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55 gallon drum cutting

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aczeller

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
i knwo it has probably been discussed before, but what is the best way to cut a straight line through a 55 gallon drum? i want to make 4 straight cuts (2 vertical and 2 horizontal) for an opening in a BBQ. i have a sawz-all, a 4.5" angle grinder, and a Skill Saw. i knwo all will cut thru the barrel, but what woudl give me the cleanest/fastest cut? my main issues that i can see are keeping the lines straight over the ridges during the 2 veritcal cuts (2 ridges), and keeping the lines square at 90 degress on all 4 cuts.

any ideas are greatly appreciated.

later,
Andy
 
#2 ·
Sawzall..:cool:

...zap!
 
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#3 ·
Id also bet a sawzall, but the hardest part will be keeping a straight line. You can either wrap string around it or try a chalk line. We have these black rubber strips that are like a measuring tape for round objects. Its wide so if its not laid on straight you will notice it. maybe its worth picking one up at the local supply.
 
#4 ·
My aczeller you ask a lot of questions. :)

To cut a 3" PVC pipe, wrap a sheet of paper around it making sure the paper is square. Draw a line using the paper. Use the same method for the barrel. You just need a big sheet of paper :) .

Zap has got it, nuttin works better than a sawzall.

David
 
#7 ·
What was previously in the drum?? The reason I ask is you should be extremely careful if it has ever held any petroleum products.

Believe it or not, people have been killed cutting old oil drums.
 
#8 ·
Joe H said:
What was previously in the drum?? The reason I ask is you should be extremely careful if it has ever held any petroleum products.

Believe it or not, people have been killed cutting old oil drums.
Click to expand...
Good question.

I always make sure to flush the drum with water as much as possible and then fill it part way. Not enough to interfere with my cutting.
 
#9 ·
I would use a jig saw because they provide really good control. Use two or four holes to get clean corners and wrap paper around the drum for straight lines. You can make the verts with a t-square up to the ridges, and eyeball the line over them. You should have a minimum of clean-up if you do it right and take your time.
 
#10 ·
I lay out my pattern with masking tape, and then cut along the inside edge. As far as the best choice for making straight lines, use whatever you are most steady with.
 
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Discussion starter · #11 ·
David R said:
My aczeller you ask a lot of questions. :)
Click to expand...
i know... sorry if i bother you guys. i'd rather LOOK stupid to everyone than BE stupid.

from what i've seen and read on here, is it safe to assume that my goal could be achieved by the following steps:

1.) lay out with electrical tape (stretchable, straight, easy to see)

2.) cut corners with angle grinder and cut-off wheel. this will give me sharp corners

3.) cut the rest of the length of the cut line with a sawzall. this will be quicker, safer, and cheaper than using cut-off wheels.

is that okay? i don't see why not, but i am wondering if anyone else sees anything wrong with it.

as far as the drum contents, it will probably be an old Sunoco 75-W90 oil drum. i plan on rinsing it, rinsing it again, then filling it with a little water (about 1/2 full) and cutting it. before i weld to it, i plan on sand blasting it with silica sand (inside & outside). before i cook with it, i plan on building a super-hot fire for a few hours in it. i think that woudl take care of any oil residue inside the barrel. anyone have any additional input?

thanks.

Later,
Andy
 
#12 ·
Cook it first drive out any oil then sand blast, wash it well dry it well, use masking tape for cutting lines electrical tape stretches and doesn't maintain a straight line, if you use the sawzall get the finest blade you can find, a course blade will destroy the tank go slow too.
 
#13 ·
The tool I would be most steady with for this particullar job would be a jig saw aka a recripricating saw. If I didn't have one I'd probably use an angle grinder as it would be a little harder for me to cut a straight line with a sawzal. But I suppose if you are really good with a sawzal you might be able to cut straight. If nothing else, you have less sparks.

As for flamable liquids in barrels. Little story. I was building a biodiesel processor out of barrels that were used for racing gasoline. I would use water and fill the drum to the top and let the water run over for a bit. Then drain it and let it set to air out, just in case any fumes survived. I cut and welded on several barrels like this with no problem. But on one of the drums it didn't go so well. I rinsed and aired out the drum the same as the others but evidently I didn't get everything out. I was welding a bung into it when I heard something. It sounded kinda like a bottle rocket going off. It's a good thing I was welding because I had on long sleeves, welding gloves and my welding helmet. If I had been cutting with a grinder I probably wouldn't have had on gloves or any face protection on other than my eye glasses and maybe long sleeves. I heard a sound like a bottle rocket and then boom. It blew the barrel up about 3 feet off the ground and a little bit of poop into my undershorts. All I can think of is that there was some fuel left that I didn't get out and rinsing left a little bit left. Airing it out would have then taken much longer to do it's job at that point.

After that happened I was a little shakey and even though I started to work on something else, I was pretty usless and shut er down for the night. Besides, I needed to go in the house and change my shorts anyway.

True story, well except for the actual pooping thing. I should have pooped but didn't. Hopefully it brightened up a story that could very well have ended with fatality.

I take more measures to insure against something like that happen again. I rinse twice as long, air twice as long and then from as far a distance as possible I test with a propane torch just to make sure. I'd rather have it pop then than in my face again.

Good luck and please, use my screw up as an oppertunity to avoid making the same mistake I made.

Wayne
 
#14 ·
Am I the only one around here that knows what a wrap-a-round is? Yep you have to buy them, but taken care of they last forever and won't burn like paper. I have people ask me all the time to build bbq's out of barrels or old propane tanks or cut on barrels. It doesn't happen. I will build one out of pipe, it will be very nice, and it will be very expensive. I have a smoker and 3 bbq's. All from WalMart. I am going to build a Fajita cooker someday (I've had the stuff for over 10 years).
 
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#15 ·
Use a chalk line, and after you strike the line use a 99 cent can of white rain hair spray on the chalk line. Let the spray dry for about 3 minutes. You can pick up the hairspray at any Wal-Mart. This will prevent it from falling off during cutting. No mater what method of cutting you decide to use. Also works on concrete floors cinder block walls etc, etc.
 
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#17 ·
Any of the methods will work, I'd pick the one you are most comfortable with. If you use a sawzall you might want to pick up some wider blades. They don't tend to wander as much, and I think they handle the heat better. More area to dissipate.
 
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