propane cylinder pot?

[allen16323]

Want to cut one down and use as a rendering pot, as I have heard a few guys here have done, and was wonder if any one here knows what size the threads for the on/off valve are? Got an idea for a jacket strainer to make life easier as all I deal with is range scrap.

[iomskp]

I cut one down some time ago to use as a smelting pot, I think the valve thread is 3/4 NPT I will check on Monday.

[allen16323]

Thank you very much.

[JSnover]

3/4 NPT sounds about right. If there valve is till in the tank you could just pull it, take it down to wherever you buy fittings and match it up.

[allen16323]

I have to do something this small pot is killing me!!!

[country gent]

The propane cylinders make great pots and are easy to do even with simple hand tools. The valve is installed very tight and they can be a real pain to get out. I cut my tanl with a hacksaw by hand the top is still here with the valve in place. The tank was setting in the barn for years with the valve open I rinsed it several times with dish soap and water inside and out then marked with a ring of tape at the size I wanted. Cut it and then cut a 3" ring for new full dia support.

[triggerhappy243]

yes, make sure there is no propane fumes in the bottle. if you can fill it with water first it will evacuate any propane. cut with a wafer thin 4.5 inch angle grinder blade.

[allen16323]

Yeah I will need to get the valve out anyway. I am making a bottom drain seperator for melting range scrap got a ring shaped burner that will go around the bottom of the "upper pot" that is where the old on off valve will be with a pipe nipple emptying into a piece of copper pipe bigger but not attached to drain into a "lower pot" on a turkey fryer burner. Will have a ss screen in the upper drain to stop all the jackets. That way I don't have to worry about wet scrap into liquid lead and that tinsel fairy. Top gets full pull it off and dump the jackets for recycling. I think I have a guy that will cut it on a horizontal steel saw when I get the valve out.

[dikman]

The valve is a normal "clockwise" thread (anti-clockwise to unscrew) and they are a very tight fit! They are also a taper thread. I used a 2 ft. pipe wrench with a piece of pipe for an extension handle and hit it with a very large hammer!

[MrWolf]

After making sure it us empty including backing out that small screw at valve, I made a mixture of 50/50 acetone/tranny fluid and applied to threads. After several rinse repeats, I used a dead blow hammer to remove. Found it easier than pipe wrench. I used an air saw to make first opening big enough to fit sawzall blade. Sawzall cuts it like butter.

Ron

[Yodogsandman]

I have to do something this small pot is killing me!!!
Me too! Watching this thread with great interest.

[jmort]

I have two and a third to do. The local scrap yard sells them with the old valves for $5. The local propane company removes the valve for free to upgrade to new valve in a specialized fixture. I have valve removed, So that part is easy for me. Might want to check with a propane company. Once valve is out, turn it upside down for a day then fill it with soapy water and let it sit for a day. I do it twice and then use tape/ sharpie to mark line above the weld a couple inches and cut with a cut-off blade on a grinder. Then clean cut up with a grinder. Done.

[Forrest r]

I simply took a thin 4 1/2" cutting wheel to mine. I filled it with water then cut the brass valve off, cut it off about 1/2" above the top of the tank. The 2 holes in what's left of the valve let moisture/smoke out of the pot when I'm smelting.

Those tanks are put together with a re-enforcing ring around the 2 halves where the weld that joined them together is. I cut mine just below the weld and it left that ring attached to the top half (lid) of the tank. That inner ring makes an excellent seal for the pot. I usually process 100# of lead at a time with this setup.

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t242/forrestr-photo/propaneleadpot.jpg (http://s162.photobucket.com/user/forrestr-photo/media/propaneleadpot.jpg.html)

[allen16323]

I got the line on 2 old 100lbs bottles going to see what the guy wants for them. If I get them my pot will be the size of a 20lbs propane cylinder by its self, which will be good because I need a big pot to blend all my scrap so I can alloy it all at once.

[allen16323]

I simply took a thin 4 1/2" cutting wheel to mine. I filled it with water then cut the brass valve off, cut it off about 1/2" above the top of the tank. The 2 holes in what's left of the valve let moisture/smoke out of the pot when I'm smelting.

Those tanks are put together with a re-enforcing ring around the 2 halves where the weld that joined them together is. I cut mine just below the weld and it left that ring attached to the top half (lid) of the tank. That inner ring makes an excellent seal for the pot. I usually process 100# of lead at a time with this setup.

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t242/forrestr-photo/propaneleadpot.jpg (http://s162.photobucket.com/user/forrestr-photo/media/propaneleadpot.jpg.html)

Do you do range scrap or we?

[dikman]

By removing the valve and welding up the hole you can make two pots from one cylinder. I cut the join off to make a ring, cut out a section of ring to make it smaller and welded it to the "top" half (after removing the handle bit). I fitted rebar handles for convenience and found them very handy for moving it.
113909

[Forrest r]

100# of range scrap @ 1 time.