Another Propane Tank Melting Pot!

[1911KY]

I finally got around to cutting an old propane tank I had sitting around. After reading several posts on here about what to and what not to do, I finally made some time to give it a go. I opened the valve and let the gas evacuate, then I filled it completely full of water thru the open valve. While it was full of water I drilled a hole in the side to give it a bigger hole for breathing and let it drain. While I was drilling I ran water over the drill bit so as not to create any sparks, just in case. I then let it set outside for about 3 weeks. When I finally got back around to it, I rigged a pipe up to the exhaust on my lawn tractor and pumped it full of exhaust holding my finger over the open valve so I could feel the pressure. After I was satisfied with the buildup, I then expanded the drilled hole so I could get a jigsaw blade in there. I then proceeded to cut above the seam using it as a guide.



After all that, I decided I needed some handles, so I found an old bent fence post I had laying around and fashioned up some handles.



I know it isn't anything to write home about but it gets the job done. I put it to the test this past weekend and melted a little less than half bucket of COWW and poured 50 lbs of ingots. I am pretty sure my neighbors think I am crazy! It was only 20 F outside while I was out there working, but I don't care!

[bigarm]

You don't sound crazy to me!

[Jack Stanley]

You mean every body doesn't melt their scrap lead when it's twenty degrees outside ?????

Jack

[MrWolf]

Perfectly normal to me..

[alamogunr]

I don't have WW to clean up(I refuse to use the descriptively inaccurate term "smelt") any more but when I did, I would lose as much a 5 lbs during a long session on a 90º+ day here in Tennessee. Sub freezing might be a stretch but a cooler day would have been welcome.

[Dale53]

1911KY;
It looks like you did a REALLY nice job! I am a bit leary of cutting a propane tank (safety reasons) there is NO question that they make a FINE container for melting lead. In fact, I would probably rate them at the top, regardless of cost, if you are using a common fish fryer (I do).


Dale53

[1911KY]

No surprise that I sound normal to my fellow lead heads!!!

Thanks Dale, I was a little leary about it myself but I figured if others can do it safely, so can I. I thought running water over the drill bit while drilling was overkill, but better to be too safe than sorry. I am just surprised that the rotten egg smell doesn't really go away. Maybe after a few melts it will. I kept the top half, may explore making a bottom pour melter out it one day.

[Echo]

I remember a few years ago when it got all the way down to 18 degrees here. Killed my Bugenvillea, dang it...

[1911KY]

There was a cold snap here recently, but it has since warmed back up to reasonable temps.

[pacomdiver]

im glad im not the only crazy one here, our ez-up got blown over and bent up pretty bad on vacation and wasn't so easy to setup anymore, so when I got home and unpacked the trailer, I set it up over my smelting area.my wife said I was crazy because I was out there today in the rain casting away. I even put a 2x4 across the top to hang clip on lights off to extend my sessions

[groundsclown]

Nice job cutting. Is the bottom rounded? Hard to tell. Most guys, myself included, cut a 2"-3" ring from the left over top & weld it to the bottom for some stability...sorta like a cradle.
And yeah if I recall, it took 2 or so melts for the smell to go away on mine.

Happy casting

[lightman]

It looks like you made a nice smooth cut. You will enjoy that pot for years.