Illinois John - 3/9/2008 17:54
But, I swore I would never again use the torch on an old gas barrel, no matter how much it had been cleaned out. I actually had no problems, but kept getting small pops that scared me over and over. Evidently some of the gas or something incorporated itself into the rust, as even thought it had been used to haul water for years, then sat empty with all holes open for many years, there was enough popping that I wondered if it would explode.
Just a guess, but I imagine that the popping sound was the steam exploding from the water that was stored within the rust flakes. Unnerving nonetheless, given the tank's history.
Gasoline tank disposal
