Drilling a hole in a gas can

In reply to Dr. Hess (Forum Supporter) :

i'm going to friendlist you for the next time i get a migraine that lasts longer than a day

Is that a Eagle Safety Can?

I'd call them and see if they will warranty it. 

Cheaper and easier (and sticks around longer) is to use a CO2 fire extinguisher.  Displaces the oxygen, and doubles as a fire extinguisher if you don't do a good enough job displacing the oxygen.

I've done that trick before, and also done the water trick before.  The water is tricky for a mid-level welder like me.  The water just boils instantly and wicks away heat.  My problem with dry ice is that the CO2 is cold and heavy.  You need a lot of it (or add some water) to force the CO2 to flood the container.

Water in a gas can is the least of your worries.  If you have water in there, just set it out in the sun, put it on a hot plate, whatever.  Water evaporates.  gas explodes.  

Also... if using dry ice, DON'T use the white clouds as an indicator that CO2 is present.  Most of the fog you get from dry ice is simply the cold air condensing any water in the surrounding air.  It is only when you get theatrical levels of fog are you seeing the brief transition as CO2 goes from solid to a coalesced liquid on its way to a gaseous state.  But when you open a package of dry ice and see all that fun halloween fog hanging around, that is only a low conentration of CO2.  It is mostly condensed water vapor.  Trust me, as a theater tech director, I have gone deep down the rabbit hole of how to make CO2 fog.

If you're going to use dry ice to displace oxygen, you MUST "activate" it with something like water.  Just putting some chunks in the tank will only displace a wee bit at the bottom.  It will slowly fill up, but possibly not as quickly as it dissipates out the nozzle.  In the first GIF below, notice how the tiniest breath blows it away.

In short, THIS is water condensate with a little CO2 outgassing

THIS is displacement and coalesced CO2.

Please be extraordinarily careful when dealing with gasoline fumes and ignition.

A number of years ago I investigated an explosion and the resulting fatality that was the outcome of prepping an underground fuel tank to be cut in half for use as cattle water troughs.  Obviously a Darwin Award level event, but it clearly demonstrates the dangers in dealing with gasoline fumes.

The tank in question, which was propelled around 30 ft horizontally by the explosion:

The end cap from the tank, that landed around 100 yards in the opposite direction.  That's 3/8" steel, BTW:

I know that this is much bigger than a gas gan, but PLEASE use extreme caution when dealing with gas fumes.

Dr. Hess (Forum Supporter) said:

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:

I got almost none of my grandfather's tools, except for this. I can't imagine how old it is. 

At one crank per second, works out to about 240 RPM, and could be run slower, making a spark very unlikely.

Might be the answer. I also could blow it out with some compressed air first.

That is EXACTLY the drill I used to drill holes in people's heads with.  Worked great.

Wow. I've only ever worked on animals. I have used a hand chuck a couple of times to pin fractured bones, but I refer all of my orthopedics now. Outcome is what matters, not whether I can get paid for the procedure. The best chance of that good outcome is having it done by a specialist.

We used hand drills to put toe weights on the front hooves of the trotting horses.

I haven't thought about this for a long time, and never in this context:

Setting up a race car suspension is tough, but unless you've been around it, you can't imagine what goes into shoeing and rigging a racing standardbred.

I have one of those in like new condition.

Back in the old days of AC VW's,  the gas tanks had a small sump that would rust out.

I brazed them .   There was a procedure I used.   Drain any gasoline.  Remove the tank and get any remaining gasoline out.    Fill the tank with very hot water after removing the fuel level sensor.  Have as many openings possible.   Drain the water.   Now the fun part.  Standing an ams length away, hold a lighted torch to an opening to eliminate any remaining fumes.  Sometimes got a little pop.   Continue to braze the rusty spot.   Reinstall the tank.  QED

 The can having only one opening so this may not be a good idea. 

I agree with  Curtis on water not being a problem.  I evaporates.

I am not an expert on anything.  But I always remember the factoid that one gallon of gasoline fumes is equivalent to sixteen sticks of dynamite.

DWNSHFT said:

I am not an expert on anything.  But I always remember the factoid that one gallon of gasoline fumes is equivalent to sixteen sticks of dynamite.

One gallon of gasoline vapour is a different amount that one gallon of gasoline, vapourised.

Yes, but you can't get high sniffing 16 sticks of dynamite.

In addition to the obvious safety issues- if you drill it and fix it with a rivet, won't that be a leak?  I think vapors will seep out around the rivet.  How do you plan to seal it?

They make some awfully good adhesives now... good enough to hold together structural elements of cars.