Man Killed while making BBQ out of Oil Drum.....!!!!!

[Localmotion]

A half barrel does not make a decent BBQ anyway. It is not my favourite way to eat food, but if you must BBQ follow the Aussie idea and use a thick solid piece of cast iron (very similar to a griddle) over the top of the fire. Much safer and the food not only cooks more evenly, it tastes better too.

Agree food cooked on a heavy piece of iron tastes good, but have to disagree that half a drum makes a bad bbq - did it for years in the UK for barn dances and the like (young farmer days) - they last for ages, are usually free (if you are buying oil etc) and they can hold a lot of wood / charcoal so will go all night if you want.

Where abouts in Portugal are you?

 

[Egon]

In Britain (where I originate)these drums, are known as 45 gallon, never 40. Way back they were 40, but they have, for many years, been of a capacity of 205 litres - a European measurement that equates to 45 Imperial gallons.

Cross the pond and get into the barrel size information plus the Imperial and the American gallon size. Drive a fellow Bonkers.

Us Canadians use metric. I can understand it. It's quite simple.

Also make note that some barrels are of a heavier Gage than others.

 

[ptgdigger]

OK!


General

Synonyms:
Molecular formula: CO
CAS No: 630-08-0
EC No: 211-128-3

Physical data

Appearance: Colourless gas
Melting point: -205 C
Critical temperature -140 C
Boiling point: -192 C
Specific gravity:
Vapour pressure:
Flash point:
Explosion limits: 12.5 - 74 vol% in air
Autoignition temperature 620 C

Stability

Stable. May react violently with oxidants; readily forms an explosive mixture with air. Extremely flammable. Note the wide explosion limits.

Yes Carbon Monoxide can be explosive at levels above 12.5%, but if you want to make car exhaust explosive you're gonna need a concentrator because the CO level of a typical car is 7000ppm , or .7%, yes thats point seven percent, plus it's lighter than air so it keeps floating away on you.


Ray

 

[ericher69]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2011/05/26/ottawa-school-explosion.html

In the above incident the oil residue was food grade mint oil!

Do not use any barrels unless they have been professionally purged and the documentation to prove it!

Or go ahead but you won't be catching me doing it

 

[CBW1999]

I'm wondering if it was not pure oil but 'extract" which uses alcohol as well.

 

[Stimw]

I have cut, brazed and or welded on everything from motorcycle gas tanks to and including gasoline tanker semi trailers.
Just like electricity or rattle snakes, if you don't know what you are doing you can get hurt!
I also knew a guy that was killed when a 10.00 X 20 tire blew that he was installing on a semi trailer. I was 1/4 mile away and it sounded like an artillery shell went off.

 

[Todd727]

Not that this guy wanted to dehead the drum, but some of you have mentioned that subject:

Northern Industrial Drum Deheader | Drum Deheaders Bung Nut Wrenches| Northern Tool + Equipment

Nothing like using the right tool to do a job.

 

[Green Acres Homestead]

A good friend of the family laid in the hospital for 8 years as a vegetable before finally dying. A guy came to his garage and wanted the top cut off a paint barrel. In a hurry at his busy garage he grabbed the torch. Seconds later part of his skull lauded in the parking lot. 2 small kids and a wife. This happened 35 years ago but I never forgot it.

snow blowing, landscaping, lot clearing, recreation

 

[Rhinorider]

I used to work with a fellow that had a similar experience. The barrel originally had soap in it, he was using a torch to cut the top out inside his garage. He was lucky, he was standing to the side and when it blew he was blown through the closed garage door. He lost some hair and had some broken ribs.

 

[Jstpssng]

About 32 years ago at the Chevrolet dealer in Auburn (Maine) sent a newly hired salesman out to help clean up the garage. They had him filling an oil drum with water; he decided to use a cigarette lighter to see how full it was.

It was the last thing he ever did, the news report said that the drum bounced off the ceiling.

 

[Cat_Driver]

Yep fumes are the killer. My buddy was welding 50 feet from an open gas tank. He was outside car was inside, and the car caught fire, burt down the barn.
My Mom back in the 50 was washing a dress in some sort of flammable liquid. I think ...Dry cleaning was done by way of hand brushing garments with benzene. Anyway, she was quite a distance from the hot water tank for the house and she got burnt pretty bad. Fumes carried quite a ways.

 

[toppop52]

When I lived in Stockton, CA in the early 70's after my vacation in SE Asia,, I was working at a gas station. I sold a regular customer who was very well to do, 5 gallons of gas in a loaner can. No idea what she had in mind. She went home to wash the clothes of her son, a car nut, in the gas. She poured it all in a bathtub, put the clothes in and was scrubbing them when the gas water heater fired. Neighbors saw her run out of the house in flames, she died shortly after.

 

[OldMcDonald]

Localmotion, Yes, I have been to some of those barbecues - met my wife at one, Midsummer's Eve 1967. The food was never good. I am near Castelo Branco, semi-retired on 16 acres. Olives, goats and a decent kitchen garden. Originated in Northumberland.

 

[Taylortractornut]

I always purge with argon or co2 or truck exhaust. but the safest way ti delid a barrel and really clean is to take a grinder after purging or during and grind away at the crimpd top bead you can see the crimp line when you meet it. Then using a dent puller I ll take the lid off of with a jerk.

Using a chisel can be dangerous dad had a neigbhor when he was akid get thrown across the feild when the chisel sparked. I had a guy on a job hit one with a chisel and the second strike it made the big woof

 

[ericher69]

Using a chisel can be dangerous dad had a neigbhor when he was akid get thrown across the feild when the chisel sparked. I had a guy on a job hit one with a chisel and the second strike it made the big woof

I'll second that! We have not used air chisels on the FD for about 10yrs now as there was a good chance of sparking at an auto-extrication scene using them.

 

[mcald62]

Just so everybody knows, No.2 fuel oil (diesel fuel) has a flash point of 136 degrees fahrenheit.This makes it very dangerous to cut a barrel with oil residue without taking proper precautions.Be careful!

 

[CBW1999]

The flash point is the temperature of the liquid where it will spontaneously give off vapors in enough concentration capable of being ignited. So, the oil itself would need to be heated to this point. The flash point for number 2 oil can be as low as 126 or as high as 204F.

Gasoline on the other hand has a flash point of -45F hence, its tendency to cause problems.

Cutting on a drum with anything that causes sparks, slag etc is risky regardless. You never know what other chemicals may be present.

Fuel Flash Point
(oF)
Acetaldehyde -36
Acetone 0
Benzene 12
Carbon Disulfide -22
Diesel Fuel (1-D) 100
Diesel Fuel (2-D) 125
Diesel Fuel (4-D) 130
Ethyl Alcohol 55
Fuels Oil No.1 100 - 162
Fuels Oil No.2 126 - 204
Fuels Oil No.4 142 - 240
Fuels Oil No.5 Lite 156 - 336
Fuels Oil No.5 Heavy 160 - 250
Fuels Oil No.6 150
Gasoline -45
Gear oil 375 - 580
Iso-Butane -117
Iso-Pentane less than -60
Iso-Octane 10
Kerosine 100 - 162
Methyl Alcohol 52
Motor oil 420 - 485
n-Butane -76
n-Pentane less than -40
n-Hexane -7
n-Heptane 25
n-Octane 56
Naphthalene 174
NeoHexane -54
Propane -156
Styrene 90
Toluene 40
Xylene 63

 

[Jesse masterson]

I've done this same thing but always build a fire first and roll it in it and stay a safe distance so it can burn out the fumes and fuel firstbefore you cut.also it's smart to take a co
Compressor and blow it out first, I'd only do this for oil or diesel fuel not gas.

 

[ericher69]

I've done this same thing but always build a fire first and roll it in it and stay a safe distance so it can burn out the fumes and fuel firstbefore you cut.

Jesse;

Just my fathers experience; can't tell you what to do or not do...

My father was at a fire about 20yrs ago (he put in 36yrs as a Professional FF and retired as Captain of a platoon)

Plant use to be Iroquois Chemicals (is now Valspar)

Long story short drums full , empty, partially filled where taking off as rockets and landing several hundred feet away!

Mostly Xylene, Acetone and god knows what other chemicals!

be careful out there

 

[Jesse masterson]

Thanks for the warnig ericher , always appreciate any advice when it comes to my health, anyhow I only would do this with oil, it's not nearly as volatile as acetone or some of the other chemicals it just burns, and I always cut or drill a hole or 2 to releive pressure first. I would proBley do it with diesel also but that's it. Some of the other flammables are just to volatile to try it.