I’ve got several of these empty steel propane tanks from heating the chicken coop during the recent cold weather before I got an adapter to run the heater off of a larger refillable tank. Any ideas on what they could be repurposed for?
Seems like there should be some use for them besides tossing them in the recycling. I’d assume I’d need to poke a hole in them before recycling since they are/were pressure vessels.
I know there are adapters out there to refill them but now that I can use a larger, more easily refillable, tank I don’t really have any inclination to do so.
My only thought so far was to cut the top off, drill some holes, and make a little stick burning camp stove. But, that’s not something I’ll ever use.
I’ve got a fairly extensive workshop and metal working tools so pretty much everything is on the table. I can even do really shitty welding if required.
Important! Before you drill, cut, puncture or do anything with them you need to remove the residual gas or they may explode on you!
- obtain or make a valve tool for propane cylinder valves (check youtube).
- screw on a torch head and try to light it to burn off as much as you can EVEN WHEN THE TORCH WONT LIGHT THERE IS STILL PROPANE IN THE CYLINDER
- outside in a well ventilated area remove the torch and press the center valve in to verify that pressure is equalized
- look for the fill valve off center on the top, using the valve tool remove the valve.
- fill the cylinder ALL THE WAY with water, this will force out any remaining gas.
- the cylinder should now be safe to work on
Nothing. It’s why they are being phased out. recycle them at any place that sells propane tanks.
They’ve always been refillable with an adapter from the hardware store but it’s an enormous pain, so few people bother. I’ve always hoped Coleman would start an exchange program at REI or somewhere similar.
If I recall, the adapter hooked to a grill tank but to fill the green cans you had to have the larger tank above the smaller one and it’s impractical for most people.
And upside down, and that will still only fill it 2/3 or 3/4…
I’ve read tricks like chilling the cylinders. And depressing the Schrader valves. But some sound pretty sketchy.
I refill and reuse mine, I got an adapter I can use a grill tank to fill them up with and take them camping for my lantern and camp grill
We always used them for target practice. They need to be punctured for disposal anyways, you know when you hit one, and They’re about the right size for sighting in on a 100yd range.
They’re fun to use as shooting targets, just do it at 100+ yards
Mini Probot of course…
You could refill them then give them away.
I used to shoot them with a 30-06. Unfortunately I never got one to go boom like the movies
You have to tamper with the pressure release safety valves and provide a secondary flame unless you are using some bougie incendiary ammo (and even those aren’t a guarantee to ignite something like propane on its own).
We used to blow up the normal sized ones like for your the backyard grill. We would fill the pressure release with valve with JB weld and then toss it into a bonfire and shoot it from like 500 feet away lol.
This guy redneck’s…
When you live an hour away from the nearest hospital for some reason everything you decide to do with your free time happens to be incredibly dangerous lol
Turn it into a big ass flask, they can’t arrest you for drinking good 'ol clean burning propane, I tell ya hwat
Put propane in them
You can get adapters to partially refill them from the 20lb bottles.
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If you absolutely have a desire to do any of these artistic, repurpose or whatever with these: put them out 100 yards and put a bullet through the top of it to make sure there is no propane left in it
Use refillable ones like Flame King. They cost about $20 and can be refilled safely for around $2 per fill. If you’re near Sports Basement and are a member, they will refill them for free within some limits.
Dude. Literally the first sentence of the body text…
What about exploring using your metalworking skills artistically? Maybe some interesting sculptural possibilities.
