[rkovvur]

I know that this could be dangerous, but if it is possible, i'd like to try it.

I have this used disaposable oxygen cylinder that you buy from home depot or lowes...

It is empty and i have a small plan on running my little torch on compressed air and propane.

In a nutshell, i am trying to figure out how to safely drill a hole into the cylinder.

Is this possible. If yes, any idea how do i go about doing that?

[CalG]

There already is a hole in the cylinder. It's the access port. If you need another, figure a way to "Tee" the present fitting.

Just one way

[dr pepper]

Your right it is dangerous, oxygen cylinders can explode, very nasty.
If its a disposable then you'll have problems getting it filled, esp with another non standard hole bashed in the side, cylinder fillers have to check the bottle has been pressure tested before they fill it, and they certainly will not refill a disposable.

That said, if your gonna fill it yourself or something you could fill the bottle with water, and then drill the hole while its still full.
A t piece and another pipe off the top is still a much better and safer idea.

[gmfoster]

Your right it is dangerous, oxygen cylinders can explode, very nasty.
If its a disposable then you'll have problems getting it filled, esp with another non standard hole bashed in the side, cylinder fillers have to check the bottle has been pressure tested before they fill it, and they certainly will not refill a disposable.

That said, if your gonna fill it yourself or something you could fill the bottle with water, and then drill the hole while its still full.
A t piece and another pipe off the top is still a much better and safer idea.

Dr Pepper
Just curious.. How can an empty Oxygen cylinder explode? Whats the fuel? I am not saying your wrong I just don't understand the dangerous part. I agree you could never get a gas shop to refill and don't know why an extra hole would be needed for that anyway..
Garry

[dr pepper]

This is a video of the aftermath of an oxygen cylinder going up, theres no real nasty bits, but there are a few blood stains.
The guy was trying to unscrew the valve on a part full cylinder to let the reamining gas out, he wasnt even drilling just undoing the valve with a pair of shifters.
I have seen pure oxygen burn, oxygen on its own doesnt burn, but dust and anything around it will.
After watching this you may decide not to go drilling holes in cylinders.
I have made wood burning stoves from butane and propane cylinders, if you follow the precautions it can be done safely.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lw_fhNAIQc"]YouTube- O2 CYLINDER EXPLOSION[/ame]

[Drassk]

One of the commentors noted that the memo put out after the accident said that the tank still had a lot of gas in it when the guy tried to pull off the valve (>2K PSI). If you fully bleed a tank then there's not going to be enough oxygen left in there to burn much, let alone explode with enough force to pop the tank.

If you crack the valve (preferably outside, of course) and leave it for a day (or bring it inside after it's been silent for a few minutes) then you'll be safe. I'd feel comfortable bringing it inside after it's gone fully silent, and drilling it an hour later. That's if it's a full-size cylinder. If you're talking about one of the little foot-tall ones then I'd drill it immediately after I bled it...1L of oxygen in a bottle at STP isn't going to do much.

[pfred2]

What part of empty eludes you?

[gmfoster]

This is a video of the aftermath of an oxygen cylinder going up, theres no real nasty bits, but there are a few blood stains.
The guy was trying to unscrew the valve on a part full cylinder to let the reamining gas out, he wasnt even drilling just undoing the valve with a pair of shifters.
I have seen pure oxygen burn, oxygen on its own doesnt burn, but dust and anything around it will.
After watching this you may decide not to go drilling holes in cylinders.
I have made wood burning stoves from butane and propane cylinders, if you follow the precautions it can be done safely.

YouTube- O2 CYLINDER EXPLOSION

I don't see what this has to do with the question as that bottle was full. That was why he was trying to loosen the top the valve wouldn't open. I still don't see the relationship to an empty cylinder. Seems like night and day but one can't be to careful. That is one reason I never had a OX/Act outfit until I had a place to store outside...
Garry

[pfred2]

What do you think could potentially happen drilling a hole into an empty oxygen cylinder? Slip and drill a hole into your foot perhaps? Because an empty oxygen cylinder is just a piece of tubing to me.

Check this guy out. He didn't stop at merely drilling the cylinder out but he cut it clean in half!

http://homemade-stuff.blogspot.com/2...ade-forge.html

And apparently he lived to blog about it too. I have an out of date 244 oxidizer cylinder I plan on cutting the bottom off of to use as a crucible myself. You know one of the 5 foot tall tanks. No fear!

Let us know how you make out, if you live through the ordeal of course.

[RomanLini]

I would partial fill it just with compressed air, then bleed, then partial fill with a few PSI of compressed air (at this point any original oxygen will be as a tiny fraction of the air within), then drill it. The little bit of compressed air that rushes out when the drill cuts through would extinguish any possible flame even if there was a chance of flame which there isn't.

[slavkok]

I would partial fill it just with compressed air, then bleed, then partial fill with a few PSI of compressed air (at this point any original oxygen will be as a tiny fraction of the air within), then drill it. The little bit of compressed air that rushes out when the drill cuts through would extinguish any possible flame even if there was a chance of flame which there isn't.

Bad idea.
Comonly in compressed air the oil is present. That wil ignite when come to pure O2!!! Don't do that. Better use watter and dril cylinder filled with water!

[Kipper]

I know that this could be dangerous, but if it is possible, i'd like to try it.

I have this used disaposable oxygen cylinder that you buy from home depot or lowes...

It is empty and i have a small plan on running my little torch on compressed air and propane.

In a nutshell, i am trying to figure out how to safely drill a hole into the cylinder.

Is this possible. If yes, any idea how do i go about doing that?

Sure it's possible....I'd use an air drill on the disposable (if the valve is still present) if the valve is out...anything goes plasma electric drill chop saw etc.

I wonder why the guy in the video didn't point the bottle at his neighbours and knock the valve off with a sledge hammer

[tlharris]

Call me crazy, but I think the video narrator / investigator just plain missed the mark on this one. I don't believe the cylinder exploded at all - no signs of such in the workshop. Nothing even remotely black, signed, scorched, etc. There is plenty of metal deformation, for sure. I think he's mistaking this for 'melting'. But this is the kind of thing I'd expect to see with a sudden release of compressed gas. What the mechanic attempted was fundamentally foolish and inexperienced. Or at the very least, a terrible lack of judgment. THERE IS NO WAYto safely 'slowly vent' 2000+ psi through steel threads. He's lucky to have only lost an arm. The defective cylinder should have been taken back to the supplier for service.

Which leads me to what others have already stated or alluded to : the oxygen cylinder *won't* explode. It's the high-pressure gas you have to worry about. Simply bleed it. Yes, outside is better. Leave it open for a couple of days, or fill it with a bit of compressed air if you wish. All you'll be left with is a *possibly* *slightly* oxygen-rich steel tank. Always leave a closed vessel open to atmosphere if possible when you're working on it, just so it doesn't heat up and build pressure. If you're really paramoid, open to atm and THEN remove the valve completely. Bandsaw, drill, torch, whatever you're comfortable with.

BTW... when welding on tanks that are currently full of nasty things (yes, it happens all the time, and it's not to be taken lightly) there are several precautions that use or combine as appropriate for the situation:

- as one user suggested, filling with water. This can't always be done, but *liquid* is typically safer than *gas*. A full gasoline tank won't explode - it doesn't have enough oxygen. One full of gasoline VAPOR and AIR, will, in fact explode spectacularly.
- N2 blanket. Purge the oxygen and fill with nitrogen. In a closed vessel (only one way in and out) you have to fill/bleed/repeat until you're confident the O2 has been displaced.
- CO2 blanket. Variation on the above, usually accomplished by stuffing the container with dry ice. Remember you still have to leave an opening, so as the dry ice turns to C02, it can displace the air out.

Even when you know what you're doing, you still typically have multiple people, checklists, and a brief prayer session of some type before you strike the first arc on a full pipeline or storage tank.

THE INFO ABOVE IS OFFERED FOR INFORMATION ONLY.... DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME