Heating oil tank wobbles on supports!

[julianf]

I have an almost full bottle of argon from my not very successful tig welding days, would I be able to purge the tank with that? No sure how to connect it but I think argon is heavier than air...

I'm sure you could. As I say the one that I saw get plasma's burnt without further issue.

I'm sure someone will be along to advise you to go on a course or pay someone else, or somthing. I guess that may save your life... Or you may be fine just having at it. It's not like I'd like to warranty any of it.

But, again, the one I watched really wasnt dramatic at all.

 

[julianf]

Just had a quick Google.
Air = 28.9 moles
Argon = 39.9 moles
A strange way to measure gas but I suppose moles are easy to catch and weight

I don't think moles comes into it.

Moles are concerned with the weight of the atom. But not how close together (or otherwise) those atoms are.

 

[awemawson]

Yeah I know all of that^.

Many moons ago I inherited a steel oil tank with a house that I bought in Beckenham. Redundant as new gas boiler had been fitted.

I cut it up with an angle grinder when I needed some steel to fabricate new lift engine mounts for my Hoveraire Hoverhawke enclosed cabin hovercraft that I was rebuilding. (It had two propulsion engines and one for lift)

That Hoverhawke is now in the Hovercraft Museum in Portsmouth and I know it is the one that I had precisely because I recognised the bits of oil tank that I'd used.

. . . so yes, cut it up and re-use the steel.

 

[dobbslc]

I don't think moles comes into it.

Moles are concerned with the weight of the atom. But not how close together (or otherwise) those atoms are.

I still like the moles though

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I'm pretty sure it won't lift out with a crane as it's directly under my incoming electric supply cable

If you know anyone with a teleporter, use slings and it'd lift it out almost horizontally?

 

[J1nx]

If you know anyone with a teleporter, use slings and it'd lift it out almost horizontally?

Or get Scotty to beam it up?

 

[gaz1]

it would be cheaper to fill it up with car exhaust then cut it up

 

[James1979]

When you cut it up if it catches fire, be aware that the black smoke is carbon heavy and therefore conductive. Under HV/LV lines that is a bad thing.

I would use a sawzall and chop it up without hot works

If you cut it up in such a way that you retained the base and a few inches of side as a tray, any sludge can be shovelled out safely without making a mess.

It’s also useful to get as much up with granules as you can as well before you do the final cuts on the base part.

 

[dobbslc]

If you know anyone with a teleporter, use slings and it'd lift it out almost horizontally?

If I stand on the tank I can just about touch the cable! It won't lift over the fence, bushes, trees without hitting it. There's a shed in the way too!

 

[JimmyS]

We had a 500gallon job that was knackered and in the way when we moved here. I had to take the half brick fire wall down in the garage and cut the metal frame to get it to fall onto a heavy duty trolley so I could push it out onto the drive to cut it up. Cut about a quarter of the top out of it with either the stihl saw or 9" grinder with a metal disc (can't remember) but didn't have any problems and then burnt the crap in the bottom out with a burning rag lobbed in hole.

Cut the remainder in 2 and using for storing some logs in till I find a use for steel.

 

[DAPPH]

Looking at it last night and I'm now thinking of getting a new one instead of messing around with this. Problem is I'm pretty sure it won't lift out with a crane as it's directly under my incoming electric supply cable and behind some now quite large bushes and trees sooooo what's the concensus on cutting the bugger up?

I'd do it like this .

Drain as best as you can . Raise one end when almost empty and sucking in air to get most to the drain point then resyphon /pump it dry .
Refill with water after adding a large bottle of Fairy super dish washer liquid to get some foam on top of the water till it's too the top .
Now syphon off below the foam to get a 2 inch gap below the top of the tank & carefully disc cut to a half inch line drawn all round the top just below the top of the tank .
Discut it to this half inch line all the way round .

Once the lid is off syphon off the untainted water , then on the smallest wall at the edge disc cut to two inches above the water line and across the tank two inches above this new lower water line , that will give you a two inch or so deep tray to play with , Pump what's in it into some clear 'ish small ( 25 litre or so ) screw top cans & see what settles out . After a few days pour off the untainted water and put any oil into a can and take it to the local recycling place to pour into their " For recycling waste oil tank " . ( We now have to online book a dedicated time slot for any visits to out local recycle place , so check first )