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

[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.