Propane cylinder oil-change funnel

[Debs.]

Lots of nice, gas-cylinder chiminea project ideas hereabouts.....I really must get `round to making one, before the better days ahead.

But, the old propane bottle I have here keeps 'speaking to me'......it wants to be an oil-change funnel; no, really it does!

If I cut that welded seam near the bell-top, remove the handle, invert the bell and mount on some threaded pipe; with another larger dia. pipe to telescope the height adjustment: captive 'spring and ball bearing' to hold the telescoping with ring-notches machined into the inner pipe at various heights: e.g for a car-ramps, inspection-pit, tractors etc.
Castors mounted on a 'cross' base under the cut-down shorter gas cylinder body, which would act as a tank (w/drain cock), with the funnel/pipe assembly atop.

What do you think?.......have I missed anything?......should I listen to the voice of the Master-Cylinder?

 

[tigler]

Jolly good idea Debra !! Why haven't I thought of that before ?! Have often looked enviously at those oil drain tanks on various tool web sites but the price for the more elaborate versions has always deterred me , so I stuck with my drain pan supported on a high lift transmission jack ! Got loads of old forklift LPG cylinders cluttering the place so thats gonna be my next project ! Will make it discharge with compressed air too !

 

[wyn]

I used to use one where the telescoping bit was a PTO shaft guard. It was a reasonably tight fit so would hold in whichever position you wanted. The funnel bit, from what i remember, was made from a bit of tin sheet.

It seemed to keep the whole thing fairly light-weight and was never likely to tip over.

 

[Shox Dr]

Good idea, If you wanted a bigger funnel an old Steel dust bin lid, would work

 

[pidgeon chit welder]

Just cut the top off a round plastic 5 gallon drum bung a bit of tube in the filler hole seal it securely and push in at the top end a big stainless steel pan scrubber to act as a filter /retainer , use the remaining part of the drum to make a footstand that will fit on the store drum ( To join it securely I used penny washers and long blind water proof pop rivets ,though nuts bolts and rubber washers as well as penny washers should see it sealed ) then set the whole thing ontop of an empty 5 gallon drum with the tube down into the empty drum filler hole and bung it in a stubby retaining bracket ( to stop it tipping over ) that is mounted on a four wheel trolley set .( shopping trolley with the front face cut out ???? )

Once the lower drum get gets full simply lift the filler funnel off and bung a cap on the full drum ..wheel to the oil burner fuel store to let the gunge settle out for a few weeks or so. Put on a new empty drum

This design has a slight advantage for if you drop your drain plug into an unrestricted funnel it usually goes right down into the lower container , being plastic it is light and does not mark paint work as much as a metal one .
It also uses up some of those annoying plastic oil drums leaving you your metal cylinders for saleable projects.

I did the same sort of thing for our honey cooperative when I was fit and running the collection point. But just used the top 300 mm end of a blue 305 litre food grade plastic drum to make the filler I then filled 30 or more 305 litre barrels with local honey ..suppose you could do the same for a garage but it would most likely be top heavy and easy to upset.

 

[pidgeon chit welder]

Lots of nice, gas-cylinder chiminea project ideas hereabouts.....I really must get `round to making one, before the better days ahead.

But, the old propane bottle I have here keeps 'speaking to me'......it wants to be an oil-change funnel; no, really it does!

If I cut that welded seam near the bell-top, remove the handle, invert the bell and mount on some threaded pipe; with another larger dia. pipe to telescope the height adjustment: captive 'spring and ball bearing' to hold the telescoping with ring-notches machined into the inner pipe at various heights: e.g for a car-ramps, inspection-pit, tractors etc.
Castors mounted on a 'cross' base under the cut-down shorter gas cylinder body, which would act as a tank (w/drain cock), with the funnel/pipe assembly atop.

What do you think?.......have I missed anything?......should I listen to the voice of the Master-Cylinder?

The cylinder might have the last laugh as it would tend to be very top heavy and unstable