Prepping an unknown tank???

[cjunrau]

I have a customer with a glass eye due to torch cutting an unknown barrel.

A torch has a way better chance of lighting something and because of the heat it makes it causes fumes. a chisel can't create much of a spark and no heat. Try lighting gas with a spark from a hammer and steel. I have tried and can't get a hot enough spark. I have used the spark from booster cables and lit gas. but that is a lot more spark than a hammer and nail.

 

[crsutton81]

I use an air chisel as well. I use the one that has a V shaped tip. I even sharpen the one side that does the cutting and the other side I leave dull and it helps to keep from slipping into the barrel all the time. Very fast and it almost smooths out the edge at the same time.

Same here. I think it's technically called a panel cutting chisel. I can have the top zipped out of one in a minute without sparks,fire, or drama. Just pop a hole near the doubled rim edge and follow it around. It's loud though while operating the air chisel on the barrel.

 

[Russ from MN]

People should not be burning trash in a barrel, it only creates pollution, either recycle it or send it to a landfill.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

That shows you how dense I am - I've never thought of using an air chisel. Duhh Most of the people that I do this for couldn't hit a chisel with a hammer to save their life - in fact, the preacher was amazed that I didn't hit my hand even once while working on his barrel.

You don't want to make it look too easy, though.

 

[Crazy Horse]

People should not be burning trash in a barrel, it only creates pollution, either recycle it or send it to a landfill.

This is YT country Russ ..... comments like yours are ..... shall I say "unwelcome" (even though they are 100% spot on).

 

[DoubleO7]

People should not be burning trash in a barrel, it only creates pollution, either recycle it or send it to a landfill.

The stuff that does not burn goes to the recycling center out back in the ravine!!

 

[Old Ford Mechanic]

I have a cutting torch in my shop. Everybody for miles around knows that I have a cutting torch in my shop. People show up here with 55 gallon steel barrels that they want to make into trash or burn barrels. They cheerfully ask me to torch the end out of these potentially explosive bombs. These people are my friends and neighbors. They have no ill intent. I don't know what these barrels have had inside them. I refuse to torch them, but I do use a big ball peen hammer and a big chisel to cut the end out for them. Every time that I strike the chisel I wonder if there will be a stray spark that will send us to our demise. I always insist that the "customer" (I do it for free) holds the barrel while I chisel. My last encounter was with our preacher. He smeared some unknown nasty black liquid all over his red tie and white shirt, and he was the immediate victim of his wife's wrath for it. I don't know what a new white shirt and red tie costs, but I imagine that it made the free burn barrel pretty expensive. Preachers expect "free" to be just that - no expense to them.

I have successfully chiseled the end out of dozens of unknown barrels without any mishap. I feel like I am a lucky fool. What are the chances of a hammer/chisel igniting vapors in an old barrel and severely hurting myself and one of my neighbors? Maybe the "I do it for free" needs to change to "I won't do it".

This is kind of a rant, rather than a question. I think I know the answer. . .

I remember maybe 30 years ago at a Hospital in Lawrence County Tn. two maintenance workers using a torch to cut a barrel. It exploded and they both died after being burned.

 

[ss55]

I have a cutting torch in my shop. Everybody for miles around knows that I have a cutting torch in my shop. People show up here with 55 gallon steel barrels that they want to make into trash or burn barrels. They cheerfully ask me to torch the end out of these potentially explosive bombs. These people are my friends and neighbors. They have no ill intent. I don't know what these barrels have had inside them. I refuse to torch them, but I do use a big ball peen hammer and a big chisel to cut the end out for them. Every time that I strike the chisel I wonder if there will be a stray spark that will send us to our demise. I always insist that the "customer" (I do it for free) holds the barrel while I chisel. My last encounter was with our preacher. He smeared some unknown nasty black liquid all over his red tie and white shirt, and he was the immediate victim of his wife's wrath for it. I don't know what a new white shirt and red tie costs, but I imagine that it made the free burn barrel pretty expensive. Preachers expect "free" to be just that - no expense to them.

I have successfully chiseled the end out of dozens of unknown barrels without any mishap. I feel like I am a lucky fool. What are the chances of a hammer/chisel igniting vapors in an old barrel and severely hurting myself and one of my neighbors? Maybe the "I do it for free" needs to change to "I won't do it".

This is kind of a rant, rather than a question. I think I know the answer. .

Wesco 272018 Deheader with Plastic Hand Grip, For Steel Drums, about $90.​

There are some big can openers for cutting the lid out of steel drums.

High-Quality Drum Openers, Deheaders, and Tools | DENIOS

Explore DENIOS' range of drum openers, deheaders, and tools designed for safe and efficient handling of 55-gallon drums. Discover our manual and electric options to enhance your industrial operations.

www.denios-us.com

 

[farmersamm]

True but that's CRUDE oil, which contains all the volatile "ines" and "enes" that I mentioned. Diesel, engine oil, hydraulic oil, gear oil, etc, has nearly all of that refined out of it.

I can buy that.

Is Gear Oil Flammable? Unveiling the Risks and Safety Precautions

If you own a vehicle or machinery that requires gear oil for lubrication, you may wonder whether gear oil is flammable. Understanding the flammability of gear oil is essential for safety reasons, maintenance, and overall operational efficiency. In this article, we will explore the topic and...

gstresult.com

They're saying that gear oil has a flash point of 390*. This is inconsequential unless, I'm assuming, you're using a torch to cut the lid off. The immediate cut area will obviously raise that temp to 390*..................................

I'm thinking that igniting the vapor produced would raise the temp of the surrounding oil to the vapor point.........kind of a chain reaction. Then ya got a fire maybe.

 

[Jim in LA]

I have a cutting torch in my shop. Everybody for miles around knows that I have a cutting torch in my shop. People show up here with 55 gallon steel barrels that they want to make into trash or burn barrels. They cheerfully ask me to torch the end out of these potentially explosive bombs. These people are my friends and neighbors. They have no ill intent. I don't know what these barrels have had inside them. I refuse to torch them, but I do use a big ball peen hammer and a big chisel to cut the end out for them. Every time that I strike the chisel I wonder if there will be a stray spark that will send us to our demise. I always insist that the "customer" (I do it for free) holds the barrel while I chisel. My last encounter was with our preacher. He smeared some unknown nasty black liquid all over his red tie and white shirt, and he was the immediate victim of his wife's wrath for it. I don't know what a new white shirt and red tie costs, but I imagine that it made the free burn barrel pretty expensive. Preachers expect "free" to be just that - no expense to them.

I have successfully chiseled the end out of dozens of unknown barrels without any mishap. I feel like I am a lucky fool. What are the chances of a hammer/chisel igniting vapors in an old barrel and severely hurting myself and one of my neighbors? Maybe the "I do it for free" needs to change to "I won't do it".

This is kind of a rant, rather than a question. I think I know the answer. . .

When I was growing up in the 60s and 70s, our barrels wer always cotton poison or Treflan! Had to let them air out a while or flush with lots of water.

 

[Buckhammer]

I have a cutting torch in my shop. Everybody for miles around knows that I have a cutting torch in my shop. People show up here with 55 gallon steel barrels that they want to make into trash or burn barrels. They cheerfully ask me to torch the end out of these potentially explosive bombs. These people are my friends and neighbors. They have no ill intent. I don't know what these barrels have had inside them. I refuse to torch them, but I do use a big ball peen hammer and a big chisel to cut the end out for them. Every time that I strike the chisel I wonder if there will be a stray spark that will send us to our demise. I always insist that the "customer" (I do it for free) holds the barrel while I chisel. My last encounter was with our preacher. He smeared some unknown nasty black liquid all over his red tie and white shirt, and he was the immediate victim of his wife's wrath for it. I don't know what a new white shirt and red tie costs, but I imagine that it made the free burn barrel pretty expensive. Preachers expect "free" to be just that - no expense to them.

I have successfully chiseled the end out of dozens of unknown barrels without any mishap. I feel like I am a lucky fool. What are the chances of a hammer/chisel igniting vapors in an old barrel and severely hurting myself and one of my neighbors? Maybe the "I do it for free" needs to change to "I won't do it".

This is kind of a rant, rather than a question. I think I know the answer. . .

The simple solution is to buy the barrels that have the removable top.

 

[DoubleO7]

The simple solution is to buy the barrels that have the removable top.

LOL, they do not want to pay for garbage removal that might even be included in their property taxes!

Why would they pay anything for an open head barrel when they can get it for free?

 

[cjunrau]

People should not be burning trash in a barrel, it only creates pollution, either recycle it or send it to a landfill.

and the land fill doesn't create pollution. Ya right.
Of course I don't produce much trash. All paper products go through my wood stove to heat the house. glass and metal are recycled and the odd plastic gets burnt in my shop to heat the shop. compost gets fed to the pigs and turned into bacon.
All that landfill run off water that I have seen is so green and disgusting I wonder how many fish and frogs die from it running into the creek a mile down the ditch from our landfill.
I am not saying they should burn all the plastic out there. I do believe it should all be reused but that costs a fortune and cheaper to make new. I still think it could and should be used to make 2 ft thick slabs that could be used for base material for cattle corrals.

 

[ss55]

I have a cutting torch in my shop. Everybody for miles around knows that I have a cutting torch in my shop. People show up here with 55 gallon steel barrels that they want to make into trash or burn barrels. They cheerfully ask me to torch the end out of these potentially explosive bombs. These people are my friends and neighbors. They have no ill intent. I don't know what these barrels have had inside them. I refuse to torch them, but I do use a big ball peen hammer and a big chisel to cut the end out for them. Every time that I strike the chisel I wonder if there will be a stray spark that will send us to our demise. I always insist that the "customer" (I do it for free) holds the barrel while I chisel. My last encounter was with our preacher. He smeared some unknown nasty black liquid all over his red tie and white shirt, and he was the immediate victim of his wife's wrath for it. I don't know what a new white shirt and red tie costs, but I imagine that it made the free burn barrel pretty expensive. Preachers expect "free" to be just that - no expense to them.

I have successfully chiseled the end out of dozens of unknown barrels without any mishap. I feel like I am a lucky fool. What are the chances of a hammer/chisel igniting vapors in an old barrel and severely hurting myself and one of my neighbors? Maybe the "I do it for free" needs to change to "I won't do it".

This is kind of a rant, rather than a question. I think I know the answer. . .

Out of curiosity, are you in an area that does not have any garbage pickup service available? Usually anyplace that has garbage pickup services does not allow burning of trash.

 

[Ray,IN]

People should not be burning trash in a barrel, it only creates pollution, either recycle it or send it to a landfill.

Landfills; I wonder about all those heaps of trash, like the 6 million tons of debris from the fires in the West. Where is it being dumped, how much land area is being destroyed for hundreds of years to come??
After the big hurricane destroyed the Gulf Coast of FL something like 700 dump trucks of debris was hauled to landfills.
Humans have 3 things their perpetuation depends on, drinking water, breathable air, and land upon which to live
and raise food.

 

[Hobo,NC]

Same here. I think it's technically called a panel cutting chisel. I can have the top zipped out of one in a minute without sparks,fire, or drama. Just pop a hole near the doubled rim edge and follow it around. It's loud though while operating the air chisel on the barrel.

This is what I use it curls the metal up like opening those old cans of spam that used a key. BTW I cut both ends out set it on blocks are a old tractor rim. You can get them way cheaper than snapon.

Snap-on Store

shop.snapon.com

 

[PJH]

Out of curiosity, are you in an area that does not have any garbage pickup service available? Usually anyplace that has garbage pickup services does not allow burning of trash.

There are no regulations out here. We barely have daylight at times.

 

[Ray(MO)]

I have a cutting torch in my shop. Everybody for miles around knows that I have a cutting torch in my shop. People show up here with 55 gallon steel barrels that they want to make into trash or burn barrels. They cheerfully ask me to torch the end out of these potentially explosive bombs. These people are my friends and neighbors. They have no ill intent. I don't know what these barrels have had inside them. I refuse to torch them, but I do use a big ball peen hammer and a big chisel to cut the end out for them. Every time that I strike the chisel I wonder if there will be a stray spark that will send us to our demise. I always insist that the "customer" (I do it for free) holds the barrel while I chisel. My last encounter was with our preacher. He smeared some unknown nasty black liquid all over his red tie and white shirt, and he was the immediate victim of his wife's wrath for it. I don't know what a new white shirt and red tie costs, but I imagine that it made the free burn barrel pretty expensive. Preachers expect "free" to be just that - no expense to them.

I have successfully chiseled the end out of dozens of unknown barrels without any mishap. I feel like I am a lucky fool. What are the chances of a hammer/chisel igniting vapors in an old barrel and severely hurting myself and one of my neighbors? Maybe the "I do it for free" needs to change to "I won't do it".

This is kind of a rant, rather than a question. I think I know the answer. . .

I use a air chisel with v blade.

 

[Sprint 6]

People should not be burning trash in a barrel, it only creates pollution, either recycle it or send it to a landfill.

Yep, send it to recycling so they can incinerate it. So much cleaner.

 

[Buckhammer]

Out of curiosity, are you in an area that does not have any garbage pickup service available? Usually anyplace that has garbage pickup services does not allow burning of trash.

Garbage pick up is available where i live but you can still burn your trash.