UKC

Quick question I'm hoping someone here can help me with: I've found a few old camping gas cannisters (the sort that screw into a basic camping stove) buried amongst some of my old camping kit. They're heavily rusted and feel light but definitely still have gas in them. A quick search on t'internet gives vague advice on returning empty cannisters to shops or local recycling, but I can't find anywhere advising whet to do with only partially empty containers. The rust situation makes me very nervous about using them in order to burn off the remaining gas.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation and found a solution?

In reply to Pink Marshmallow:

Only one sensible way to do it: youtube.com/watch?v=-vOcxRpNLfA&

In reply to Pink Marshmallow:
Your local tip most likely will take gas canisters if you don't fancy burning it off using a stove. Or if you do it outside well away from any source of ignition, just attach a stove and turn it on to vent it to the air without lighting it.

Neil

In reply to Pink Marshmallow:


Sticking them on a camp fire and standing well clear is excellent entertainment. A full one is even better.

In reply to Robert Durran:

damn straight, makes a nice pop

In reply to Pink Marshmallow:

If they're virtually empty, leave them in a bothy.
If it's not too remote you can take other sorts of old crap to leave there too

In reply to Robert Durran:


Beat me to it, wire a few of them together or strap used deoderant cans to them for a better show. Alternatively hammer a small nail in the side and light for a nice mini flame thrower.

In reply to all:
Whilst many of the suggestions are ill advised, hammering a metal nail into a metal cylinder has got to be the worst. If you get a spark (quite likley) whilst doing it then it's goodnight Vienna ( or Pink Marshmallow in this case)

In reply to Pink Marshmallow:

Fill them back up with water to the correct weight (use a srynge), you can than sell them on to unsuspecting campers.

In reply to obi-wan nick b:


You might get a jet of flame but even that is pretty unlikely. Not a great idea but nor would it result in a Hollywood style explosion.

OP: Burn them off outside and bin or recycle (burn, vent and squash em if you recycle). Or just use them. If they haven't vented through the rust yet then they're unlikely to in the next few days, it's probably only surface rust anyway. Failing that take them to the local tip, there'll be a gas bottle section. If you're genuinely too concerned about them to burn them off you probably don't want them in your car.

jk

In reply to Pink Marshmallow:

Screw the canister onto your stove, open the valve (outside obviously) but do not light it. Just let the remaing gas escape?

In reply to Robert Durran:

> Sticking them on a camp fire and standing well clear is excellent entertainment. A full one is even better.

Plus 1

In the 1980s we used to have an annual beach BBQ and the climax of the evening was a full industrial sized cylinder.

You needed a very low tide, so that the bonfire was well below high water mark and when the cylinder was placed on the glowing embers we could retire a good 200 to 300 meters away.

A very very spectacular fire ball went up into the air.

The coastguard appreciated advance warning.

No longer considered an environmentally friendly exercise.

Thanks for the advice - think I'll go with one of the less suicidal suggestions! I'll film it just in case though...

In reply to Trangia:


Just exactly how do you notify any authority that you are going to blow up a gas cylinder on a public beach?

Good effort though!

In reply to ByEek:



We didn't! Thought I'd pop that in for the sake of correctness.....

In reply to Firestarter:

Or DO light it, stick a brew on , and then cook a couple of sausages, and if it is still burning watch the flame flicker out as you sup your brew and munch on your sarnie.
( with a long handled pan

In reply to Pink Marshmallow:

If they've still got gas in them then despite the rust, they aren't leaking. Connect then to your stove and burn them off outside, the heat from the stove rises so the temperature increase to the gas and cylinder will be minimal outside where the heat can't build up.