Cutting a gasoline storage tank

Josh in Pa · Apr 1, 2013

I have a 300 gallon gasoline tank that has a rust pinhole in the bottom. I have a replacement and need to get rid of the old one. Scrap yard will only take it if it is cut in half. Can I safely clean and cut this? Should I just abandon it in the woods? Scrapping would be better, but Not if I can"t safely do it.
Josh

old · Apr 1, 2013

Take an old ax or other such thing and beat a fair size hole in it in a couple places then set it in a burn pile and light the pile and let the tank burn with the pile and then it will be safe to cut. Did that a month or so ago with a gas tank off a big truck

Wheat Farmer · Apr 1, 2013

Fumes is what will blow up. I have cut several. Fill with water if you can. Have opening at the top (set on end). Scrap yard will take old wire only if it is in a tank that can be crushed. I cut them in half and filled with wire and small items. GET RID OF THE FUMES. I watched a guy weld a gas truck tank, but would only do it if it was topped to the top of the neck. I was young and watched from a good distance.

paul · Apr 1, 2013

Have someone take a video if you go ahead with this....

Only trying to be slightly humorous.

I hear various versions of filling with water. I doon if that sounds good enough to me, gas floats, always gonna have an air pocket on top...

Or fill with exhaust fumes from a running vehicle.

Or a popular one is to cut up dried ice and put enough dried ice in that vapors come out the top, so it has no oxygen inside it.

Only repeating what I"ve heard on here in the past as serious answers, and mot sure I would be asking this question on April 1st and expect to get good answers....

--->Paul

60 acre hillside · Apr 1, 2013

Old's way will always works the exhaust pipe and the filling with water USUALL work.

37chief · Apr 1, 2013

I am facing the same thing with a tank about that size. It's a good tank, I can't even give it away. I had a couple propaine tanks. I cut one in half thought it would be good for a BBQ grill it was about 4 ft by 20 inches across. NO one was interested, I just cut a hole in the other one, and they took the tank. I filled them with water also before any cutting. I will probably fill the 300 gal gas tank with water and go for it. You might try that. Stan

CAROGATOR · Apr 1, 2013

What about chance sparks from the axe hitting the tank? Just asking.

Bob M · Apr 1, 2013

(quoted from post at 14:07:02 04/01/13)
Or fill with exhaust fumes from a running vehicle.

Use exhaust from a gasoline or LPG powered vehicle ONLY!

Exhaust from an idling diesel contains nearly as much oxygen as fresh air. It will not displace enough oxygen from inside the tank to make cutting safe!

Anonymous-0 · Apr 1, 2013

Put on a burn pile in a field.
Light off the kindling and stand back.

chucksoliver77 · Apr 1, 2013

Josh, My neighbor cut one couple years ago , killed himself and totally demolished his F- 350 and that wasn't the first tank he cut. Accidents happen, Chuck

Bob · Apr 1, 2013

Stan wrote:

"You might try that."

TRYING something is NOT a good idea when working with a potential BOMB!

You just MIGHT not get to "try" something else!

641Dave · Apr 1, 2013

I've got a good friend with some pretty substantial burns on his head and face from cutting up an old fuel tank just like you're talking about.

Be careful!

PJH · Apr 1, 2013

Take it to the woods. Why take the chance? I've got two sitting over in the woods now, and they've been there long enough to have a nice sized hole rusted through them.

ohiojim · Apr 1, 2013

we have removed sever underground tanks in the past,..fire marshall would come out and put dry ice in them, contact them to see how much you would need

GordoSD · Apr 1, 2013

Put it in a semi isolated spot so someone can steal it. Or put it out front witht a For Sale $10. Someone will buy or steal it.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 1, 2013

An old gas tank makes a good target. Put BIL picture on it and fill it with lead.

Donnie Baker · Apr 1, 2013

Purge the tank with nitrogen. Several years ago when all the underground gas tanks were being updated the contractors would get a tank of liquid nitrogen and run a line in one of the openings, seal it with a rag and turn it on and let it purge for a 1/2 hr. or so and go to cutting. For your small tank just get a compressed cylinder of nitrogen and purge it.

ralph wilton · Apr 1, 2013

A gas tank is to light to bring anything put some salt and water in it and put it out of the way it will disappear soon

JMOR · Apr 1, 2013

DO NOT, NOT trust filling it with water! Air can be only a bubble or two 'trapped' in a seam or weld or under rust, or??? and even though you have sloshed it about, topped off to the last eye dropper full, when heat hits, that air comes out & boom! Witnessed my dad blown half way across machine yard doing exactly that. I always use an abundance of nitrogen.

plow hand · Apr 1, 2013

To be on the safe side put a free sign on it and let some one else have it with experience.

el6147 · Apr 1, 2013

It seems the simplest things are so over thought , let it sit with all the openings open, the fumes will eventually all escape and then fill with an inert gas such as exhaust from a diesel and a gas engine will work also and use a sawzall, time is your friend, its not going to all happen in a day or two but over time the gas and the fumes all evaporate.I have welded many tanks with never a problem .if it has just one pine hole repair it after its done purging fumes and reuse .

cole in mo. · Apr 1, 2013

Invite all your friends and relation, have a big picnic, with lots of beer. Have somebody with a camcorder ready, then say, hey ya'll, watch this.

Brian Dan · Apr 1, 2013

I burnt one out a few years ago. The tank had set for years before that. Both of the filler cap and filler nozzle were removed.I set the tank in a brush pile. I lit the fire and watched from some distance. After the tank got hot I had a big flame thrower. Air went into one of the outlets and a big flame came out the other one. The tank never blew up but it did have me worried.
Good luck and be very careful.
Brian

37chief · Apr 1, 2013

It worked for my, don't see why it wouldn't worked for someone else. Stan

showcrop · Apr 1, 2013

I expect that since it rusted that it is steel. I wouldn't be trying to cut a hole in a steel gas tank with an axe or some such thing.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 1, 2013

So, one guy say's "Don't use diesel exhaust and another guy say's use diesel exhaust." Which is it?

Kinda touchy subject to be wrong about isn't it?

rustred · Apr 5, 2013

I know that's the last thing I would do, biggest chance to have it blow up from a spark! very foolish thing to do.

Cutting a gasoline storage tank

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