How To Open Oil Drum

[Ryan]

What is the best way to open an oil drum? I want to cut the top off to reuse it as a water barrel. What is the best way to do it cleanly?

 

[baloyi]

You can use an air hammer and slicer chisel or a cold chisel and small sledge hammer. Other people prefer to use a plasma cutter instead. Isn't it amazing that there are so many ways to recycle such drums?

 

[sgfarm]

be careful if you use a grinder or plasma cutter as the contents can catch fire or explode if the barrel is sealed. An old oil drum exploded at the school when the kid used a grinder to cut it open.

Ottawa student dies after explosion at school

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-student-dies-after-explosion-at-school-1.1010442

 

[FarmHand]

Yeah you best be careful with the method if there is anything flammable left in there.

 

[C.M. Wierick]

I take the bungs out with a bung wrench and, using a garden hose, run several gallons of water into the drum. Them, I use a 4 1/2 inch cutting wheel too start an opening. Lay that aside and using a metal cutting blade on a Sawzall, I put the blade into the beginning slice, and run the Sawzall around the drum with the guide /guard against the edge of the drum. After I finish the cut, I set the cut out section aside for use with jacks, etc. I take the cutting wheel and cut the area out to the rim of the drum in multiple places like the minute marks on a clock face and bang them down with a ball peen or small sledge hammer.

 

[ch1ch2]

Fill it with water.

 

[MoparSparko]

We made a cutter that uses a sickle bar knife section that works kind of like a huge P-51 military can opener. I think that was the number the military used, might not be remembering that correctly. It eliminates any open flame or saw grindings, but it does take manual labor.

 

[Tommy63]

Buy a drum deheader for 50 bucks and you'll have an endless supply of clean cut drums.

 

[FarmHand]

Buy a drum deheader for 50 bucks and you'll have an endless supply of clean cut drums.

Winner

Robot or human?

 

[Tommy63]

ConsiderpPlastic barrels which might be better for water storage and can be cut with a sawzall.