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Welding propane tanks

In a boatbuilding group I belong to there has been a discussion on
using propane tanks welded together as floats for houseboats.I related
an experience I had welding a propane tank involving a wooomph
followed by a blue afterburner like flame and an extremely loud
shrieking sound (by the tank, not me, as I was speechless).Someone
else related a similar tale.Then someone sent in photos of a boat he
made from 4, 1000 gal. tanks welded together and said all he did was
"vent" the tanks for 4 weeks first, then someone said you can do it,
just don't burn through while welding.Right.I believe the term
"cruisin for a bruisin" was invented just for this situation and was
wondering if there is a safe way to do something like this.
Reply to
Sam
Loading thread data ...
The safest way I have found is to let your brother-in-law do it........................
Steve
Reply to
SteveB
Steam it out for about 30 minutes and use a CO2 or other purge gas to purge while you are cutting or welding. Or you can drop in some chunks of dry ice if you dont have tanks or you can fill with water as much as possible.
Reply to
Bill Bright
"SteveB" skrev i en meddelelse news:GYbrc.557$_o.296@fed1read05...
ROFL..
The most efficient way to be completely sure the propane is gone would be filling the tank with water.. Empty it before welding tho..
/peter
Reply to
Q
Fill with water and let sit for a while, but not anywhere near humanity. The mercaptan oil will start leeching out of the inside of the tank and into the water. Mercaptan is what makes propane stink. The tanks will reek of garlic for quite a while.
Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler
I think I read somewhere (on the web) about people removing the valve, filling with water and then boiling it out. I believe this is a stinky process also.
don
Reply to
don schad
Thanks for the input.Right after I posted the message I thought to enter propane tanks in 'search' for this group and got a pile of information which ranges from 'it's easy' to 'don't attempt it' with precautions from filling with water etc. to don't bother doing anything beforehand,it won't explode.To be on the safe side I'll tell my brother-in-law to fill it with water first.With all the posts I found about it I never did find one where someone got hurt or knew of someone who did or where there was an explosion, which is surprising to me.The fellow who was wondering about it in the boat group was talking about two 30,000 gal.tanks,9'x64', so filling with water seems to be out of the question.I guess about the only suggestion I can make is to be sure to have someone video record the event for the kids as in "There goes Grampa,you would have liked him"
Reply to
Sam
I took a drill and drilled a keyhole into the tank and then used a saw to cut a 12 inch circle in the side of the tank. I then welded all I wanted after letting the tank sit for a week or so open to the atmosphere. I got a little fire in side but the hole I had cut into the tank vented off the pressure and smoke. After welding what I wanted to I welded the circle back together.
Scott Young
Reply to
Young
What's a redneck's last words?
" Hey, hold my beer and watch THIS."
Reply to
SteveB
I'd think a good dose of pine sol or such would do something to the oil myself. Maybe another like lye or such.
Lye will etch or react with Al - simply keep the base chemicals away from them.
I didn't view it, I read about it in the Army paper - I was one of the photags - phew on a another job...
A native worker - was using a cutting torch to slice out the top of an oil drum. The drum - many are not oil - had jet fuel in it prior to the explosion. Just a little. The rim was ripped off and the top disk took 'off' the top of the worker leaning over the job.
The normal practice was to fill the tank full and then empty, fill and test, then cut.
Martin
Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn
Hi All When I was working on the Alaskan Pipeline, I had a roommate who was... (If I can remember his title correctly) ... a ...Hot Tap Welder? What he did was make pipe welds while gas or some petroleum product was running through the pipeline. Of course the product was burning while the weld was being made. Ain't nothin toit till the last half inch or so. Just a good preheat & a little extra, unneeded gas cover (this was done w/ stick). In the last half inch, it really gets interesting. I can't remember why the pressure & flames didn't just blow the puddle out & continue burning or worse yet explode inside the pipe. Regular welding takes steady nerves, but damn man that must really take steady nerves. I'm sure some of this group knows more about this that I do. I'd enjoy hearing a more accurate description of just how this was accomplished. While I know I'm generally right about this, I've probably forgotten some of the important details. Don't forget this was 28 yrs ago. The procedure may have changed in that time. I rereading this, I realized it sounded as if he did hot tap welding on the Alaskan Pipeline, which was not the case as far as I know. He did regular pipeline welding in between the hot jobs. Looking forward to hearing a better description, if anyone is interested, John
Reply to
John McGraw
Couldn't you just purge it with Aragon, or some other inert gas ? (Co2 maybe ?)
Reply to
Mr Wizzard
My uncle, Randy Haren was killed in Las Vegas, Nevada, while making a "hot tap" on a steam line for the Nevada Power Generating Station on Missouri Street. His co-worker, Dick Wilson, a lifelong welder for the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Pipeliners Union, was fatally burned, and died a few days later. Both were expert welders that had worked all over the world.
Sometimes things just happen.
Steve
Reply to
SteveB
Hi Steve I'm sorry about your uncle. When did this happen? If you remember exactly how hot taps are done, could add that info to the post? Are you also a member of 798?
Thanks John
Reply to
John McGraw
"John McGraw" wrote in message
I'm pretty sure you mean "hot tie in". A hot tie in involves quite a bit of fire. A hot tap, done conventionally and correctly, involves no fire. Both are done routinely, with strict procedures. But both can go wrong and hurt people. Hot taps are done hundreds if not thousands of times per day. Hot tie ins are not as common and are a much bigger deal. A lot of welding on live gas lines involves some amount of fire. I'ts usually unavoidable and fairly safe.
JTMcC.
Reply to
JTMcC
I was working as the fire watch for a welder in a refinery. One day he had to weld over some live lines. ( he was about 12 ft above them.) He asked me if I knew what to to do in case of fire. I said " I knew the official procedures.... but here is what Im going to do. Im hosing you once and running like hell. Just so you know."
response "fair enough"
Reply to
Bill Bright
Not all that long ago, I found a website of a British fellow who contributes to this newsgroup. His site was devoted to all the things he and his friends had made from scavenged propane bottles.
Needless to say, he had a great deal to say about how to properly prepare them to minimize the danger of welding and/or cutting.
It was a very informative and creative website.
If you're that person and you read this then my hat's off to ya. A very entertaining and informative website!
Vernon
Reply to
Vernon Tuck
....know. He did regular pipeline welding in between the hot jobs.
I think you're right. Could you explain the differences between the two, or refer me to some material the explains the two procedures?
Thanks John
Reply to
John McGraw
A hot tie in means you are tying a line into an existing, live gas line and involves cutting the live line and reducing the gas flow to a small amount, that is kept burning during the process.
A hot tap involves welding a special fitting to the outside of a live gas line. Then specialized valves are attached that allow you to cut an opening under the newly welded on fitting with only a very small release of gas.. The hot tap valves are removed and a branch connection is attached to the fitting.
JTMcC.
Reply to
JTMcC
The guys here in Seattle do this with Oxy Acetylene torches. I had a guy from the gas company as a student last year.
Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

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