I successfully devalved a little propane tank today, the kind they don't
want you to use any more. I bled it off for a couple of days, with the
tank set at the top of a largish sloped driveway so the gas would run down
the hill and diffuse. When it finished hissing I turned it upside down with
the valve open for a few hours. Then I took it into the shop and plumbed an
air hose to it and pressurized it to 120psi and vented it, then repeated
the air venting twice. I tried to get the valve to admit water but it plain
didn't work. I cobbled up a chain clamp setup like Ted Edward's, heated the
threaded area with a handheld propane torch until the paint barely started
to smoke, and turned the valve out easily with a large crescent wrench.

It was a lot easier than I'd thought it would be based on all the horror
stories. I filled it with hot water and a little dishwashing detergent
for a first cut at de-stinking it (I don't much like the garlicky smell
of methyl mercaptan). If anyone has any bright ideas as to how best to
get the stink out of the tank I'd like to know about it.

I'm going to make a little forge.

Grant Erwin

I cut them open with a cutting disc on a grinder after the water routine. I
leave the water in when cutting . The smell was gone from the two halves
after about a week. They make nice planters :'))
Randy

"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...
I successfully devalved a little propane tank today, the kind they don't
want you to use any more. I bled it off for a couple of days, with the
tank set at the top of a largish sloped driveway so the gas would run down
the hill and diffuse. When it finished hissing I turned it upside down
with
the valve open for a few hours. Then I took it into the shop and plumbed
an
air hose to it and pressurized it to 120psi and vented it, then repeated
the air venting twice. I tried to get the valve to admit water but it
plain
didn't work. I cobbled up a chain clamp setup like Ted Edward's, heated
the
threaded area with a handheld propane torch until the paint barely started
to smoke, and turned the valve out easily with a large crescent wrench.

It was a lot easier than I'd thought it would be based on all the horror
stories. I filled it with hot water and a little dishwashing detergent
for a first cut at de-stinking it (I don't much like the garlicky smell
of methyl mercaptan). If anyone has any bright ideas as to how best to
get the stink out of the tank I'd like to know about it.

I'm going to make a little forge.

Grant Erwin

In article , Grant Erwin says...

I successfully devalved a little propane tank today, the kind they don't
want you to use any more. I bled it off for a couple of days, with the
tank set at the top of a largish sloped driveway so the gas would run down
the hill and diffuse. When it finished hissing I turned it upside down with
the valve open for a few hours. Then I took it into the shop and plumbed an
air hose to it and pressurized it to 120psi and vented it, then repeated
the air venting twice. I tried to get the valve to admit water but it plain
didn't work. I cobbled up a chain clamp setup like Ted Edward's, heated the
threaded area with a handheld propane torch until the paint barely started
to smoke, and turned the valve out easily with a large crescent wrench.

It was a lot easier than I'd thought it would be based on all the horror
stories. I filled it with hot water and a little dishwashing detergent
for a first cut at de-stinking it (I don't much like the garlicky smell
of methyl mercaptan). If anyone has any bright ideas as to how best to
get the stink out of the tank I'd like to know about it.

Didn't somebody say that bleach is the correct approach?

Jim


--
==================================================
please reply to:
JRR(zero) at pkmfgvm4 (dot) vnet (dot) ibm (dot) com
==================================================

I have an old one that they will no longer fill as well, Let me know how to
make this little forge if you don't mind. I think I'm getting cabin fever
already. It's time for a project!!.

Searcher1

"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...
I successfully devalved a little propane tank today, the kind they don't
want you to use any more. I bled it off for a couple of days, with the
tank set at the top of a largish sloped driveway so the gas would run down
the hill and diffuse. When it finished hissing I turned it upside down
with
the valve open for a few hours. Then I took it into the shop and plumbed
an
air hose to it and pressurized it to 120psi and vented it, then repeated
the air venting twice. I tried to get the valve to admit water but it
plain
didn't work. I cobbled up a chain clamp setup like Ted Edward's, heated
the
threaded area with a handheld propane torch until the paint barely started
to smoke, and turned the valve out easily with a large crescent wrench.

It was a lot easier than I'd thought it would be based on all the horror
stories. I filled it with hot water and a little dishwashing detergent
for a first cut at de-stinking it (I don't much like the garlicky smell
of methyl mercaptan). If anyone has any bright ideas as to how best to
get the stink out of the tank I'd like to know about it.

I'm going to make a little forge.

Grant Erwin

jim rozen wrote:

Grant Erwin says...
get the stink out of the tank I'd like to know about it.

Didn't somebody say that bleach is the correct approach?

Yep, it worked well for me, after trying a few other things that had
very little effect. Bob

Grant, you still have a web page?

Grant, you still have a web page?

Bob Engelhardt wrote:

jim rozen wrote:

Grant Erwin says...

get the stink out of the tank I'd like to know about it.


Didn't somebody say that bleach is the correct approach?


Yep, it worked well for me, after trying a few other things that had
very little effect. Bob

Bob, how much bleach did you use? Did you pour in some bleach and
then fill with water, or what?

Grant

Searcher wrote:

I have an old one that they will no longer fill as well, Let me know how to
make this little forge if you don't mind. I think I'm getting cabin fever
already. It's time for a project!!.

I am making a forge which will be a lot like Ron Reil's freon tank forge
which you can see online at http://www.reil1.net/minifor1.shtml although
he doesn't give many construction details.

I'm going to be working out of the book "Gas Burners for Forges, Furnaces
& Kilns" by Michael Porter. This book has great content but could have
used a little editing.

See Matthew Dockrey's forge construction page:
http://www.cyphertext.net/~gfish/forge.html

Here's another freon tank forge construction page (very similar to propane):
http://fredlyfx.com/freon.htm

And another:
http://www.kd5bwd.com/blacksmithing/...nk_forge_2.htm

Don't miss Jason's forge in the dropbox:
http://metalworking.com/DropBox/_199...files/ftmf.txt
http://metalworking.com/DropBox/_199...iles/ftmf1.jpg
http://metalworking.com/DropBox/_199...iles/ftmf2.jpg
http://metalworking.com/DropBox/_199...iles/ftmf3.jpg
http://metalworking.com/DropBox/_199...iles/ftmf4.jpg
http://metalworking.com/DropBox/_199...iles/ftmf5.jpg
http://metalworking.com/DropBox/_199...iles/ftmf6.jpg
http://metalworking.com/DropBox/_199...iles/ftmf7.jpg
http://metalworking.com/DropBox/_199...iles/ftmf8.jpg
http://metalworking.com/DropBox/_199...iles/ftmf9.jpg

that oughta get ya going -- Grant

Grif wrote:

Grant, you still have a web page?


My domain is tinyisland.com - if you poke around there you'll find some
stuff I did. It isn't very current. - GWE

Grant Erwin wrote:

I successfully devalved a little propane tank today, the kind they don't
want you to use any more. I bled it off for a couple of days, with the
tank set at the top of a largish sloped driveway so the gas would run down
the hill and diffuse. When it finished hissing I turned it upside down with
the valve open for a few hours. Then I took it into the shop and plumbed an
air hose to it and pressurized it to 120psi and vented it, then repeated
the air venting twice. I tried to get the valve to admit water but it plain
didn't work. I cobbled up a chain clamp setup like Ted Edward's, heated the
threaded area with a handheld propane torch until the paint barely started
to smoke, and turned the valve out easily with a large crescent wrench.

It was a lot easier than I'd thought it would be based on all the horror
stories. I filled it with hot water and a little dishwashing detergent
for a first cut at de-stinking it (I don't much like the garlicky smell
of methyl mercaptan). If anyone has any bright ideas as to how best to
get the stink out of the tank I'd like to know about it.

I'm going to make a little forge.

Grant Erwin
Wonder : Think skunk. Tomato juice ? Or Lemon - might be one acid or another...

Martin
--
Martin Eastburn, Barbara Eastburn
@ home at Lion's Lair with our computer
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

Grant Erwin wrote:
Bob, how much bleach did you use? Did you pour in some bleach and
then fill with water, or what?

I didn't take the valve off, so I didn't pour in much - maybe a cup.
Sloshed it around a bit and let it sit overnight (I suspect that the
sitting overnight wasn't necessary). Poured it out (and rinsed?). Did
not fill with water.

Bob

Bob Engelhardt wrote:

I didn't take the valve off, so I didn't pour in much - maybe a cup.
Sloshed it around a bit and let it sit overnight (I suspect that the
sitting overnight wasn't necessary). Poured it out (and rinsed?). Did
not fill with water.

I tried the bleach last night. I did have the valve off, so it was easy
to pour in 1-2 cups and then fill the tank with hot water. When it was
half full I plugged it and picked it up and sloshed it as violently as
I could. Then I removed the plug and filled it the rest of the way with
hot water. It foamed orange out the top. This morning I poured out the
solution. It was all orange, like slightly diluted orange pop. No smell
anything like the mercaptan. Nor did the orange look like rust, although
it may have been, bleach I believe being an oxidizer. At any rate it
wasn't enough to worry about. It looks like the bleach works. When it
gets light out I'll blow the tank out with an air pipe and then let it
dry in a warm place until I'm ready to cut it open.

I now feel like I've dialed in the process. I might even shoot a photo
of how I clamped the tank to remove the valve, it worked real well.

Grant

HEY, I ain't afraid of nothin but you guys are scareing me. At a certain
percentage of fuel to air it becomes self explosive. Somthing like 20 to 1.
If you wanted to purge that tank an inert gas such as nitrogen or co2 or
argon. Definitly not compressed air. Steam is a good purge and used in oil
refinery's to prep line for work. The mercaptan is a carcinogen. Get a MDS
and check it out. Those tanks are better sent to be recycled the benefit is
not worth the risk.
"Randy Zimmerman" wrote in message
news:QamDd.740099$%k.141076@pd7tw2no...
I cut them open with a cutting disc on a grinder after the water routine.
I leave the water in when cutting . The smell was gone from the two halves
after about a week. They make nice planters :'))
Randy

"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...
I successfully devalved a little propane tank today, the kind they don't
want you to use any more. I bled it off for a couple of days, with the
tank set at the top of a largish sloped driveway so the gas would run
down
the hill and diffuse. When it finished hissing I turned it upside down
with
the valve open for a few hours. Then I took it into the shop and plumbed
an
air hose to it and pressurized it to 120psi and vented it, then repeated
the air venting twice. I tried to get the valve to admit water but it
plain
didn't work. I cobbled up a chain clamp setup like Ted Edward's, heated
the
threaded area with a handheld propane torch until the paint barely
started
to smoke, and turned the valve out easily with a large crescent wrench.

It was a lot easier than I'd thought it would be based on all the horror
stories. I filled it with hot water and a little dishwashing detergent
for a first cut at de-stinking it (I don't much like the garlicky smell
of methyl mercaptan). If anyone has any bright ideas as to how best to
get the stink out of the tank I'd like to know about it.

I'm going to make a little forge.

Grant Erwin

Tomato juice is reported to knock down the smell, according to my bulk
tanker drivers.

RJ

"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...
I successfully devalved a little propane tank today, the kind they don't
want you to use any more. I bled it off for a couple of days, with the
tank set at the top of a largish sloped driveway so the gas would run down
the hill and diffuse. When it finished hissing I turned it upside down
with
the valve open for a few hours. Then I took it into the shop and plumbed
an
air hose to it and pressurized it to 120psi and vented it, then repeated
the air venting twice. I tried to get the valve to admit water but it
plain
didn't work. I cobbled up a chain clamp setup like Ted Edward's, heated
the
threaded area with a handheld propane torch until the paint barely started
to smoke, and turned the valve out easily with a large crescent wrench.

It was a lot easier than I'd thought it would be based on all the horror
stories. I filled it with hot water and a little dishwashing detergent
for a first cut at de-stinking it (I don't much like the garlicky smell
of methyl mercaptan). If anyone has any bright ideas as to how best to
get the stink out of the tank I'd like to know about it.

I'm going to make a little forge.

Grant Erwin

Tim Williams wrote:

This morning I poured out the
solution. It was all orange, like slightly diluted orange pop. No smell
anything like the mercaptan. Nor did the orange look like rust, although
it may have been, bleach I believe being an oxidizer.


Oh, undoubtedly. Once you open it to air, there's nothing to protect the
metal. Propane is a hydrocarbon, but with its boiling point, tends not to
stick around too long.

I get the same orange juice appearance from leaving water sit in soup cans
too long, although it's usually a bit chunkier than the colloidial
suspension you must've had.

I did some Web research this morning. It appears that methyl mercaptan dissolved
in a 5% bleach solution does indeed turn red/orange/brown colored. So it wasn't
rust. And to put the (unneeded) cap on it, there are a lot of official-looking
Web sites which say methyl (or ethyl, or butyl ..) mercaptan can be deodorized
with a 5% sodium hypochlorite solution, better known as household bleach. So
my method of pouring in 1-2 cups of bleach, plugging and sloshing thoroughly,
then unplugging and hot water rinsing is about as good as you can do. - GWE

Tim Williams wrote:

"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...

I did some Web research this morning. It appears that methyl mercaptan
dissolved in a 5% bleach solution does indeed turn red/orange/brown
colored. So it wasn't rust.


Hmm, interesting. I sit corrected! Unless... did they do it in glassware
or say, a propane tank? G

Tim

Tim, I've seen about every kind of rusty water there is. This actually was
the wrong color. It's pretty clearly a chemical solution. I'll know when
I cut the tank open this week. I might do another bleach rinse because after
24 hours it still smells faintly like skunk/garlic.

Grant

On Sat, 08 Jan 2005 16:40:54 -0800, Grant Erwin
vaguely proposed a theory
.......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

Tim, I've seen about every kind of rusty water there is. This actually was
the wrong color. It's pretty clearly a chemical solution. I'll know when
I cut the tank open this week. I might do another bleach rinse because after
24 hours it still smells faintly like skunk/garlic.

"methyl mercaptan is produced as a decay product of animal and
vegetable matter."

Speaking of skunk smell, I was in the company van at about 0200 this morning
and was unable to swerve enough to avoid running over a freshly dead skunk.
Since the skunk smell followed us to our destination and back to work, it seems
some scent is splashed/thrown onto the van, flashlight inspection did not
reveal any pieces. I was not interested in a close up exam as my eyes were
beginning to water.

How much time till smell fades in Philly area in winter?

John H.

(Mustmaker) wrote in
:

Speaking of skunk smell, I was in the company van at about 0200 this
morning and was unable to swerve enough to avoid running over a
freshly dead skunk. Since the skunk smell followed us to our
destination and back to work, it seems some scent is splashed/thrown
onto the van, flashlight inspection did not reveal any pieces. I was
not interested in a close up exam as my eyes were beginning to water.

How much time till smell fades in Philly area in winter?

John H.


Sorry John...in Philly the smell never fades.....;0)

On 09 Jan 2005 15:53:19 GMT, (Mustmaker) wrote:

Speaking of skunk smell, I was in the company van at about 0200 this morning
and was unable to swerve enough to avoid running over a freshly dead skunk.



How much time till smell fades in Philly area in winter?

Probably over night or another day is my recollection from a similar
experience up here in central PA

RWL


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