Steel pipe

[ScootersSmoke]

Hello everyone, I’ve been in the hunt for a 120g or 250g propane tank to start my RF build. I can’t find tanks around my area for the life of me. Has anyone had any luck getting 30” diameter pipe from a steel supply to use as a CC for a build?

[jadstar]

Hello everyone, I’ve been in the hunt for a 120g or 250g propane tank to start my RF build. I can’t find tanks around my area for the life of me. Has anyone had any luck getting 30” diameter pipe from a steel supply to use as a CC for a build?

Unfortunately Propane tanks have become pretty hard to find... Lot of folks making smokers [emoji846] check with propane suppliers for tanks that can't be certified anymore. Buying 30" pipe from suppliers will be VERY expensive. Could make one from plate Steel ... A little cheaper .

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

[ScootersSmoke]

I have called a few propane places so far asking about retired tanks, most of the people I speak with sound rather confused when I ask, I’ll keep searching for other suppliers. Thanks for your input!

[Dirtytires]

I have several major pipe suppliers here in Phoenix. They didn’t have a 24 x 0.25 inch pipe here but within minutes, located one in a west coast yard. They band-saw cut off a 48” long piece and trucked it out with their next order. I also picked up a 7’ long piece of 4 x 0.25 pipe and was out the door for a hair over $400.

So, yes, it is more expensive than a tank but what I got was perfectly square cut ends on a uniform thickness, brand new piece of pipe. Prep time was exactly zero minutes and I was welding within minutes of unloading it.

A tank typically needs cleaned, sometimes blasted inside and out, has bungs and brackets that need cut out and can be smelly and dangerous to cut on. Many times they are not a full 0.25 inch thick either. Prep time can be considerable and add expense.

I love working with new steel. I feel that my time is worth something so time and materials saved on prepping old steel is better spent buying a better starting point. I really don’t feel you save money using old steel but that’s just me.

My advice is to call an industrial pipe supply yard and tell them exactly what you want. If you have a little wiggle they might even have a short cut-off in a bone-pile that they will cut you a deal on. Remember they deal in all diameters and wall thickness pipes so may be able to recommend something close.

Another option is a scrap yard. One of my local scrap yards always has a big pile of assorted diameter pipes laying around. They cut off what you want with a torch (so you gotta square the ends) and it’s rusty (more grinding) but that is another option for you.

Good luck...let us know what you find.

[McBroom]

Hello everyone, I’ve been in the hunt for a 120g or 250g propane tank to start my RF build. I can’t find tanks around my area for the life of me. Has anyone had any luck getting 30” diameter pipe from a steel supply to use as a CC for a build?

Where are you located at? I can get them in my area all day long and as big as you want from 120-500+ gal.


I love my truck!
Blue Mule 18 Ram 4x4 C/C
Off Road.

[ScootersSmoke]

Hello everyone, I’ve been in the hunt for a 120g or 250g propane tank to start my RF build. I can’t find tanks around my area for the life of me. Has anyone had any luck getting 30” diameter pipe from a steel supply to use as a CC for a build?

Where are you located at? I can get them in my area all day long and as big as you want from 120-500+ gal.


I love my truck!
Blue Mule 18 Ram 4x4 C/C
Off Road.

I’m located in New Jersey

[towtruck]

If you can't get a round one make it out of flat plate and call it a day. All kinds of material will work but each will have a learning curve to how they should be made. If your not adventurous I would keep looking for a tank and if that does not pan out make it from flat plate to the size you want. Check around big auto or paint shops for old compressor tanks as well.

[MattJ]

Buy plans for the Mack and build it. It works great. I am in the process of building my second Mack. This one is for me. The first one I build was for a friend on mine.

[McBroom]

Hello everyone, I’ve been in the hunt for a 120g or 250g propane tank to start my RF build. I can’t find tanks around my area for the life of me. Has anyone had any luck getting 30” diameter pipe from a steel supply to use as a CC for a build?

Where are you located at? I can get them in my area all day long and as big as you want from 120-500+ gal.


I love my truck!
Blue Mule 18 Ram 4x4 C/C
Off Road.

I’m located in New Jersey

If there were enough buyers up there I could put a load of them together and deliver them. For a small fee of course. I can fit 4-6 depending upon the size of tanks wanted.
Pm me for more info.
Even if they are in different locations.


I love my truck!
Blue Mule 18 Ram 4x4 C/C
Off Road.

[TSied]

I just called places that sell steel in my area and asked about scrap pipe. Turns out that one place by me had some 24" diameter pipe that was leftover from a Florida power and light project. The piece was 10 foot long and it has a .375" thickness. I'm making two smokers out of it and they charged me $191 for the 10 foot piece. While there to pick it up I found several other pieces of what they call "drops", basically left over pieces from jobs the fabrication department did. I was able to find enough square tubing for a stand, angle for grates and 5" pipe for a smokestack for damn near nothing.

[towtruck]

I just called places that sell steel in my area and asked about scrap pipe. Turns out that one place by me had some 24" diameter pipe that was leftover from a Florida power and light project. The piece was 10 foot long and it has a .375" thickness. I'm making two smokers out of it and they charged me $191 for the 10 foot piece. While there to pick it up I found several other pieces of what they call "drops", basically left over pieces from jobs the fabrication department did. I was able to find enough square tubing for a stand, angle for grates and 5" pipe for a smokestack for damn near nothing.

That's how it's done!

[Big T]

[ScootersSmoke]

I called a local steel place yesterday, they put me through to one of their salesman. He informed me that they didn’t have anything in the 30” diameter but he was contacting their suppliers for me to see if they could get me in a 72” length. Fingers crossed

[ScootersSmoke]

Update on my search for those that were interested. The salesman got back to me today, all he could find at his suppliers was a 72” length 30” diameter at 5/8” thick. 2600$ and that’s without freight. Back to square one.

[Dirtytires]

Are you working at a steel supply or a pipe supply?

I thought they were all the same but an industrial pipe supply yard (like Kelly Pipe) will specialize in big pipes for pipelines and factory applications. A standard steel supply usually does not have the resources to handle big pipe. The fact that they wanted to charge you freight fees indicates to me that you were dealing with a middle-man, not the supplier.

Try going to google and typing in “industrial pipe” or “steel pipe supply” along with your nearest major city. Start making phone calls and it shouldn’t take long to get a lead.

[ajfoxy]

Alternatively get a flat sheet rolled round. That way it's new, right size and length that you want. Any industrial fabricator shop would be able to do it for you. As a different alternative, you could build a Mack. All square and no rounds in it apart from the stack.

[ScootersSmoke]

I was dealing with a steel supply yard, made more phone calls today to other gas/propane suppliers, a few told me it was against federal law to sell me “non certifiable” tanks. They suggested contacting scrap/junk yards.

A Mack style is always a possibility but as crazy as it sounds I just have had a vision in my head of what I wanted to build and it’s far from the style of the Mack. It’s always an option for me though. Thanks for everyone’s input and suggestions so far!

[Dirtytires]

Another thought...we have folks at all corners of the globe. Let us know where you are and maybe somebody is near you and has a supplier they can share.

[jadstar]

I was dealing with a steel supply yard, made more phone calls today to other gas/propane suppliers, a few told me it was against federal law to sell me “non certifiable” tanks. They suggested contacting scrap/junk yards.

A Mack style is always a possibility but as crazy as it sounds I just have had a vision in my head of what I wanted to build and it’s far from the style of the Mack. It’s always an option for me though. Thanks for everyone’s input and suggestions so far!

Local propane suppliers will usually "Rupture" Tanks before selling for scrap . This is Them cutting with torch or demo saw using proper safety precautions to make it safe to sell for scrap. Patience will pay off long term brother [emoji106]. Having said all that Pipe is quicker to work with but, a fine smoker can be made from plate/sheet steel..... Welcome and remember building a smoker is like making good "Q" Slow and methodical is a good thing!

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

[ScootersSmoke]

So I found a tank, I threw a WTB post up on the local Craigslist and I had a guy reach out to me. I’m going this afternoon to take a look. Based on the picture I can’t tell the size. He said it’s approximately 6 foot long. It looks too skinny to be a 250 gallon, but too long to be a 120 gallon. What’s your opinions on this thing?

[Dirtytires]

If you are wanting 2 shelves in it, I would want at least 24 inch dia. Much smaller and it gets crowded in a hurry in my opinion.