Looking for gasoline resistant plastic . . .

[Jim_No_Garage]

Here is my story:

I have a number of 5 gallon gas cans in my shed. The challenge is that with the spouts in place I have to have the shelves adjusted too tall to fit all the cans into the single rack.

Since this is really STORAGE and only the ACTIVE can needs the spout installed I wonder if I can cut round disks to replace the spouts inside of the threaded spout RING.

I just don't know what kind of plastic would be appropriate for this use. None of the new fangled cans come with a stopper disk - though some of the cans I bought in the dark ages did. I want to make some but need material help.

Below is a picture of my setup with some of the cans in place. The bottom 2 shelves are higher that they could be to make room for the spouts. The third shelf is too narrow for all but the small 2-1/2 gallon cans and my 1-1/2 gallon mix can.

Cheers

Jim

 

[DC73]

Google or search on eBay for "Gas Can Lids" and/or "Gas Can Caps".

DC

 

[Burl]

Cut a couple of discs out of a beer can.

 

[firworks]

Why not just store the gas cans with the spouts facing out and then put them slightly closer to the edge so each spout clears the shelf above it? That would be a lot simpler than fabricating disks and storing spouts and all that.

 

[Marctrees]

No, No, no. Soo simple.

Did you ever notice "plastic" gas cans are made of everyday High density polyethylene?

Grab an empty laundry soap jug, they are pretty darn impressive gauge, (try flattening one!) and cut yer circles out of the flattest area.

Done. Marc

 

[jumbojak]

Find an old can and cut it up. I have about ten that aren't in use anymore.

 

[owenst7]

No, No, no. Soo simple.

Did you ever notice "plastic" gas cans are made of everyday High density polyethylene?

Grab an empty laundry soap jug, they are pretty darn impressive gauge, (try flattening one!) and cut yer circles out of the flattest area.

Done. Marc

This. Anything HDPE will be inert to pretty much any acid or organic solvent that you're going to encounter. LDPE is also for that matter, but it may not give you the mechanical strength you want.

 

[raddksn]

No, No, no. Soo simple.

Did you ever notice "plastic" gas cans are made of everyday High density polyethylene?

Grab an empty laundry soap jug, they are pretty darn impressive gauge, (try flattening one!) and cut yer circles out of the flattest area.

Done. Marc

Yep this! Fast simple and free!!!

 

[Modern Jess]

I third the vote for polyethylene or HDPE.

 

[djcslice]

disregard

 

[RVDan]

You do realize all those cans came stock with a round disk right?

 

[dadsEH]

Cork...

 

[58Yeoman]

I got rid of all my plastic jugs and went all metal, except for one 1 gallon can for my oil/mix.

 

[lazer50]

You can buy a small sheet of h d p e at your box store or cut up some scrap as stated above.

 

[wssix99]

Whenever you run in to this sort of thing all you have to do is look on the bottom of your bottle/gas can and find the recycling symbol with the number in it. This will tell you which plastic to match up to: (As pointed out above, you can just find another bottle with the same symbol on it.)

 

[Gotcha640]

Blah blah blah stale gas, blah blah blah ethanol, blah blah blah small engines, blah blah blah fuel stabilizer.

Insert the usual precautions as desired.

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

Blah blah blah stale gas, blah blah blah ethanol, blah blah blah small engines, blah blah blah fuel stabilizer.

Insert the usual precautions as desired.

I'm in NJ so I can't easily get non-ethanol gas but I do buy Super-Unleaded and use Stabil. I haven't had any trouble so far.

Find an old can and cut it up. I have about ten that aren't in use anymore.

I do have a spare can that I could possibly cannibalize for the disks - this is why I ask these questions here. I never considered that a gas can would be a perfect source of gas resistant material.

This. Anything HDPE will be inert to pretty much any acid or organic solvent that you're going to encounter. LDPE is also for that matter, but it may not give you the mechanical strength you want.

No, No, no. Soo simple.

Did you ever notice "plastic" gas cans are made of everyday High density polyethylene?

Grab an empty laundry soap jug, they are pretty darn impressive gauge, (try flattening one!) and cut yer circles out of the flattest area.

Done.

Thanks guys for the "plastics" primer. I appreciate all of the information you have conveyed in my direction.

Cheers

Jim

 

[ishiboo]

You do realize all those cans came stock with a round disk right?

With Blitz out of business, Midwest makes all of the cans I see around here. The round disk on them you punch out from the very top of the nut to put the spout on, and thus is not wide enough to be used as a plug for the can.

Not to mention, nobody would keep those...

 

[kbs2244]

One quart oil jug
Antifreeze jug.