Cutting a steel tank

[txgoose]

I was gifted an older US Divers Steel tank. And I'd like to turn it into a bell. While it hasn't actually been condemned yet, 1) someone has taken liberties with a pipe wrench and the tank neck, 2) it appears to be a pipe thread tap.

My base question is how much do I need to take off the bottom to get away from any widening of the wall thickness, but not lose too much length? It obviously isn't hyper critical. But if someone knows, then I get it right the first time. I am going to be borrowing a buddy's time and equipment and don't want to ask him to make multiple cuts (If I were to simply err on the long side).

2250 PSI, US Divers, born on date '59. 6 3/4" diameter. Roughly 25 1/4" bottom to top of neck.

IMG-1188

• txgoose
• Feb 1, 2019

The molested tank neck. Valve has been well molested but obviously replaceable.

IMG-1187

• txgoose
• Feb 1, 2019

6 3/4" inside the boot.

IMG-1166

• txgoose
• Feb 1, 2019

ICC3AA2250
74729
USD
3<mark>59+
The 8/79 is the last hydro.

IMG-1164

• txgoose
• Feb 1, 2019

US Divers Address

 

[Sam Miller III]

Just an inch or two..or three

I have saved the bottoms of my cutoff tanks and multipurposed them as a non tippable water bowl for my Tibetan terrier dog "Lucky" who use to tip his water bowls-- NOT any more !

So my suggestion is to use the top for a bell the bottom for some yet to be discovered object

I have been making SCUBA bells for 35 years -- lots of fun

Good luck with your first bell

Sam Miller, III

 

[lowviz]

Another option is to cut 4 1/2 to 5 inches off the bottom and now you have a high volume crucible for molten lead instead of a throw-away. Weld a sturdy handle to it (a loop of rebar) and you have something that is rather hard to find nowadays.

(Get yourself some Oakum and a swaging tool and you could become a real plumber.)

How I was taught:

 

[guruboy]

hope that's not a water pipe!

 

[lowviz]

Sanitary waste.

But don't go looking into any old city's infrastructure...

 

[Sam Miller III]

The mute point

If and when your cut a SCUBA tank in two pieces have a plan in place as to what to do with both haves of the tank.
Whatever is decided do not waste one half of the cut tank

SDM

 

[ScubaBunga]

the tanks ring really well at just about any size. I have one where I cut about 4-5" off the bottom (and as others have mentioned I've used the bottom for many things). I have another tank I cut basically in half, maybe even smaller on the top - still made a great bell. I used the larger bottom half as a rock tumbler using my tank tumbler.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Beach People - Billy's Bells
South Bay History: The Meistrell brothers turn Redondo Beach’s Dive N’ Surf into a water sports mecca – Daily Breeze

 

[txgoose]

New wrinkle in the project. For the life of me, I cannot get the valve out of the tank. My question is, can the valve in the picture still be holding pressure in the tank? I can see the seat for the valve handle that would screw into the top. Obviously a pretty simple mechanism. No valve guts there. But as I am unfamiliar with the J valve, I wanted to ask about that here. The plug is out of the side but there are some "guts" inside the J valve side. It doesn't look air tight but I am also working on ignorance in that arena.

I am trying to figure out if I am fighting a pressurized tank or simply 40 years of gummed up plumbers putty in the pipe threads. I have ratchet strapped it to a large wooden shelving unit. I have put a two foot cheater bar on the wrench and put a lot of force into it. Narry a budge. I have also used a 3 lb dead blow hammer on the wrench. Nada. If the tank is not pressurized, I may just drill out the valve.

Thank you all.

 

[Bob DBF]

The valve is rusted in place, however shouldn't you have insured the tank was drained first. You can remove a valve from a pressurized tank, but it gets real ugly when they seperate.


Bob