Makin grill from butane tank

[HOTROD]

Well here goes my first attempt,hope I can,I see them everywere how do they cook?any advice? Post some pics of yours pleeze!

[projectwelder]

Best advice, mike sure that tank has been cleaned of any Butane, usually caustic dipped, prior to doing any cutting or welding on the tank. I know most people know this, but I would feel bad if something bad happened and I didn;t say anything.

That said, tanks makes pretty good barbeques. Depending on how advanced a cooker you are, you could look to putting a box on the side to hold the coals to make for indirect heating. If you are going direct only, look for a way to increase or decrease the heat by raising or lowering the coals. Also, vents to let in air and vents to let out exhaust

[jallcorn]

Either fill it with water or purge with Nitrogen gas prior to cutting into the tank. It does not take much butane/propane to give you very bad day!

[jweller]

I've got an old tank hiding behind my shed awaiting it's fate as a smoker, just gotta find the time to giterdone. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was nervous about cutting it. my plan is to fill it with water.

If you are making it a smoker, consider making it a reverse flow smoker. My understanding is that they heat much more evenly. For the doors, I've read to cut them out about 90%, tack the hinge on, then cut the last bit of it. You get the door perfectly aligned that way.

[Jim-TX]

There shouldn't be a problem if you fill it with water. That's a good tip about the hinges.

[Cornerstone]

Yeah, purging before flame cutting,pretty important. Or else,"But where is the earth shattering kaboom". -Marvin the Martian/Looney Tunes

[HOTROD]

To late I already cut doors out! I geuss this will be my PROTOTYPE

[albertawelder]

i would start by making a nice angle iron frame to hold it up at a comfortable bbq'ing height and go from there..maybe a tray along the front to hold your sauce, brushes, etc...a table on the side to hold some plates or whatever..maybe a shelf down on the bottom of the angle iron frame..you can cut some vent holes and use some flat bar to make a slide so the vents can open or close however much you like..I would just start with a frame and get creative from there.

As for the hinges...just tack the cut pieces(doors) in place how you think they would line up originally and then tack/weld your hinges. Cut the tacks you used to line everything up and should work perfect.

[HOTROD]

Thanks ALBERTAWELDER sounds like a starting point

[Marcel Bauer]

In regards to fitting the doors, I use flat bar tabs about 2" long (4 on each door) with the center of the tab at the edge of the door with the tacks about 1/2" from the door edge.

You can then just drop the door into the opening and it won't fall in and will be flush and easy to align. Stick a couple of spacers in the bottom gap and fit/weld your hinges. Then remove the tabs and tacks.