Welding on empty drums

   / Welding on empty drums #12  
Well I have made many a burn barrel and never had one go boom.
Have used many techniques from a pick axe to core drills to make the vent holes with the core drill being the most efficient.
Usually I like 1 1/2" on a low rpm drill.
To cut off the tops a small axe and a bit of developed skill will make short job of decapping the drum.
Converting a 45 gal drum into a burn barrel is about a 45 min task.
 
   / Welding on empty drums #13  
Doesn't matter what you use, make certain the barrel is clean and has no flammable material in it. People have been killed using a chisel to take the tops off and a jig saw can still create a spark.
 
   / Welding on empty drums #15  
Doesn't matter what you use, make certain the barrel is clean and has no flammable material in it. People have been killed using a chisel to take the tops off and a jig saw can still create a spark.

Barrels are not nice to work on unless they have been properly cleaned and that is not as easy to do as one would think.
 
   / Welding on empty drums #16  
Barrels are not nice to work on unless they have been properly cleaned and that is not as easy to do as one would think.

True statement!! My dad was a power plant welder for his entire career. He would weld things that others would not touch. Never injured no close calls. One was gas tanks he would run water through the tank for hours sometimes overnight then weld it never a problem. Clean tank equals no flammable gas no problem.
 
   / Welding on empty drums #17  
I've been told that after cleaning a drum that held a flammable product - fill it to the top with water and then remove the top. Since fumes in the drum are the major concern, the water fills the drum and there is no space for fumes.
 
   / Welding on empty drums #18  
$30 gets a drum deheader on E-bay. Like a big can opener. Leaves a smooth edge too.

Not as smoth as you might think. There is still a sharp edge inside. Right where you might grab it.

But it's still the best way to open a drum.
 

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