Building a dirt compactor out of a propane tank

Txturbo · Jul 23, 2015

Anyone ever done this? I picked up a 250 gallon propane tank for $50. I need to compact some dirt on my new driveway going to my new shop. This seems like the perfect donor. I'm wondering how i'm going to find the center of the caps on each end to weld the axle in the right spot.
First idea that pops into my head is to put a mark at the top on the weld seam and measure the circumference and divide by 4 to get the location of the other 3 marks. Then with a piece of string, connect the marks opposite of each other to find where they intersect.

Richard G. · Jul 23, 2015

Make sure you fill it with water before you weld on it.
Richard in NW SC

Richard G. · Jul 23, 2015

Oh, and to find the center, measure from the welded seam that holds the end on from 2 directions. Then divide by 2 and that should be the center.
Richard

Mike M · Jul 23, 2015

I'd BE USING IT FOR PROPANE !
Or is it damaged or have a hole in it ?

Txturbo · Jul 23, 2015

its got some rust pits on the top side so it's not useable for propane anymore.

60 acre hillside · Jul 23, 2015

Are you sure? Did you ever weld one?

Richard G. · Jul 23, 2015

I have cut several open to build wood stoves. I fill with water and drill holes and saw out a good sized opening with the water still in it. Then I put the torch to it.
No, I have never welded on one that has not been opened up and I never will.
Richard

Dr. Walt · Jul 23, 2015

Snap 3 or 4 chalk lines from weld seam to weld seam across the
end cap (keeping it centered as closely as possible); where all
the lines join is the center of your end cap.

As Richard G. said: "Make sure you fill it with water before
you weld on it." - Even old, long empty Propane tanks still
have Propane trapped in the pores of the metal, which can be
ignited by welding on the tank - so make certain that your tank
is COMPLETELY FULL of Water.

:>)

Wheatfarmer · Jul 23, 2015

The more string lines you draw around the end the closer you will get the center. You can set a piece of plywood near the end. Use a lazier level several different places around the tank. find the center and shot a lazier light back through a hole in the center. Be careful if you are going to fill it with weight. A roller than size will jackknife a small tractor in a minute. Don't ask why I know.

Mike M · Jul 23, 2015

Also a smooth roller won't compact very well. You will need to weld "feet" onto it , like a sheeps foot compactor used on construction sites.
A tractor heavy enough to pull a roller of that size will likely do more compacting by just driving it around because the weight is concentrated onto a smaller area.

Ellis Kinney · Jul 23, 2015

Here are some pictures of one that I built out of natural gas line pipe. I use it to keep the crown out of my driveway. It is filled with
crete. I dug it up where someone had used it for a culvert. Ellis

showcrop · Jul 23, 2015

If you drill the holes a couple inches off center and tow it fast you will have a much more effective vibratory compactor.

phil_n · Jul 23, 2015

To find center - measure the diameter of the tank and lay it down on a smooth flat surface, stack stuff up (bits of 2x4's, square tubing, whatever) to get a pile equal in height to the radius of the tank. Place the pile up against the end of the tank and draw a line on it using the top of your stack as a straight edge. Rotate the tank three or four times drawing lines at roughly equal angles from each other. the center will be where the lines cross.

HTH

phil n

fixerupper · Jul 23, 2015

My neighbor and I made one out of a 500 gallon anhydrous tank. Works very well when filled with water. It makes a five foot wide footprint. I've spent many hours pulling it around. The rounded ends make it fairly wide compared to the actual flat working width but nonetheless it does a real good job. It needs a minimum of a 30 HP tractor if you roll the lawn. A smaller tractor will be chewing the grass a little trying to get traction. If I roll real soft dirt a minimum if 50 horses with plenty of weight is needed or the tractor will get stuck with no
way out except to put a bigger tractor on it. I forget how we found dead center. One way is to have it on flat cement and lay a straight edge across the top, measuring the distance between the overhanging straight edge and the floor. Remember the welded seam on the edge of the tank that will raise the end of the straight edge if the straight edge doesn't go all the way across th tank. It wouldn't hurt to put an angle iron across the back of the roller as a scraper. Damp soil plasters itself to the roller immediately.

Txturbo · Jul 24, 2015

thanks for all the ideas. I'm kinda getting in a time crunch though so I may just have to go rent something.

Geo-TH,In · Jul 24, 2015

I built a lawn roller using a 500 gallon fuel oil tank. Mistake, the metal was too
thin to handle the weight. So I cut two holes in tank so I could line the sides with
concrete. It took me a week to do. Half the tank is concrete, the other half I can
fill with water. No water it weighs in at 5K. It's about 5 ft long. 1000# per foot.
Never had the need to add water. You wouldn't want to use my roller if the ground is
unlevel. I pull it with a Farmall C or a Jubilee. There are some times when the ground
is wet, I squeeze water out of the ground. Other times when it pulls hard, the tires
roll the sod and the roller puts it back in place.

I would shoot for around 1000#/ft roller if you want to do some serious compacting.
Don't plan to use a lawn tractor and stay away from lakes and ditches.

Building a dirt compactor out of a propane tank

Txturbo

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Richard G.

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Richard G.

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Mike M

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Txturbo

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60 acre hillside

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Richard G.

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Dr. Walt

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Wheatfarmer

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Mike M

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Ellis Kinney

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showcrop

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phil_n

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fixerupper

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Txturbo

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Geo-TH,In

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