Can a tank of liquefied petroleum be used as a bbq pit?

[clint738]

I have 2 tanks now like this one pictured. The one pictured has a sticker that says liquefied petroleum, but the second tank doesn't have the label, but looks identical.

Anyone have any idea what the wall thickness on one of these tanks could be? They are about empty, so pretty light weight. Wasn't sure if they could be useful for a small bbq pit or even just the firebox of one. My father-in law has a tiny bbq pit that needs the fire box replaced so was thinking about using something like this if it would be suitable?

[H80N]

will need to depressurize then fill it up 100% to the top with water to make sure all the gas is out

then drain before even thinking about cutting the tank

[WillieB]

Were it mine, I'd take it out in the woods, open the valve and ignore it for a week first. I'd then shoot a hole at the bottom from a safe distance, and again ignore it for another week. Then the water thing is good. The odor will be overpowering for some time.

I rig some kind of fuse. Typically I like a waxed strip of old bed sheet. Tuck one end in the shot hole, light the other. After two weeks you may get nothing. Likely, you'll get a small flame that'll burn an hour.

Willie

[clint738]

Were it mine, I'd take it out in the woods, open the valve and ignore it for a week first. I'd then shoot a hole at the bottom from a safe distance, and again ignore it for another week. Then the water thing is good. The odor will be overpowering for some time.

I rig some kind of fuse. Typically I like a waxed strip of old bed sheet. Tuck one end in the shot hole, light the other. After two weeks you may get nothing. Likely, you'll get a small flame that'll burn an hour.

Willie

will need to depressurize then fill it up 100% to the top with water to make sure all the gas is out

then drain before even thinking about cutting the tank

Thanks for the safety reminders! I've read many times about people doing that with large propane tanks, so the process before cutting I understand.

However, I've just never heard much about liquefied petroleum tanks?
Are the tanks thinner walled, thicker, or about equivalent?

For the size of this tank, I can pick it up and carry it myself which I'm sure I could never do with an acetylene tank this size.
So I just wasn't sure if anyone knew if these tanks were too thin of walls to be of much use?

[MAC702]

Acetylene is a thin-walled, lower-pressure tank. But it's full of balsa, or some other matrix, as well as the acetone in which the acetylene is dissolved. I'm GUESSING the tanks are similar wall thicknesses.

[WillieB]

Propane, and liquefied petroleum gas if I'm not mistaken, are two names for the same commodity. It depends on the diameter. The bigger the cylinder, the thicker the wall. I believe 100Lb tanks are spun in manufacture. Larger tanks are welded construction. 100 gallon tanks, (maybe 30" diameter) are welded, and about 1/4" wall thickness.

Willie

[ryanjones2150]

LPG is either propane or butane.

[Burnt hands]

ICC - 4B240 - good for 240 PSI.
Yours was manufactured in Sept 1940 by Pressed Steel Tank
It holds 239 lbs of water or about 29.87 gallons.
Tare (empty) weight is 90 lbs.

From the info, this appears to be a propane or LPG tank.
Acetylene tanks are filled with fullers earth and acetone, so an acetylene
tank of this size would be much heavier than this tank.

The acetylene gas dissolves in the acetone to make it safer to handle
as it becomes dangerous above 15 PSI

http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/staticfiles/PHMSA/DownloadableFiles/Files/Hazmat/requal_propane_cylinders.pdf

[ampedtech]

Were it mine, I'd take it out in the woods, open the valve and ignore it for a week first. I'd then shoot a hole at the bottom from a safe distance, and again ignore it for another week. Then the water thing is good. The odor will be overpowering for some time.

I rig some kind of fuse. Typically I like a waxed strip of old bed sheet. Tuck one end in the shot hole, light the other. After two weeks you may get nothing. Likely, you'll get a small flame that'll burn an hour.

Willie

Willie where is your sense of adventure? You already took it out in the "woods". Maybe you could start the process by shooting that hole!

After watching this video, it could be that the desired out come is not achieved!

Nice fire plume though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAReHBzV9JE

[WillieB]

Not exactly what I had in mind. My tank was 50 times that size. I was hoping to repurpose it, not launch it into outer space. I'll leave that stuff to you and Wile E. Coyote.

[aametalmaster]

I watched that vid a few days ago. And from what I got out of it the OX tank never got hit from the bullet. It was launched by the propane fireball. I think. That guy has lots of free time, guns and ammo...Bob

[WillieB]

That, and money.

[griff01]

Willie where is your sense of adventure? You already took it out in the "woods". Maybe you could start the process by shooting that hole!

After watching this video, it could be that the desired out come is not achieved!

Nice fire plume though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAReHBzV9JE

Neat to watch but, that guy is a BAD shot!

Griff

[MAC702]

A 1X optic on a .50 BMG? And a cheap stock A2 pistol grip? My guess is he just took that thing out of the box the night before. That said, more power to him!