ACETYLENE TANK CORE removal

[@truckladders4104]

When i was younger I worked in a scrap metal yard. We got 3 45” trailers of these! They were free fro a welding gas supplier. The steel shell is 1 heavy melt We were having a slow winter so it was decided to cut them up We removed the blow out plugs grouped them together and burned them Once the fire settled down we were able to cut torch them. On the seams They peeled like bananas We ran an overhead gantry fo the torch hoses It looked like the end of days Even in the middle of a Canadian winter it was 90F in the cutting area The residual rock continued to burn. We got through the entire load with only 3 that went off love rockets! Now I am older I can’t believe we did this but at least the Tax Man didnt get the yard!

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

That is a great story thank you for sharing!!

[@truckladders4104]

Thanks for your reply The things we did before OSHA in the interest of business! Canada is a tough country to own a small business in. We always needed to push the edge! Accetlyene tanks and the gas are very dangerous and often misunderstood One operating rule that is often overlooked is line pressure at the regulator Over 15psi and the gas starts to become liquid Very unstable! Well hope you have a great project and a great time with welding

[@johnsummers172]

My Father was a welder since the 30"s, I learned the the bottle is filled with DE (diatomaceous earth) and acetone. the DE removes anyfree air space and the acetone absorbs the acetylene like carbonation in soda pop. Free acetylene under pressure will auto-ignite. Just what I learned a long time ago. Also why you need to keep the bottle upright when in use.

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

Right on thanks for the information

[@mikeirwin9985]

That answers a question for me.I knew there was acetone but the other component was a mystery until now.

[@campbellmorrison8540]

I knew there was some sort of material inside these bottles but I had no idea there was that much! amazing there is any room for gas

[@ethanbarrieau7917]

The gas actually gets dissolved in acetone and then the acetone is absorbed to the sponge.

[@oldroscoe2590]

I doubt I ever have the occasion to do this but if I do, now I know how to go about it. Thanks.

[@pmpwiz]

Idea: Weld 2 or 3 hacksaw blades end to end (enough to reach end to end in cylinder). Attach to jigsaw or sawzall. Drill one hole through core material - near wall. Insert extended blade into hole and saw around the ID of the cylinder.

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

Good idea. That was actually going to be my last resort with sawzall blades. But might have alittle trouble turning as you cut. so multiple holes and watch out for the raised welded area on the inside.

[@anomamos9095]

They are usually filled with Kapok and acetone. These are needed as acetylene go boom under pressure without them. Hopefully after five years with the valve open the residue is gone and there won’t be a boom. I am commenting as he straps the cylinder to the bench.

[@lloydscharf6897]

Actually The acetylene doesn't cut Steel it heats the steel to the ignition temperature and the oxygen does the cutting .

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

Your right. I'm a welder I use these tanks on a regular basis this video is not about operating a torch. that comment your referring to I made in the video is to give the viewer more of an idea how flammable/dangerous the contents are.

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

Read video description

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

@Lloyd Scharf

[@XiamaraLaurensWifeyMu]

I had to cut mine as the scrapyard did not take it otherwise. I took my time, used a hammer to get the valve off... tried to flood the tank but failed. Grind the body with care and dealt with the core... it was carbon in my case. The drive stunk like acetone for 3 days but job done.

[@daveayerstdavies]

The liquid in the porous matrix is not pressure liquified gas like a propane tank. Acetylene is unstable at relatively low pressure so you can't use pressure to liquify it. Instead, it's dissolved in acetone at low pressure. When you crack open the regulator the acetylene comes out of solution like the bubbles in carbonated water.

[@stevesmith2171]

There are some guys down in Mexico who can fill you in on how to cut the middle seam remove some of the core and put it back together where you can't even tell after they've been sandblasted and repainted. I have no clue why they were doing that 🤔

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

I don't need to go to Mexico for that.

[@fredwood1490]

I was a Welder for 45 years and I always wondered what was inside one of those.

[@fakeitormakeit83]

Thanks for this video ! I have an ancient old acetylene bottle quite a bit smaller than that one im thinking it would be a good start to a small knife gas forge. Ill definitely reference your video in my video description!

[@fakeitormakeit83]

Edit: just thought about what you said about the asbestos....may need to think on that some more 🤔

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

Awsome thank you

[@dunc71]

When cutting into propane or other flammable gas I would remove the valve and fill with water, this will displace any gas left at atmospheric pressure. Maybe different with acetylene or because you had left it open for so long. The lip inside the edge of the weld is where one half of the tank has been swaged to allow the other half to fit over for a nice weld.

[@allangibson2408]

That doesn’t work with acetylene cylinders as they are full of plaster of Paris soaked in acetone. You simply can’t get water into them.

[@kenbtheman]

I've cut these about a foot from each end and. made really nice hanging bells from them. Hang a leather cord inside with a large nut or washer. Sound is beautiful.

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

Right on my plan is to make a few out of this take

[@tg9754]

Great video. I never knew those tanks were not hollow. Very interesting...

[@whoknows335]

you HAVE TO support the steel tank separate from the filler with clearance enough for the filler to push out the bottom,what you are doing @ 9:51 and before, is compressing the filler .

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

I understand that. You won't see the bottom in this video. If the core is moving at all there would be an indent on the bottom and alittle movement on top which there was not due to the weld joint in the middle holding it in place. This is a soft core. If you don't believe me. Do one yourself!!!

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

I think you need to rewatch the video and actually pay attention this time

[@timkirkpatrick9155]

filler is soft fire brick to hold the acetone which the acetylene dissolves in.

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

Yes. keeps the acetylene stable and defused.

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

The filler can also be made from different types of material

[@ironworkerfxr7105]

@Dr. Frankensteel yes like balsa wood,, some type of cardboard, or ASBESTOS. ..

[@michaeljohnson-iw6jb]

Asbestos is often a component of the filler!!!

[@baccus61]

I'm pretty sure it's diatomaceous earth or plain old kitty litter.

[@theonlybuzz1969]

As we say here “where there’s a will, there’s always a relative”

[@hunterwilliams9632]

I like your art don't know what part of country you live in I'm in louisville,Ky and have a lot of metal / pipe /tanks saved cause I weld if your looking for something may be able to help

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

I'm in central California. OK cool thank you

[@PatrickLeeUS]

You should have used a DOT SP6517 large (360cf) cylinder, it doesn't have an internal lip.

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

I didn't have a choice between tanks. Two of these tanks were given to me

[@Rob-di7uu]

I worked about 4000 - 8000 yards from a crushing plant and when ever a oxy/acet/propane cylinder got in the crusher our all building just shook with the explosions never could see how this got past HSE (health and safety executive)

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

That must have been a long time ago....

[@Rob-di7uu]

@@dr.frankensteel2759 no only 3years back when I left. Still happening now

[@RANDOMNATION907]

I always wondered what was in one of those. Thank you.

[@feliciaalexander5032]

Another awesome video ! Keep em coming!

[@17hmr243]

i tried this i cut base of and shot at it with air rifle didnt do much hammered at it. old plumbers said old tanks wer asbestos

[@victoryfirst2878]

HOW thick is the steel wall of the tank?????

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

3/16

[@victoryfirst2878]

@@dr.frankensteel2759 Thanks Dr. Frankensteel.

[@handleton7219]

Cool video, but what really caught my eye, was, is that starscream in the background? Did you make it yourself?

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

Thanks. Yes I made it. Gargoyle sculpture. Have a few videos of me working on it

[@alext8828]

You just cut the bottom off and put an air hose onto the valve and give it some pressure. 125psi will shoot that thing to New Jersey. You gotta be a lot lazier than you are.

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

Have you actually tried that before?

[@alext8828]

@@dr.frankensteel2759 No. Sadly, I made the whole thing up, but it does sound like it could have possibilities. Sorry. I know it could be dangerous. Try low pressure and see if it budges. Good luck.

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

I won't be trying this method being as there is a weld holding it in place like i showed in the video

[@alext8828]

@@dr.frankensteel2759 Excellent idea.

[@Nabraska49]

Just wondering if a pressure washer would have blasted the stuff out .

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

Doubt it. It's similar to drywall

[@slyteen2197]

Great video but do remember that some cylinders contain asbestos.

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

Thanks. Yeah I re-edited this video the has more info on acetylene tanks and what I did to this tank. It's the re-edited version on my channel

[@michaelesplin529]

Early ones also used balsa wood.

[@ranchulaazul5439]

Another gem dragon!!

[@MsBizzyGurl]

Who else was slightly anxietal? Also, Sawzall! 😆

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

Anxietal? What about the sawzall?

[@MsBizzyGurl]

@@dr.frankensteel2759 acetylene tank + metal saw = sparks

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

Portabands make sparks? Sawzall wasn't used on metal....

[@88yazzy]

Dope!

[@tonythompson9049]

No sir i don't think im going to mess with it

[@ek8710]

Don't people make cannons out of these? Maybe it was oxygen tanks...

[@papabits5721]

You would think round plate might be better

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

Yeah but I didn't want to use too many special tools. Now I know about the weld in the middle

[@bradleywhite9118]

0:39 WRONG - The acetylene gas in the cylinder is dissolved in acetone which is absorbed by the porous mass. Decomposition of the acetylene is triggered by heat, when it is: The porous mass slows down any decomposition of the gas. This is why the cylinder needs to be kept upright, if used on its side the acetone would also come out with the acetylene.

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

Check out the re-edited version

[@allangibson2408]

Acetylene is a heat and impact sensitive high explosive. It doesn’t just decompose - it detonates. Absorption in acetone tames these tendencies somewhat but having cleaned up after an acetylene bottle filling facility detonation, that spread the factory over four square miles, it should be treated with respect.

[@maximusmurua4437]

So what's it for?

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

I'm going to make some bells

[@awheezle]

I would’ve tried dissolving it with a solvent or something. But I just like pretending to be a mad scientist lol.

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

Haha that would be dangerous. I'd experiment with trying to dissolve drywall first

[@benjaminlovato283]

Now I know what not to do

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

My goal was to let the viewer know alittle more of what they are getting into if you watched the whole video. More information in the description

[@a-yates]

Why not just get a piece of 8 to 12inch piece of pipe

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

Because the tank has domed ends and i didn't have to buy anything

[@VuongVanToan-MienQueSocTrang]

Hi

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

Hi

[@jamesbollier2954]

Actually a pressure washer would have removed it.

[@dr.frankensteel2759]

Have you done it before?