[TheForge] Diesel Gas Question

Fri Mar 2 09:53:43 EST 2007

My cousin took an award winning  photo picked up in by UPI, Sge snapped
the photo just as a fuel oil tank exploded. It killed the welder that was
working on it, and the shrapnel from the explosion also killed the fireman
that was walking in to tell him to stop.

Dann

> Dan,   Point taken and I'm not one to enthusiastically argue an accepted
> safety measure but is there really enough area in question to cause an
> explosion?
> Bill
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dan Brewer" <danqualman at gmail.com>
> To: "'Sponsored by ABANA'" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2007 8:46 PM
> Subject: RE: [TheForge] Diesel Gas Question
>
>
>> The soapy water has less surface tension and will wet the walls of the
>> barrel.  You can salvage most of the fuel first by tipping it on it side
>> over a plastic bucket.
>> Dan in Auburn
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
>> [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Woolley
>> Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2007 3:06 PM
>> To: Sponsored by ABANA
>> Subject: Re: [TheForge] Diesel Gas Question
>>
>> Dann,
>>
>> What is the point of using soap?  You're basically displacing
>> combustables
>> with water, right?
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: <dann at wctatel.net>
>> To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
>> Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2007 5:58 PM
>> Subject: Re: [TheForge] Diesel Gas Question
>>
>>
>>>
>>> Dan,
>>>
>>> "making kerosene"
>>>
>>> I've been lucky and welded a bunch of old 55 gallon oil barrels without
>>> an
>>> explosion.  I squirted some dish soap in the bottom of the barrel, and
>>> put
>>> a hose in and filled the barrel up with water.   Then, without draining
>>> the soapy water, I welded.
>>>
>>> Rather than get water in your barrel, and then waste 4 gallons of
>>> diesel,
>>> why not make a chain sling to hoist it?  Or think of the chain keepers
>>> that hold your oxy acetylene tanks to the cart.  Shouldn't be hard to a
>>> barrel lift hook bar with a foot under the barrel and a couple of
>>> chains
>>> that hold it that way.
>>>
>>> There are also special hooks made for moving 55 gallon barrels. Maybe
>>> even
>>> Harborfreight probably sells them.  Your friend that sold you the
>>> barrel
>>> probably has something you could look at for an idea.   Maybe you could
>>> make one like it, easier than worrying about welding on the barrel?
>>>
>>> A 55 gallon drum of oil weighs over 300 pounds, but they rock and roll.
>>> I've moved a lot of them alone, with just muscle while they were full.
>>>
>>> **
>>> We lost electricity for about 80 hours with last weekend's ice storm.
>>> We
>>> are having  another ice storm as I write this.
>>>
>>> At my local hardware store, I bought the last gallon kerosene jug, and
>>> it
>>> was  -synthetic kerosene- last week.  We had power lines down, and my
>>> oil
>>> lanterns were half full from perhaps 6 or 7 years ago.  I blended the
>>> "new" synthetic kerosene with the old stuff in my lanterns.
>>> Then thinking of the price of the new stuff: It was $9.99 for a gallon,
>>> I
>>> remembered back nearly 30 years.
>>>
>>> Note, Burning any unvented heater, or even a kerosene lantern in a
>>> modern
>>> well insulated home in't wonderful for air quality. I've always had
>>> kerosene laterns, in old drafty homes.  Our home now is so tight, that
>>> we
>>> only burned the lanterns, even with new store bought kerosene,  for a
>>> few
>>> hours at a time.
>>>
>>> First off, diesel fuel, gas, kerocene, are all vegetable soup carbon
>>> compounds, but the product has a blended -mean- average- flamability.
>>>
>>> Back in the  oil crisis days of the late 1970s,  my local fuel guy told
>>> me
>>> that the kerocene that he sold was a blend of 90% #1 fuel oil ( #1
>>> diesel
>>> ) and 10% unleaded gas.  ( Mix well before initial use).
>>>
>>> The point is that the new, ( pale green )  low-sulfer diesel fuel that
>>> I
>>> get at pumps in Iowa is a winter blend of approximately 50% #1 and 50%
>>> #2
>>> diesel.   I took a gallon -gas can- and poured 12 ounces of unleaded
>>> gas
>>> into. Then I filled it with my winter ( low sulfer) diesel blend.  In
>>> my
>>> opinion, it looked like kerosene, and burned like kerosene in my
>>> lantern.
>>> I Shook it up, let stand, and shook it up again  before pouring in my
>>> lantern and lighting the wick <grins>.
>>>
>>> I did my experimentation in a well ventilated area, as I was satisfied
>>> with the results.  As they say, "Don't do this at your kitchen table"
>>>
>>> Dann
>>>
>>>> Hey Folks,
>>>>
>>>> I just picked up a 55 gallon drum and a hand crank fuel pump so I can
>>>> buy
>>>> kerosene in bulk.  I planned on welding on some sturdy rings (1/2
>>>> stock)
>>>> around
>>>> the top of the empty barrel so I can load/unload onto/off of my pickup
>>>> using a
>>>> block and tacklle hanging from a beam.
>>>>
>>>> The problem:  The kerosene dealer thought he was doing me a favor when
>>>> he
>>>> gave
>>>> me a used drum rather than having to buy a new drum.  The used drum
>>>> contains
>>>> about a 4 gallons of Diesel fuel.  I am going to drain the drum but I
>>>> know
>>>> if
>>>> it had been filled with gasoline, the fumes alone could blow up in my
>>>> face......So....How volatile is this sutff? I'll drain it first, but
>>>> should I
>>>> fill it to overflowing with soapy water before I weld it?  I would do
>>>> that
>>>> if
>>>> it had been filled with gas.
>>>>
>>>> Comments?
>>>>
>>>> Dan
>>>>
>>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------
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