Cutting up a redundant fuel tank....

[Sy-Revolution]

....with a 9" angle grinder. I've drained all the diesel out of it, will I blow myself up?

Cheers,

C.

 

[sailorman]

....with a 9" angle grinder. I've drained all the diesel out of it, will I blow myself up?

Cheers,

C.

try to connect an exhaust pipe to it & blow carbon monoxide into it first

 

[Sy-Revolution]

Hmmmm nice idea, it's inside my narrowboat though and too big to move in one piece. I had thought of fitting the hoover hose to the filler so as to avoid vapour build up.....

 

[sailorman]

Hmmmm nice idea, it's inside my narrowboat though and too big to move in one piece. I had thought of fitting the hoover hose to the filler so as to avoid vapour build up.....

assume it was for diesel

 

[PetiteFleur]

I've done it but NOT with an angle grinder! Far too dangerous, noisy, sparks everywhere AND it'll take a long time.
I did mine with a Recriprocating/Sabre saw with a metal cutting blade. Fast, fairly quiet and NO SPARKS therefore much safer. I hired one from a local hire company. Well worth the cost. I had to do mine insitu to remove the leaking tank and even having to rotate it to complete the cut it only took a few minutes.
Good Luck.

 

[prv]

I did cut one up with an angle grinder, but I filled and emptied it with water first.

Pete

 

[sailorman]

I did cut one up with an angle grinder, but I filled and emptied it with water first.

Pete

if it had petrol in theer would still be fumes in it.
DONT ask me how i know

 

[Sy-Revolution]

Hi Sailorman, yes it's an old diesel tank. Made of 4mm mild steel. I've had to cut out the bulkhead today to get it free but now needs chopping up. 1.9mm discs worked well enough but nearly set my dreads on fire.....

I had thought of using water but it's huge and would probably take all day to empty it out again.

 

[savageseadog]

I've cut up a few large steel tanks with a grinder/cutter they do catch fire but don't explode. The fire is proportionate to the amount of fuel and size of tank of course but nothing particularly alarming. I would suggest some sand to help, a dry powder extinguisher would be ideal as well.

 

[sailorman]

Hi Sailorman, yes it's an old diesel tank. Made of 4mm mild steel. I've had to cut out the bulkhead today to get it free but now needs chopping up. 1.9mm discs worked well enough but nearly set my dreads on fire.....

I had thought of using water but it's huge and would probably take all day to empty it out again.

as an aside, i remember you Son telling you in Oostende ( after that cr ap trip over )
that you "Were the best Dad in the world"

 

[Sy-Revolution]

I would suggest some sand to help, a dry powder extinguisher would be ideal as well.

I've got a few OoD ones haning around, I'll let a couple off in there beforehand....

Cheers.

 

[Sy-Revolution]

as an aside, i remember you Son telling you in Oostende ( after that cr ap trip over )
that you "Were the best Dad in the world"

Ahhh that's nice to hear.......however he's just told me that with the benefit of hindsight he may have to reconsider!

 

[sailorman]

Ahhh that's nice to hear.......however he's just told me that with the benefit of hindsight he may have to reconsider!

i thought he was a bright lad

 

[Greenheart]

I'd be interested to know roughly what the empty tank weighs, relative to its approximate capacity. Just your best guess.

 

[sarabande]

what about an air-powered nibbler ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpxAc7T4_LE&feature=relmfu


Available at most hire shops.

 

[TQA]

People get hurt and killed every year doing this.

See http://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/issues/dieseltanks.htm

You might get awy with it but it is a considerable risk with a serious outcome.

Best steam clean tank then fill it with water before cutting the top off while full. Once the top is off 99% of the danger is gone.

 

[penfold]

If filling with water doesn't appeal and the area you are working in is reasonably well ventilated, get a CO2 fire extinguisher and squirt(no more than a second blast) some into the tank before cutting, and stop at intervals to squirt more into it until you have cut a large opening. Once there is a large opening there is no risk of explosion(not that there is much risk anyway, but mitigating risk is always a good idea) and only a small risk of fire. Use the opening to mop up any remaining fuel then you can cut the rest up with Gay Abandon, that nice lass from the next narrowboat.

Please have a safety person standing by throughout, preferably equipped with a first aid kit, a charged mobile phone, a bucket of water, a bucket of sand, and fire extinguishers(ideally 1 CO2 and 1 foam).

 

[Jim@sea]

Dont try this at home. As a child (15) I worked with our mechanic who during the war welded bullet holes in petrol tanks. (those that had not exploded) what you did to remove the risk of fire is put some paraffin in, leave overnight, empty, then from a distance throw a lit match in. So when a few years ago I had a BMW with a leaking petrol tank, this is what I did. There was a small "Pouf" (not to be confused with a gay dwarf) and the tank had "Flashed" so I was able to weld away.
This is what I would do with a diesel tank. Mind you instead of using an angle grinder you can get these small saws with metal cutting reciprocating blades which would also cut the tank up.

 

[Corribee Boy]

the HSE publication 'CS15' gives lots of interesting thoughts on decommissioning tanks: see www.hse.gov.uk, as does 'hot work on small drums and tanks'.
The emphasis is on purging all residue to avoid accidents and environmental incidents - how much you want to take on board is, of course, entirely up to you! As others have already suggested, I'd definitely avoid grinding as fires will almost certainly result, even from what looks like fairly clean steel.

 

[lw395]

You might use a wallpaper steamer to clean it out.


Even then, I think this is an excuse for a tool purchase, get yourself a reciprocating metal saw.
For one thing, grinding it makes a mess. You will have bits of rusting metal appearing for months. You need to catch the sparks in something that does not matter.