SmokinWelders First Smoker Ever!!!! 250 gallon/trailer build

smokinwelder · Jan 7, 2013

Yeah baby! Picking out a 250 gallon propane tank tomm. I need some advice on that to look for. They all look like this......

tank.jpg

smokinwelder
Jan 7, 2013

.....any suggestions?

Also, with everyones knowlege and my welding and fabricating skills WE should be able to build a great smoker!!!!. Please be patient with me. I have lots of questions. I am so exited about getting my tank home! Please give me advice on what to look for. Smokin!

rasimmo · Jan 8, 2013

Having choices would be nice, but mine was free so I aint complaining. Would look for data plates, they should list the material thickness. The older ones were 1/4", but I think the newer ones are thinner. I think the thicker the better. Of course being a welder you know to look for pits and bad rust spots and stay away from as much of that as possible.

jabbo · Jan 8, 2013

Picking the tank is the easy part. Cutting into is a little trickier. My suggestion would be to fill it with water and dish detergent, let it sit for a day r two so the area can air out a bit, then cut the firebox opening with a 4 inch grinder. There is a great video on youtube of a guy doing this very thing. Just search for "How to Safely Cut a Propane Tank". Make sure the tank is level through this process. If you are nervous...don't do it. Get someone else to do it for you! Other than that, we will be happy to give you all the guidance you need.

smokinwelder · Jan 8, 2013

Well today I got her home.....still not named.

but.... I am so exited she's finally home!!!!

So heres my few questions now that shes home....

1- I want to keep her from rusting anymore, should I wire wheel her and paint her?

2- How do I release whatevers inside, and clean out the inside for cutting safetly?

3- She is 74"x24", is that a 250 gallon tank?

I will be drawing up trailer plans this week. Please be very detailed, and make suggestions. Thanks for stopping by.....Smokin!

reverse smoker.jpg

smokinwelder
Jan 8, 2013

reverse smoker 1.jpg

smokinwelder
Jan 8, 2013

jarjarchef · Jan 8, 2013

Shall be a fun one to watch......

shoneyboy · Jan 8, 2013

jarjarchef · Jan 8, 2013

To get what is on the inside out. Just a thought, could you connect a hose to it and on the other end have a weed burner or fish fryer type burner and light and allow to run out and release all the pressure. Once the is done unscrew the valves and fill with water and detergent, let sit for a couple days, drain and repeat. Before cutting drain about half the water and add 10# of dry ice to the tank, let sit for 30-45 min before cutting. Brother-in law used to work on gas stations and they would add the dry ice before any cutting. Makes since seeing how it is CO2 and will not allow a fire.

I have never cut a tank before, but based on reading a lot, this is how I plan to do mine when I can get things together....

fagesbp · Jan 8, 2013

Those dimensions add up to 145 gallons. That would be right if it had flat ends so it's a little less than that.

smokinwelder · Jan 8, 2013

jarjarchef said:
To get what is on the inside out. Just a thought, could you connect a hose to it and on the other end have a weed burner or fish fryer type burner and light and allow to run out and release all the pressure. Once the is done unscrew the valves and fill with water and detergent, let sit for a couple days, drain and repeat. Before cutting drain about half the water and add 10# of dry ice to the tank, let sit for 30-45 min before cutting. Brother-in law used to work on gas stations and they would add the dry ice before any cutting. Makes since seeing how it is CO2 and will not allow a fire.
I have never cut a tank before, but based on reading a lot, this is how I plan to do mine when I can get things together....

cant i just remove the fitting on the tank by hand to allow anything inside/pressure out before filling with soap and water?

jarjarchef · Jan 8, 2013

Propane gas is heavier then air. If you let it out without burning it off you run a chance of it settling into a low spot in the area. Then if a spark hits it, you may have an unexpected wake up call......... If it is under pressure you may also have a projectile when you unscrew the plug/cap....

If it was me I would take every precaution to be safe......

daveomak · Jan 8, 2013

smokinwelder... you are dealing with an object that "could" become a bomb, leveling several city blocks... When you open a valve port on the tank, if there is propane in it, the propane starts to boil and you could have a "bleve".. see the def.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling_liquid_expanding_vapor_explosion

smokinwelder · Jan 8, 2013

DaveOmak said:
smokinwelder... you are dealing with an object that "could" become a bomb, leveling several city blocks... When you open a valve port on the tank, if there is propane in it, the propane starts to boil and you could have a "bleve".. see the def.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling_liquid_expanding_vapor_explosion

can i bleed the propane out? look at the fitting in my pictures. thanks.

smokinwelder · Jan 8, 2013

fagesbp said:
Those dimensions add up to 145 gallons. That would be right if it had flat ends so it's a little less than that.

really.....145 gallons?

i remeasured and came up with 30"x 92".

themidniteryder · Jan 8, 2013

I know your excited, but you have to be patient to be safe.I ave seen first hand the damage an exploding tank can do. Not a pretty sight. As stated by a couple others, use a weed burner, turkey fryer burner, gas grill, anything to use up any product left inside. Then unhook the burner, open the valve to get any remaining low pressure out then start pulling your fittings. Brass (Non-sparking) jaw pipe wrench is the preferred. We always dry iced a tank before pulling, during transport, and while cutting. Straight propane, or even gas for that matter is not a problem. The problem is when the vapors mix with the correct amount of air that it becomes volatile. I have seen weldors drill a tiny hole i natural gas lines to see if they were live. Some were. A local weldor told me once he drilled into a propane tank that was supposed to be empty. It wasnt. His logic was to drill it to make sure before torching in. Didn't make sense to me why he didn't just open the valve to check. If you have never cut a tank open before either have someone experienced do it, or err on the extreme side of caution. You may not even know the results if it goes bad. Be safe, and remember, We will be watching for the first smoke from the stack.

smokinwelder · Jan 8, 2013

themidniteryder said:
I know your excited, but you have to be patient to be safe.I ave seen first hand the damage an exploding tank can do. Not a pretty sight. As stated by a couple others, use a weed burner, turkey fryer burner, gas grill, anything to use up any product left inside. Then unhook the burner, open the valve to get any remaining low pressure out then start pulling your fittings. Brass (Non-sparking) jaw pipe wrench is the preferred. We always dry iced a tank before pulling, during transport, and while cutting. Straight propane, or even gas for that matter is not a problem. The problem is when the vapors mix with the correct amount of air that it becomes volatile. I have seen weldors drill a tiny hole i natural gas lines to see if they were live. Some were. A local weldor told me once he drilled into a propane tank that was supposed to be empty. It wasnt. His logic was to drill it to make sure before torching in. Didn't make sense to me why he didn't just open the valve to check. If you have never cut a tank open before either have someone experienced do it, or err on the extreme side of caution. You may not even know the results if it goes bad. Be safe, and remember, We will be watching for the first smoke from the stack.

thanks....I have cut a tank open before. it was small, and it had a open fitting allready. so your saying on the tank there is a fitting i can acess to attach my turkey fryer line to, then open the valve? is it the small "nipple" in my photos attached above? I will take my time, thats why I am asking these questions. Let me know so I can get her filled with soapy water and sit sometime this week. thanks.....Smokin.

daveomak · Jan 8, 2013

If you drill it, use an air motor drill..... no electricity, no sparking in the rotor/commutator....

This job is not for someone who does not have a clue what to do.... Some of these suggestions could be suicide.... Just My Opinion....

jabbo · Jan 9, 2013

Call your local LP dealer and ask them for advise on making sure the tank is not under pressure. Once the pressure is relieved, you can remove the valve using a brass or non metallic wrench, like a strap wrench. Like I said before, once the valves are open, fill it with water and dish soap. Bleach helps the smell somewhat and TSP helps clean the microscopic pores and cracks in the steal. Leave sitting for a few days and rinse and repeat. Make sure the tank is level when filling and the the water is over flowing. You may now safely cut the tank. If you are concerned about water and your saw, you can use a gas like CO2 or Argon. Welding shops sell both, but dry ice also creates CO2. You can even use your vehicle exaust. There is a lot of debate about the effectiveness of newer cars, but the CO and CO2 are more than enough to do the job, unless your car is electric. I was absolutely terrified to do this about 2 months ago until my cousin called made fun of men and made me cut open a few with him. Once you get a grip and begin to think rationally, you will see that the danger can be greatly reduced. The only way I will do it is if it full of water. The fear has not gone away, but the knowledge and experience help overcome it. If you want to actually watch it being done, watch the video on youtube. Search for "how to safely cut a propane tank" and you will find a video of a guy cutting a 250 gallon tank with a 4 inch cut off wheel. He does a good job of explaining it step by step. If you are still too nervous, get someone else to do it for you. There is no shame in being safe!!

smokinwelder · Jan 9, 2013

IMG950141.jpg

smokinwelder
Jan 9, 2013

will this axle work for a trailer?

IMG955662.jpg

smokinwelder
Jan 9, 2013

rasimmo · Jan 9, 2013

That drop would be great to be able to get it lower. What is the weight rating? Might be stamped on it somewhere. If not, how many lugs? You can get an idea from that. You might need both of those if they ain't rated very high.

smokinwelder · Jan 9, 2013

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