Use for empty small propane tanks?
Use for empty small propane tanks?
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.
Maybe you could use them to store gas
Make a pulse jet engine
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
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
Here you take them back and you get a discount off the next one.
Do not under any circumstances cut into these cylinders with power tools.
They might not contain enough propane to be useful to you, but there might very well be enough in there to mess you up.
Brother of a friend wanted to turn an supposedly empty oil barrel into an outdoor heater. The residual fumes were enough to cause an explosion large enough to fracture his skull and put him into a coma for multiple weeks.
Thread a torch nozzle and just open it set it in the sun and leave it a couple days the thermal transitions will help purge the bottle enough it doesn't matter. Drums should always be purged and water filled before cutting or burn it first.
Just displace whatever gas is left in there with water first.
That's easy enough on full sized propane bottles, but more of a pain in the ass on the small ones
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.
Put them next to chickens and take a photo that makes it look like you have enormous chickens.
Nothing. It's why they are being phased out. recycle them at any place that sells propane tanks.
I hadn't heard that. What are they being replaced with?
California (only so far) banned specifically disposable propane tanks of any size.
Small propane canisters will still be available, but they must provide provisions for being refilled and reused. Which is fine by me, I always hate throwing the steel tanks out at the end of a camping season and usually try to refill them if I can.
Reusable ones. Looks like it's only California: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/camping-with-propane-canisters-in-california-is-set-to-change-how-to-choose-what-to-buy-now/
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 would take them to a recycling center that advertises that they accept fuel / propellents.
Feed it to the chicken.
I used to shoot them with a 30-06. Unfortunately I never got one to go boom like the movies
Put some tannerite on them, you want to be at least 100 yards away though.
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.
Terrorism.
*resistance
Tomato/tomahto
Put propane in them
They sell the adapter on the tiktok shop Weirdly enough haha.
Have a nice trip: Igorrr - Himalaya Massive Ritual Recording
Mini Probot of course...
You can get adapters to partially refill them from the 20lb bottles.
They're fun to use as shooting targets, just do it at 100+ yards
You could refill them then give them away.
Exactly. The hose to refill them from a propane tank isn't that expensive, and it will save you loads of money in the long run if you go through those small tanks at any reasonable pace.
Under no circumstances should you puncture the container. It's still a pressure vessel with flammable gas in it and will explode if you try.
Find a metal saucer to sit them in, drill some big holes around the bottom edge, then a bigger hole in the top
Even better if you could turn them upside down and do this
Ta-da! Mini chicken feeder
I mean, the clue was in the picture
In my country if you get bottled gas supplied on contract, the cylinders usually remain the property of the supplier. They'd' take them back and recycle, or the vendor should take them and pass them back.
These are tiny portable 0.5kg cylinders, e.g as a cooking fuel while camping. Not larger bbq or house supply tanks.
Very good question. Where I live they are supposed to be separated as "dangerous waste", because people are not trusted to empty them themselves.
Makes sense; people are stupid. Me included at least half of the time.
I remember a backpacking buddy talking about a tool for puncturing the (empty) fuel cans for "jet boil" camping stoves because they couldn't be recycled without very clearly being empty.
This may be the Canadian in me, but my municipal dump literally has a spot for people to bring these (and other pressurized gas canisters) for safe handling and recycling
Turn it into a big ass flask, they can't arrest you for drinking good 'ol clean burning propane, I tell ya hwat
Given that alchohol could concievably be a fuel, you might have something there.
Could you refill these with methane / biogas from an anaerobic digester? I assume you'd need a specialized compressor.
Have fun in an airport
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...
My and my buddies get excited when we run out, we use them for target practice. More if a rifle thing where you can get some distance, they are rather unpredictable depending on how you hit it and if gas is still present.
I watched my dad set a forest on fire like that once. We got it out, but it was pretty intense.
I suppose that that route has the benefit of rendering them safe.
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
What about exploring using your metalworking skills artistically? Maybe some interesting sculptural possibilities.
Refill with an adapter from a larger propane tank.
The refilled tanks can’t hold as much, but it works.
They can hold a bit more if you toss them in the freezer for a while before attempting to refill.
I'd punch through the neck, fill with lamp oil, put candle wicks in there.
I do that with cool bottles, but you could strip the label and paint, do something creative.
I remember looking into this once before but with CO2 tanks, I had an idea of cutting them off at different heights or levels to make bells out of them. I'm pretty sure sound wise it would be pretty hit or miss but worth a try.
Don't fuck around with pressure vessels. It's seriously dangerous.
Or don't be a pussy and blow them up with tanerite