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cutting a gas bottle open?
nick205 - 9/5/13 at 09:19 AM

Got an old and nearly empty Calor gas bottle and i'd like to cut it up to make a small brazier type thing.

What's the safest way yo make sure it's empty and cut it open?

Thought about submerging it in water?

wylliezx9r - 9/5/13 at 09:23 AM

Make a hole in it and fill it with water is a method I have seen used.

HTH Dan

britishtrident - 9/5/13 at 09:26 AM

Easier just to just to use a 13" or 14" car steel wheel.

nick205 - 9/5/13 at 10:11 AM

Hole + water idea sounds do-able.

Car wheel's not a bad idea, but I have the gas bottle already and it's a better size and shape.

designer - 9/5/13 at 10:12 AM

Take off the valve, leave upside down for a while for gas to evacuate, then rinse with water.

owelly - 9/5/13 at 10:24 AM

Neither LCB or I advocate damaging gas cylinders as they belong to the relevant gas supplier. I certainly have not cut any up to make stoves and chimineas and I definately didn't unscrew the pillar valve, fill the bottle with water and cut with a slitting disc in the grinder. Tipping the bottle upside down and rinsing will still leave tracesof gas in the bottle. You need to create a positive displacement. Probably.

dinosaurjuice - 9/5/13 at 10:35 AM

i have absolutely never done this out of my high levels of respect for the companies that own said bottles

however....

the 'remove valve, fill with water and slit method' is what i would do

coozer - 9/5/13 at 11:06 AM

I unscrewed the valve after leaving it outside open for 2 weeks, filled the bottle with water then chain drilled the hole out for the chimney.

I left it lying around with the top open for another month before cutting the hole in the front for the door.

First fire all the gas smell appeared and it stunk to high heaven for a bit but that was it.

EX01 - 9/5/13 at 11:17 AM

quote:
Originally posted by owelly
Neither LCB or I advocate damaging gas cylinders as they belong to the relevant gas supplier. I certainly have not cut any up to make stoves and chimineas and I definately didn't unscrew the pillar valve, fill the bottle with water and cut with a slitting disc in the grinder. Tipping the bottle upside down and rinsing will still leave tracesof gas in the bottle. You need to create a positive displacement. Probably.


ROFL this made me smile so much, also this thread scares the pants off me!

nick205 - 9/5/13 at 11:26 AM



Scares me too and it's me wanting to do the cutting!

Confused but excited. - 9/5/13 at 11:30 AM

How did you naughty boys, yes you know who you are, get the valve out?
I have tried putting stilsons on it and flogging with a 2lb hammer, with no result at all.
I have the tank legitamately, yes this is possible, and have left it upside down for a month, then purged it, whilst still upside down with CO2.

Talon Motorsport - 9/5/13 at 11:32 AM

I too don't have a grit blasting pressure pot made from a gas company bottle that may or may not be blue in colour. Valve out and flush with water will be fine. A little tip though mark out your cut lines before you start cutting nothing looks worse than wonky lines or an unsquare cut.

v8kid - 9/5/13 at 11:48 AM

quote:
Originally posted by owelly
Neither LCB or I advocate damaging gas cylinders as they belong to the relevant gas supplier. I certainly have not cut any up to make stoves and chimineas and I definately didn't unscrew the pillar valve, fill the bottle with water and cut with a slitting disc in the grinder. Tipping the bottle upside down and rinsing will still leave tracesof gas in the bottle. You need to create a positive displacement. Probably.


I definitely did not do this either.

I assume that the valve was removed with a very long piece of pipe on the end of a stilson but I don't really know.

Not much use really except the very thin cutting blades in an angle grinder may, or may not, be helpfull in cutting the shroud away from the valve.

Cheers!

[Edited on 9-5-13 by v8kid]

dinosaurjuice - 9/5/13 at 11:49 AM

worth remembering that it will still smell of 'gas' even when empty as the odour is absorbed by the steel.

the valves just screw out with enough force.

JC - 9/5/13 at 12:32 PM

If I were going to do this, I would use a little washing up liquid in the water that I might use to fill it as it might seem to dissolve the oily gas remains.....and rinse it several times!

chim1
chim1

Incorporating a fire extinguisher in the finished article is optional though...

Peteff - 9/5/13 at 12:56 PM

I have it on good authority that you can lay the cylinder on it's side, sit on it and with a drift and hammer knock the valve round to start it then use a wrench to continue (that's how I do it anyway )

nick205 - 9/5/13 at 01:51 PM

I had no idea there were so many deviants on this forum

theprisioner - 9/5/13 at 02:10 PM

Can I watch you do this from a great distance with a pair of binoculars better still can you attach a web cam and tell me when?

vyperstrype - 9/5/13 at 02:55 PM

REMEMBER.... All Flammable Gas fittings are LEFT HAND Thread!!!!

owelly - 9/5/13 at 03:00 PM

quote:

REMEMBER.... All Flammable Gas fittings are LEFT HAND Thread!!!!


Not true! The Butane bottle that I definately didn't take the pillar valve out of was a right hand thread.

britishtrident - 9/5/13 at 03:01 PM

After washing out steam it out for at least a couple of hours using a wall steam paper stripper -- the drain cleaner attachment extension tube so it goes to the bottom of the cylinder. Steaming out is standard practice in the petrol-chemical and marine industries.

big_wasa - 9/5/13 at 03:07 PM

Yep it wouldn't budge until I turned it the other way

Mine has been empty three months or more, I may get around to it in another three. or not.

Any one cut one out with a plasma cutter ?

nick205 - 9/5/13 at 03:07 PM

quote:
Originally posted by theprisioner
Can I watch you do this from a great distance with a pair of binoculars better still can you attach a web cam and tell me when?


There's a thought...!

Do you want it done with a head mounted GoPro camera for that extra close feeling?

theprisioner - 9/5/13 at 03:19 PM

We should have sound, don't turn the volume up too high tho, the event may saturate the mike and we would not get the full effect on Youtube. If Psy can do it well this must be worth a few more hits.

owelly - 9/5/13 at 03:28 PM

We no longer steam clean petro tanks due to the risk of static.
Good old fresh air and eductors for big tanks. Water displacement for LPG then nitro purge.

Wheels244 - 9/5/13 at 05:16 PM

Loving this thread.

Surprised we've still got as many members as we have

navyseamonkey2011 - 9/5/13 at 06:55 PM

Unscrew valve, then check for gas residue using a lighter, firework or simular ignition source