ANY body now the safest way to chop a gas tank after you have drained the tank. I want to build change up one of my gas tanks but I would rather not loose any degits doing it . any advice.
put dishwashing soap in it with water and shake it around then let a hose drain into it for a few hours. then cut it with a saws all.
triple rinse the tank, you may even use alcohol for the first rinse. Remember that gas as a liquid is not very flammable and not explosive. However, when mixed with oxygen in it's vapor form, it is highly combustible. The key to welding/cutting on a gas tank is to remove the posibility of that vapor. After triple rinsing, take a length of hose and attach it to the exhaust pipe of a running car, then insert the other end into the gas tank you're working on. The carbon monoxide is no flammable, and will create a non-combustible atmosphere inside your piece. Then use either a jig saw or sawzall, which creates less heat and sparks. Argon or another inert gas will work the same as the carbon monoxide, but it's certainly cheaper with the carbon monoxide.
i myself have filled up a tank with "soap and water" emptied it out a couple of times, refilled and then used a cut off wheel on a die grinder to cut the tank. the soap and water absorbs almost all of the sparks at first, and then when you get thru the first cut-thru the leakage of the soap and water counteracts ALL of the sparks. worked for me, but maybe dangerous?!?! dunno
I'd get a new tank myself, but it I HAD to do it, I'd do it the way Joe described above. When I had to have work done on a car tank, I had a radiator guy flush it out in his radiator tank, and then he drilled and soldered what i needed for me. I don't play with gas tanks.....
ive also soap and watered out gas tanks and cut them with a cutting wheel and even welded them.just rinse and rinse,,,and if your still worried....rinse.
I know I am new here but noone has said take it to a Radiator shop and get it roted out. I do bike tanks all the time. I have done one p***anger car tank for installing a new drag car style pickup. You can even take it bake to get there coating put in it for real cheap. I will now go back to my corner.
Old circle track racers around here would "burp" the tank. They would put the tank outside the shop, tape an oxy-acetyl torch to a pole, and introduce the flame to the filler neck opening. Boom-no more fumes to wory about! For the record, I don't recommend burping.
I swear I heard that they use steam to flush a tank out ready for welding. Am I going crazy? As for the only danger in cutting up a tank full of soap and water...I would have thought it would be electrocution before explosion LOL. Danny
Hey, I have seen someone do the exhaust trick on a Harley tank. I watched it from around the corner... But there was gas in the tank! With a vacuumcleaner hose the filler bit ot the tank was connected to the exhaust of a car. Then after about ten minutes I made myself scarce and the guy started welding... No kaboom, guy still has all fingers and tank was no leaking no more... ...and I just barely didn't wet my pants.
Wow, that guy deserves one of those Budweiser "Real Men of Genious" commercials. That takes some serious balls and a complete disregard for your own safety...I salute him.
thanks for the info .im going with the pros idea. just get fng at the shop to do the cutting while im at lunch.hahahaha
Dude your dumb... just kidding... your knowledge is as good as the veterans. You may something we dont. Spill it, dump it...yours was good...I would have not thought of that. Welcome to the board...take advantage..share and enjoy.... Have fun!
What I do is rinse the tank with laquer thinner, then run an air hose in it for awhile to remove any vapor. The thinner will mix with the gas & rinse it out; the air removes the vapor so that nothing explosive is left behind. I always do what was describbed above as "burping" it (from around a corner just in case) , just to make sure there are no vapors left. Never had anything more than a tiny little "puff" come out. Water is not a good way to remove gas.... ~ Paul aka "Tha Driver" America - made in China!
No big one. I just know how it goes around here. If i HAVE ANYTHING USEFULL OR HELPFULL I will chime in.
Burping of the tank is fun to watch - from a distance. The shop next to mine used to do it all the time. Empty out all the gas, let it sit outside with the open pickup hole face down, and when it looks dry, wave a torch in front of the hole. One note - make sure it is against somethign solid so it stays put. If there is too much liquid gas it will collaspe the tank and take off like a rocket. If there is just the right amount of gas it will just take off like a rocket. If it is nearly ready to go - you just get a "whomp" then you can weld. It was kinda funny watching a tank go flying by with a 3 foot flame out the rear of it into traffic.
Me? I don't weld on no gas tanks... lessin' they's bran new. Love the Bud commercial idea... The background singers would be funny as hell... "...mister dumb**** vacuum cleaner gas tank welder exhaust hose maaaaaaan....." Hahahha ahahaaaa.... JOE
a digit or finger, I have heard of old draind tanks that have sat for weeks and still blown up, you should probably neutralize the fumes and residue somehow.
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