
    from Racine, WI

    Dude, that made my nuts hurt!
     

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.