Galvanized smelting pot

[Dan Cash]

I have an old water pressure tank that I am contemplating turning into a large smelting pot. Only problem is that it is galvanized. Of course, once heated, the galvanized coating will come off. Does any one see any problem with this idea?

[waksupi]

When the galvanization burns off, it makes deadly fumes. Be careful.

[darkroommike]

Welders (that know what they are doing) hate to weld galvanized, the fumes are toxic. Additionally the tank coating is zinc and I don't think that's a good thing.

[markinalpine]

You could clean it with muriatic acid first to remove the zinc.
Watch out for the fumes!
Mark :coffee:

[Dan Cash]

Thanks for the reminder about toxic fumes. I am aware of how dangerous the fumes can be. I live way far out in the Bad Lands and my plan is to cut the tank and put in a very large brush pile, fire the brush and leave the area while it burns. If traces of galvanizing remain after fireing, I will put a propane weed burner to it for a while. I would rather deal with this than cutting a propane tank. That gives me the willies.

[13Echo]

You definitely want to remove the zinc before heating both for the toxic fumes and because you really really really don't want to contaminate your lead with zinc.

Jerry Liles

[kodiak1]

Wow I think I would find something else.
Your Health is worth a lot more than that for a lead smelting pot!

Ken.

[13Echo]

An old propane tank is usable. First take out the valve and rinse well with water several times. Then try your bonfire idea and just roast the tank on the fire. Any propane left will be purged by washing and heating and it should be safe to cut.

Jerry Liles

[darkroommike]

Propane tanks are not dangerous, and propane is not dangerous, it's only the mixture of propane and oxygen that explodes (and that over only a small range of mix ratios). You want to FILL the tank with water to displace all traces of gas before cutting or welding. If you want to be cautious fill, dump and repeat.

I should note that more propane handlers suffocate from lack of oxygen whilst handling propane in confined spaces that get killed by explosion, propane is heavier than air and "puddles" in low spots or displaces oxygen in confined spaces.

I also do not recommend going into the back country and "burning off" galvanizing, who know what or who will come along another time and be exposed to your own little backyard "EPA super fund site". Some zinc coatings are zinc-cadmium alloys and as bad as zinc is by itself, cadmium is much worse.

[geargnasher]

Go with the propane tank. It's probably thicker, too.

Remover the valve and purge with water as has been recommended. Your biggest hazard is dealing with the ethyl mercaptan residue, it is a black, tarry substance that smells like rotten skunk eggs when heated. Much less hazardous than dealing with a good case of "zink fever" though.

Gear

[1hole]

The "working pressure" of both water and propane tanks is about 200 psi and the thickness is about the same.

The galvanizing (zink) on tanks is only on the outside. Zinc will dissolve in muratic acid (a concrete cleaner, from Lowe's, etc, by the gallon) and it will burn off at modest temps too, it need not be heated to a cherry red.

The 'fumes' (zink or acid) aren't a problem outside. (You wouldn't use acid or build a fire inside a stuffy area anyway, riight?)

[Dan Cash]

The "working pressure" of both water and propane tanks is about 200 psi and the thickness is about the same.

The galvanizing (zink) on tanks is only on the outside. Zinc will dissolve in muratic acid (a concrete cleaner, from Lowe's, etc, by the gallon) and it will burn off at modest temps too, it need not be heated to a cherry red.

The 'fumes' (zink or acid) aren't a problem outside. (You wouldn't use acid or build a fire inside a stuffy area anyway, riight?)


Heck no, not inside. This is North Dakota so on any given day the wind is at 10-25 MPH so just get up wind and have at it. Nearest neighbor is 3 miles up wind. Just don't make fire on a dry day or you have some down wind enemies.

[afish4570]

Second time I used it....had a 73 # melt in the first one. More today, will weight in a day or three. Put tools and smelting tools away . I found that I could use an old garden hoe that I had welded a pipe handle on years ago to stir the molted lead for fluxing and fluxing with the large scoop of sulfur (sulfur based fertilizer). Hopefully this will remove the zinc contaminates. My first try, done just in case as a preventative measure. To shovel lead out of the 5 gal. pails (sifted range pickup lead) I used an old GI (Taiwan import old too) entrenching tool. I had replaced the original handle with an old snow shovel handle I had found along road in a spring cleanup. This tool is good for mixing and poking melting lead in propane bottle pot and skimming off dross and bullet jackets. To skim the dross off after some is removed with shovel, I use a homemade tool made from a piece of 4 ft. 1/2 elec. conduit mig welded to a tomato can. The #2 1/2 (which for those of you who don't know can sizes, is half the size of a 46 oz. Tom or Veg Juice can) has some can opener holes in the bottom....just enough for the molten lead to escape with you are skimming the dross off......just a few hints on the tools I use. Then I ladle the lead with a large old ladle into my muffin (ingot pans that have alittle candle wax scraped into them to prevent ingots from sticking...Still learning any one else have any little tricks in there bag. afish4570:idea::idea:

[rtracy2001]

I would rather deal with this than cutting a propane tank. That gives me the willies.

Once opened to the atmosphere and rinsed like has been mentioned already, the propane take is safe to cut, even with a torch. I have even welded on one when I build a reservoir for my hydraulic log splitter.

[Fredx10sen]

Quote: To skim the dross off after some is removed with shovel, I use a homemade tool made from a piece of 4 ft. 1/2 elec. conduit mig welded to a tomato can.

If that's EMT or Ridgid conduit, then it is galvinized and has a zink coating. That would have been the yellow and white smoke when you welded it to the can. It leaves a white ash on the weld. Sounds like a good tool though. I just thought you should be aware of the coating. ;-)

[afish4570]

Quote: To skim the dross off after some is removed with shovel, I use a homemade tool made from a piece of 4 ft. 1/2 elec. conduit mig welded to a tomato can.

If that's EMT or Ridgid conduit, then it is galvinized and has a zink coating. That would have been the yellow and white smoke when you welded it to the can. It leaves a white ash on the weld. Sounds like a good tool though. I just thought you should be aware of the coating. ;-)

That is what I use the $9.99 mini grinder from Harbour Freight on sale often with a coupon, this saves my $75 Makita for the tough jobs. For those who don't have access to a welder or friend to do it for you. You can use self tapping sheet metal screws or nuts and bolts to fabricate alot of stuff...American ingenuity to the rescue. afish4570:Fire::Fire:

[Pigslayer]

With galvanized material you could suffer from "Metal Fume Poisoning". Not a good thing. I was cutting up some galvanized steel years ago and got it . . . super high fever & very sick for a couple of days. Cadmium plating is the real danger when melted . . . can kill you. Find something other than galvanized. You don't want to go through what I did!

[wills]

You can get an 8 quart ducth oven at harbor freight for thirty dollars. How much work do you want to do to save thirty dollars?

[afish4570]

Second time I used it....had a 73 # melt in the first one. More today, will weight in a day or three. Put tools and smelting tools away . I found that I could use an old garden hoe that I had welded a pipe handle on years ago to stir the molted lead for fluxing and fluxing with the large scoop of sulfur (sulfur based fertilizer). Hopefully this will remove the zinc contaminates. My first try, done just in case as a preventative measure. To shovel lead out of the 5 gal. pails (sifted range pickup lead) I used an old GI (Taiwan import old too) entrenching tool. I had replaced the original handle with an old snow shovel handle I had found along road in a spring cleanup. This tool is good for mixing and poking melting lead in propane bottle pot and skimming off dross and bullet jackets. To skim the dross off after some is removed with shovel, I use a homemade tool made from a piece of 4 ft. 1/2 elec. conduit mig welded to a tomato can. The #2 1/2 (which for those of you who don't know can sizes, is half the size of a 46 oz. Tom or Veg Juice can) has some can opener holes in the bottom....just enough for the molten lead to escape with you are skimming the dross off......just a few hints on the tools I use. Then I ladle the lead with a large old ladle into my muffin (ingot pans that have alittle candle wax scraped into them to prevent ingots from sticking...Still learning any one else have any little tricks in there bag. afish4570:idea::idea:

Smelting tools are alittle larger than dipping tools to cast bullets. The ingots (muffin tin casts) are used in my Lee or Lyman bottom pour pots. Pistol bullets run about 40 to 45 bullets per pound thats 4000 bullets per 100#......afish4570;);)

[torpedoman]

Thanks for the reminder about toxic fumes. I am aware of how dangerous the fumes can be. I live way far out in the Bad Lands and my plan is to cut the tank and put in a very large brush pile, fire the brush and leave the area while it burns. If traces of galvanizing remain after fireing, I will put a propane weed burner to it for a while. I would rather deal with this than cutting a propane tank. That gives me the willies.

Trick to cutting propane tank :: Fill with soapy water and let soak at least a week.

[darkroommike]

Propane is a gas, fill the tank with water and it displaces the propane gas, no boom.

Inhale the fumes from zinc and cadmium and you get very sick.

You do not need to soak the tank, just make sure it is all the way full with water, then empty it. The soapy water is for heavier petroleum products like gasoline and diesel.

[Dan Cash]

You can get an 8 quart ducth oven at harbor freight for thirty dollars. How much work do you want to do to save thirty dollars?

I have about 5,000 pounds to smelt. Have not cut my water tank yet an may not as a forum member contacted me this AM about a pot he has for sale. If it is big enough, I will go that rout as time is a limiting factor for me. Winter closing in and all.
Dan