Cutting up old galvanised water tanks

[Dean]

I need to remove two old water tanks from the loft. One redundant one up
there was bad enough, but now we have a new plastic replacement so there's
two of them up there doing nothing.

They won't fit through the loft hatch. What is the best way to cut them up?
I don't fancy doing it with a hack saw! I have a 9" grinder with some thin
metal cutting disks. I also have a cheap jigsaw and some metal blades (I
think).

I'm guessing the grinder is easiest and fastest. How safe is it to cut up
the tanks with an electric grinder in the loft space (sparks)? Is it viable
to cut it up with a jigsaw?

Any advice very much appreciated. Thanks.

[Adrian C]

Been recently discussed here. Enter the following in google.

group:uk.d-i-y how to cut up a metal water tank?

--
Adrian C

[Newshound]

>> Any advice very much appreciated. Thanks.
>>
>
> Been recently discussed here. Enter the following in google.
>
> group:uk.d-i-y how to cut up a metal water tank?
>
> --
> Adrian C

The consensus was sabre saw first, angle grinder second. I'd be inclined to
have both available, start with sabre saw but use angle grinder to separate
parts.

[Invisible Man]

Sounds very deafening indeed!

[Harry Bloomfield]

Dean presented the following explanation :

> I'm guessing the grinder is easiest and fastest. How safe is it to cut up
> the tanks with an electric grinder in the loft space (sparks)? Is it viable
> to cut it up with a jigsaw?

A jigsaw would just about hack it, but I would go with the angle
grinder. To contain any sparks hang old curtains or bed sheets which
have been damped around the area. Get someone to watch for possible
signs of fire, you can't do both and have an extinguisher to hand
ready.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

[RW]

"Dean" <d...@spamfree.com> wrote in message
news:crCdnbMthdW6gebU...@posted.plusnet...

Gas axe......................

or more seriously

Leave it there if you don't need the space. If you do you can store small
items in it and protect them from damage easier

[wat.t...@googlemail.com]

very sensible advice!

[Dean]

Thanks. I don't know how I missed that. I liked the suggested fire
precautions:

>> Wouldn't using anything electric create quite a lot of heat and shards
>> of hot metal?

>Not if you keep it full of water while cutting it up. <g>

[Dean]

I may do that. Most of the stuff is awkward to store in them and they are
pretty grotty inside.

Thanks all for the help.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "Newshound"
<news...@fairadsl.co.uk> saying something like:

>The consensus was sabre saw first, angle grinder second. I'd be inclined to
>have both available, start with sabre saw but use angle grinder to separate
>parts.

It'd need to be some sort of twat to use an angle grinder on steel, in a
dry dusty loft space.

[Onetap]

On 25 Jan, 14:25, Grimly Curmudgeon <grimly4REM...@REMOVEgmail.com>
wrote:

> It'd need to be some sort of twat to use an angle grinder on steel, in a
> dry dusty loft space.

Yes, absolutely.

I couldn't believe that was suggested the first time around and now
it's been wheeled out for another airing. Many plumbers can't get
insurance cover for soldering in lofts because the incidents of whole-
house conflagration are innumerable.

I wouldn't be seen dead using an angle grinder on a tank in a loft, so
to speak.

A cheapo Black and Decker jigsaw and a packet of blades reduced mine
to manageable segments; cut into 4 parts I seem to recall.
The rivetted construction looks like armour plate but they are less
formidable than they look.

[PeterC]

Might well get away with 1 cut along the centreline.

Now that I've got a hatch big enough to take a tank, I want to leave mine
in - being plastic, it's a good 'box'.
--
Peter.
You don't understand Newton's Third Law of Motion?
It's not rocket science, you know.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the

drugs began to take hold. I remember PeterC
<giraffe...@homecall.co.uk> saying something like:

>> A cheapo Black and Decker jigsaw and a packet of blades reduced mine
>> to manageable segments; cut into 4 parts I seem to recall.
>> The rivetted construction looks like armour plate but they are less
>> formidable than they look.

Exactly. It's not a Herculean effort to cut mild steel water tanks,
especially if attention is paid to putting a line of oil along the cut.

>Might well get away with 1 cut along the centreline.

Quite likely.

[Andy Champ]

I have actually seen the remains of a large water tank that had been cut
up by a gas axe. You can tell by the melted metal trails.

This was in the loft of a Lutyens mansion - removing the cut up pieces
was obviously a step too far - and the mansion is still there.

Andy

[matthew...@gmail.com]

On Jan 24, 4:41 pm, Harry Bloomfield

<harry.m1...@NOSPAM.tiscali.co.uk> wrote:
> Dean presented the following explanation :
>
> > I'm guessing the grinder is easiest and fastest.  How safe is it to cut up

> > the tanks with an electric grinder in theloftspace (sparks)?  Is it viable

> > to cut it up with a jigsaw?
>
> A jigsaw would just about hack it, but I would go with the angle
> grinder. To contain any sparks hang old curtains or bed sheets which
> have been damped around the area. Get someone to watch for possible
> signs of fire, you can't do both and have an extinguisher to hand
> ready.
>
> --
> Regards,
>         Harry (M1BYT) (L)http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

What about bolt cutters or similar to completely avoid the risk of hot
metal or sparks in the loft.

Matt

[Andy Dingley]

On 26 Jan, 16:51, matthew.lar...@gmail.com wrote:

> What about bolt cutters or similar to completely avoid the risk of hot
> metal or sparks in the loft.

If it's just made of bolts then maybe. Bolt cutters are diagonal
nippers, not bypass shears, so they're a bit rubbish for long cuts in
sheet.

If it's the usual thin steel sheet and a pair of Wiss snips, then
rather you than me. In that case I tend to favour a hacksaw for the
angle frame, then an axe (4-6lb, not a hand axe) downwards through the
sheet.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the

drugs began to take hold. I remember Andy Champ <no....@nospam.com>
saying something like:

>I have actually seen the remains of a large water tank that had been cut
>up by a gas axe. You can tell by the melted metal trails.
>
>This was in the loft of a Lutyens mansion - removing the cut up pieces
>was obviously a step too far - and the mansion is still there.

So what? Just because some stupid arse got away with it is no reason to
in any way recommend it.

[Rod]

replying to Dean, Rod wrote:
Useing an angle grinder to galvanised tank in a restricted space is a bad idea
as the zinc coating on the matal gives of toxic gas.

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/uk-diy/cutting-up-old-galvanised-water-tanks-537258-.htm

[Brian Gaff]

And at least one bloke about half amile from here found the sparks set his
roof alight, so you don't need a hot cutter to start a fire.
Brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
bri...@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Rod" <caedfaa9ed1216d60ef...@example.com> wrote in message
news:5%BtA.4$dg...@fx37.am4...

[newshound]

On 3/1/2017 3:44 PM, Rod wrote:
> replying to Dean, Rod wrote:
> Useing an angle grinder to galvanised tank in a restricted space is a
> bad idea
> as the zinc coating on the matal gives of toxic gas.
>

It's true you don't want to breath welding fume from galvanised
material, I'd have said the problem is much less with grinding,
especially wearing a reasonable (or even a basic) dust mask. Fire is
another hazard.

Sometimes you have no choice *but* to cut them up in restricted spaces.

[Rod Speed]

"newshound" <news...@stevejqr.plus.com> wrote in message
news:9O-dnbWUQ94ltirF...@brightview.co.uk...

Sure, but you are much better off using an air powered cutter
with a scissor action than an angle grinder for that. Hire one.

[harry]

It's possible to hire a "nibbler" that cuts sheet metal. Eg:-
https://www.boschtools.com/us/en/boschtools-ocs/nibblers-23499-c/

Check it will cut your tank thickness.

Quick and easy to use.
No sparks.

[DerbyBorn]

"Brian Gaff" <bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in
news:o9777a$mfh$1...@news.albasani.net:

> And at least one bloke about half amile from here found the sparks set
> his roof alight, so you don't need a hot cutter to start a fire.
> Brian
>

Usually only the edge reinforcements are thick A decent hacksaw and then
shears or a nibbler on the panels. It might even fold up if the egde is cut
in the right places.

[Vir Campestris]

On 01/03/2017 19:25, Brian Gaff wrote:
> And at least one bloke about half a mile from here found the sparks set his

> roof alight, so you don't need a hot cutter to start a fire.

I came across the remains of an old galv tank once in the loft of a big
house (Lutyens mansion).

It had been cut up with a gas axe...

Andy

[newshound]

Your old galvanised tanks were made from sheet on angle iron. So you are
going to hacksaw (twice) through something like 20 mm angle, 4 mm thick,
to give the nibbler access to the sheet. Or you stick a mask on and bang
through it all with an angle grinder.

I'm not sure I would want to use a 9 inch grinder with thin disks,
though, but I would be happy with a small one.

A decent jigsaw would do it as well, as would an Evolution circular saw
with the "all materials" blade. One of these wouldn't be much more
expensive than a hiring a nibbler, unless you actually live next door to
a hire shop.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Evolution-RAGE-185mm-Multipurpose-Circular-Saw-B-Grade-230v-/132110974758?hash=item1ec26d7f26:g:964AAOSwTuJYtZq7

One of my lads was recently cutting up sheeting from a shipping
container using a fairly good jigsaw. It wasn't fast (or accurate). I'd
told him several times to use the Evolution, but he didn't believe me. I
had to demonstrate, eventually.

[DICEGEORGE]

On Saturday, January 24, 2009 at 1:48:21 PM UT

>
> I'm guessing the grinder is easiest and fastest. How safe is it to cut up
> the tanks with an electric grinder in the loft space (sparks)? Is it viable
> to cut it up with a jigsaw?
>
> Any advice very much appreciated. Thanks.

I used a 4 1/2 inch anglegrinder with thin discs, it took dozens of them and months. I didnt know about the poisonous gases!

[g]

[newshound]

Were there lots of empty aspirin bottles around it?