Is there any safe way to open a still-pressurized can of spray paint with a
completely plugged nozzle, to get the paint out so I can brush it on?

How about if I made a tool e.g. drilled a small hole in a Popsicle stick or
tongue depressor, turned the can upside down, removed the nozzle, and depressed
the valve stem with the hole aligned? Maybe the air would all come out and leave
the paint inside, then I could cut it open any way I wanted reasonably safely.

Ideas? Experience?

GWE

Can we assume you have tried pulling the nozzle off and replacing it
with a fresh one from another can? Surely you have other spray cans. I
think any other way would result in paint all over yourself.

Paul in Redmond, OR

Grant Erwin wrote:
Is there any safe way to open a still-pressurized can of spray paint with a
completely plugged nozzle, to get the paint out so I can brush it on?

How about if I made a tool e.g. drilled a small hole in a Popsicle stick or
tongue depressor, turned the can upside down, removed the nozzle, and depressed
the valve stem with the hole aligned? Maybe the air would all come out and leave
the paint inside, then I could cut it open any way I wanted reasonably safely.

Ideas? Experience?

Secure the can in a vice, base down.
Put bucket closely under vice.
Hammer small nail into the bottom of the can (wearing gloves).
Nail may shoot out (not violently) on its own, or may need to be pulled
out.
I doubt that the paint will work for brushing.
The absolute pressure inside the can is small - there is no risk of it
splitting, unless you heat it first to 50C or so.

"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...
Is there any safe way to open a still-pressurized can of spray paint with
a
completely plugged nozzle, to get the paint out so I can brush it on?

How about if I made a tool e.g. drilled a small hole in a Popsicle stick
or
tongue depressor, turned the can upside down, removed the nozzle, and
depressed
the valve stem with the hole aligned? Maybe the air would all come out and
leave
the paint inside, then I could cut it open any way I wanted reasonably
safely.

Ideas? Experience?

GWE

The easist way to open the can is an automatic center punch, however the
paint then comes out of the hole much to rapidly to contain in a shallow
vessel!

Why make the hole at the bottom?
Wouldn't a hole at the top release the gas, without the paint?

Secure the can in a vice, base down.
Put bucket closely under vice.
Hammer small nail into the bottom of the can (wearing gloves).

Grant,

Hell years ago (were talking early 60's) as a kid, we'd just use a 'church
key' on the bottom to make one *small* hole to let out the pressure then
open it up all the way to dump out the paint. Then 'cuz we were kids we'd
make a few more to get a hole big enough to get the *marble* out... I got a
few really nice "Cat's eyes" that way.. LOL.

Quite honestly I just did the very same thing about a week ago to a can of
Kyrlon that I wanted the last drops from to brush on the drivers on my
Locomotive.

Just hold the dam can in yer hand and point the bottom AWAY from ya...

Dave


"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...
Is there any safe way to open a still-pressurized can of spray paint with
a completely plugged nozzle, to get the paint out so I can brush it on?

How about if I made a tool e.g. drilled a small hole in a Popsicle stick
or tongue depressor, turned the can upside down, removed the nozzle, and
depressed the valve stem with the hole aligned? Maybe the air would all
come out and leave the paint inside, then I could cut it open any way I
wanted reasonably safely.

Ideas? Experience?

GWE

On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 07:08:22 +1000, Jordan wrote:
Why make the hole at the bottom?
Wouldn't a hole at the top release the gas, without the paint?

If it's upside down, the bottom _is_ the top. And the bottom is a much
better surface to try to pierce.

The "use a different nozzle from another can" is the easiest and
cleanest method, as long as the paint tube isn't clogged. However, if
you really need to depressurize the can, I would think you'd want to
punch the hole as far from the pool of paint as possible. Stand the
can upright on your bench, and leave it for awhile (15 minutes?), so
that all of the paint settles to the bottom of the can. With the can
standing upright, punch the hole in the metal top (but not where the
nozzle tube comes through). The smaller the hole, the better. The air
escaping from the small hole should not take much paint, if any,
through the hole, because the air isn't pushing paint towards the hole
in the top. When the pressure is gone, you can then use some kind of
tool to open the can and pour the paint into a small bucket or similar.

Or, maybe I don't fully understand how spray paint cans work?

I think I'm seeing the genesis of a Darwin Award!

Dave August wrote:
Grant,

Hell years ago (were talking early 60's) as a kid, we'd just use a 'church
key' on the bottom to make one *small* hole to let out the pressure then
open it up all the way to dump out the paint. Then 'cuz we were kids we'd
make a few more to get a hole big enough to get the *marble* out... I got a
few really nice "Cat's eyes" that way.. LOL.


Just hold the dam can in yer hand and point the bottom AWAY from ya...

Dave


"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...

Is there any safe way to open a still-pressurized can of spray paint with
a completely plugged nozzle, to get the paint out so I can brush it on?

How about if I made a tool e.g. drilled a small hole in a Popsicle stick
or tongue depressor, turned the can upside down, removed the nozzle, and
depressed the valve stem with the hole aligned? Maybe the air would all
come out and leave the paint inside, then I could cut it open any way I
wanted reasonably safely.

Ideas? Experience?

GWE

Of course, trying a clean nozzle would be the first thing to try. BTW, when
I start a new can, I usually use the nozzle from a can that's already in
use. I save the unused nozzles in my toolbox, so I always have a clean one
to got to when there's a problem.

I don't know why it works, but sometimes you can get the thing working by
taking off the nozzle and then putting it back. You'll get a little spurt,
and then nothing. If you repeat this a few times, often the thing will
start to work.

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 11:23:43 -0700, Grant Erwin
wrote:

Is there any safe way to open a still-pressurized can of spray paint with a
completely plugged nozzle, to get the paint out so I can brush it on?

How about if I made a tool e.g. drilled a small hole in a Popsicle stick or
tongue depressor, turned the can upside down, removed the nozzle, and depressed
the valve stem with the hole aligned? Maybe the air would all come out and leave
the paint inside, then I could cut it open any way I wanted reasonably safely.

Ideas? Experience?

GWE

I made a little brass stem , threaded on one end to screw into the
pipe of a Bernz-O-Matic propane torch. The stem goes where the nozzle
was. Insert stem smartly, hold firmly, turn on propane. That will
often blow the paint tube clear, and re-pressurize the can. Saved
many rattlecans that way. Hardly ever get any on me.

Leo Lichtman wrote:
Of course, trying a clean nozzle would be the first thing to try. BTW, when
I start a new can, I usually use the nozzle from a can that's already in
use. I save the unused nozzles in my toolbox, so I always have a clean one
to got to when there's a problem.

I don't know why it works, but sometimes you can get the thing working by
taking off the nozzle and then putting it back. You'll get a little spurt,
and then nothing. If you repeat this a few times, often the thing will
start to work.

Yup. This one is PLUGGED. Nothing is going to get it spraying again, not a new
nozzle, nothing. And I just need a little more of the paint ..

I'll try the churchkey, sounds reasonable to me.

GWE

"Don Foreman" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 11:23:43 -0700, Grant Erwin
wrote:

Is there any safe way to open a still-pressurized can of spray paint with
a
completely plugged nozzle, to get the paint out so I can brush it on?

How about if I made a tool e.g. drilled a small hole in a Popsicle stick
or
tongue depressor, turned the can upside down, removed the nozzle, and
depressed
the valve stem with the hole aligned? Maybe the air would all come out and
leave
the paint inside, then I could cut it open any way I wanted reasonably
safely.

Ideas? Experience?

GWE

I have pressurized with air pressure from my compressor a paint can that has
ran out of propellant . It take some finesse but it should also blow clear
the stand tube inside the can.
Steve

Must be you then Rex, as in culling out the ones stupid enough not to think
and try things...

I'm 54 and have been doing this since I was 6 and NEVER had a problem, and
it was my ole man who showed me the trick...

Maybe you should try things before shooting yer mouth off.

Dave,

I think I'm seeing the genesis of a Darwin Award!

Dave August wrote:
Grant,

Hell years ago (were talking early 60's) as a kid, we'd just use a
'church key' on the bottom to make one *small* hole to let out the
pressure then open it up all the way to dump out the paint. Then 'cuz we
were kids we'd make a few more to get a hole big enough to get the
*marble* out... I got a few really nice "Cat's eyes" that way.. LOL.


Just hold the dam can in yer hand and point the bottom AWAY from ya...

Dave


"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...

Is there any safe way to open a still-pressurized can of spray paint with
a completely plugged nozzle, to get the paint out so I can brush it on?

How about if I made a tool e.g. drilled a small hole in a Popsicle stick
or tongue depressor, turned the can upside down, removed the nozzle, and
depressed the valve stem with the hole aligned? Maybe the air would all
come out and leave the paint inside, then I could cut it open any way I
wanted reasonably safely.

Ideas? Experience?

GWE

Keywords:
In article .com, wrote:
The "use a different nozzle from another can" is the easiest and
cleanest method, as long as the paint tube isn't clogged. However, if
you really need to depressurize the can, I would think you'd want to
punch the hole as far from the pool of paint as possible. Stand the
can upright on your bench, and leave it for awhile (15 minutes?), so
that all of the paint settles to the bottom of the can. With the can
standing upright, punch the hole in the metal top (but not where the
nozzle tube comes through). The smaller the hole, the better. The air
escaping from the small hole should not take much paint, if any,
through the hole, because the air isn't pushing paint towards the hole
in the top. When the pressure is gone, you can then use some kind of
tool to open the can and pour the paint into a small bucket or similar.

Or, maybe I don't fully understand how spray paint cans work?

I've done this with small nail. Works fine. Once the pressure is gone,
put another hole in the rim on the opposite side for a vent & pour the
paint out. It's pretty thin for brushing, but the solvent evaporates
pretty quickly, so it will thicken up a bit if you let it "breath". It's
been a while since I did this. I think I put the can on the floor in the
middle of a sheet of newspaper, and held the nail pinched in another
sheet to absorb what little spray there was. I tried to make a very
small hole, and then held the nail in place while it vented slowly.

Doug White

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 17:28:44 -0500, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 11:23:43 -0700, Grant Erwin
wrote:

Is there any safe way to open a still-pressurized can of spray paint with a
completely plugged nozzle, to get the paint out so I can brush it on?

How about if I made a tool e.g. drilled a small hole in a Popsicle stick or
tongue depressor, turned the can upside down, removed the nozzle, and depressed
the valve stem with the hole aligned? Maybe the air would all come out and leave
the paint inside, then I could cut it open any way I wanted reasonably safely.

Ideas? Experience?

GWE

I made a little brass stem , threaded on one end to screw into the
pipe of a Bernz-O-Matic propane torch. The stem goes where the nozzle
was. Insert stem smartly, hold firmly, turn on propane. That will
often blow the paint tube clear, and re-pressurize the can. Saved
many rattlecans that way. Hardly ever get any on me.
Don,
That's a great idea! I can think of at least 7 people I know who could
use these. Thanks! I'm gonna make some for Christmas presents. And
anybody who has put a match to spray paint knows that the propellant
burns pretty well so propane isn't gonna hurt.
Cheers,
Eric

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 16:20:06 -0700, Eric R Snow
wrote:

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 17:28:44 -0500, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 11:23:43 -0700, Grant Erwin
wrote:

Is there any safe way to open a still-pressurized can of spray paint with a
completely plugged nozzle, to get the paint out so I can brush it on?

How about if I made a tool e.g. drilled a small hole in a Popsicle stick or
tongue depressor, turned the can upside down, removed the nozzle, and depressed
the valve stem with the hole aligned? Maybe the air would all come out and leave
the paint inside, then I could cut it open any way I wanted reasonably safely.

Ideas? Experience?

GWE

I made a little brass stem , threaded on one end to screw into the
pipe of a Bernz-O-Matic propane torch. The stem goes where the nozzle
was. Insert stem smartly, hold firmly, turn on propane. That will
often blow the paint tube clear, and re-pressurize the can. Saved
many rattlecans that way. Hardly ever get any on me.
Don,
That's a great idea! I can think of at least 7 people I know who could
use these. Thanks! I'm gonna make some for Christmas presents. And
anybody who has put a match to spray paint knows that the propellant
burns pretty well so propane isn't gonna hurt.
Cheers,
Eric

Hints:

Not all spraycans are the same. Mike the nozzle stem from the kind of
paint usually used.

It works best if there's a little slit in the end (slitting saw),
only needs to be .050 long or so.

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 11:23:43 -0700, Grant Erwin
wrote:

Is there any safe way to open a still-pressurized can of spray paint with a
completely plugged nozzle, to get the paint out so I can brush it on?

How about if I made a tool e.g. drilled a small hole in a Popsicle stick or
tongue depressor, turned the can upside down, removed the nozzle, and depressed
the valve stem with the hole aligned? Maybe the air would all come out and leave
the paint inside, then I could cut it open any way I wanted reasonably safely.

Ideas? Experience?

GWE

Put it in the freezer overnight. There will be hardly any pressure.

Dave August wrote:
Grant,

Hell years ago (were talking early 60's) as a kid, we'd just use a 'church
key' on the bottom to make one *small* hole to let out the pressure then
open it up all the way to dump out the paint. Then 'cuz we were kids we'd
make a few more to get a hole big enough to get the *marble* out... I got a
few really nice "Cat's eyes" that way.. LOL.

Quite honestly I just did the very same thing about a week ago to a can of
Kyrlon that I wanted the last drops from to brush on the drivers on my
Locomotive.

Just hold the dam can in yer hand and point the bottom AWAY from ya...

And if you want to play it as safe as possible, put the can in the
kitchen freezer for a few hours before you pierce it. That'll reduce the
gas pressure a lot.

List me among the others who more than once have punched a spray can open.

Jeff

Dave


"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...

Is there any safe way to open a still-pressurized can of spray paint with
a completely plugged nozzle, to get the paint out so I can brush it on?

How about if I made a tool e.g. drilled a small hole in a Popsicle stick
or tongue depressor, turned the can upside down, removed the nozzle, and
depressed the valve stem with the hole aligned? Maybe the air would all
come out and leave the paint inside, then I could cut it open any way I
wanted reasonably safely.

Ideas? Experience?

GWE





--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."

Don Foreman wrote:

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 11:23:43 -0700, Grant Erwin
wrote:


Is there any safe way to open a still-pressurized can of spray paint with a
completely plugged nozzle, to get the paint out so I can brush it on?

How about if I made a tool e.g. drilled a small hole in a Popsicle stick or
tongue depressor, turned the can upside down, removed the nozzle, and depressed
the valve stem with the hole aligned? Maybe the air would all come out and leave
the paint inside, then I could cut it open any way I wanted reasonably safely.

Ideas? Experience?

GWE


I made a little brass stem , threaded on one end to screw into the
pipe of a Bernz-O-Matic propane torch. The stem goes where the nozzle
was. Insert stem smartly, hold firmly, turn on propane. That will
often blow the paint tube clear, and re-pressurize the can. Saved
many rattlecans that way. Hardly ever get any on me.


I would have expected no less than that from you, Don, the guy who IIRC
told me he made a his own special bottle cap so he could refizz flat
soda pop with CO2.

I just pour the flat soda in my 40 year old "soda syphon" and waste a
CO2 cartridge on it, 'cause I don't have a big tank of CO2 standing
around. :-)

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."

I would have expected no less than that from you, Don, the guy who IIRC
told me he made a his own special bottle cap so he could refizz flat
soda pop with CO2.

I just pour the flat soda in my 40 year old "soda syphon" and waste a
CO2 cartridge on it, 'cause I don't have a big tank of CO2 standing
around. :-)

Jeff Wisnia

I have nailed the problem of either making soda water or recarbonating anything
fizzy in a plastic soda bottle. I followed Richard Kinch's advice pretty much
but for the cap hardware. I just went to the car parts store and bought some
screw-on Schrader valves and drilled holes in plastic bottlecaps and screwed on
the Schrader valves. I have a CO2 tank with Schrader fitting so now it's duck
soup to pressurize a plastic bottle. For awhile I had my kids make their own
pop. I think they were horrified by the quantities of sugar that went in,
because now they don't drink sugary pop any more, so I'd say it worked.

I'm wondering if a small CO2 bottle, the 20 pound kind, can be used for MIG
welding aluminum.

GWE

Grant Erwin wrote:

I have nailed the problem of either making soda water or
recarbonating anything fizzy in a plastic soda bottle. I followed
Richard Kinch's advice pretty much but for the cap hardware. I just
went to the car parts store and bought some screw-on Schrader valves
and drilled holes in plastic bottlecaps and screwed on the Schrader
valves. I have a CO2 tank with Schrader fitting so now it's duck soup
to pressurize a plastic bottle. For awhile I had my kids make their
own pop. I think they were horrified by the quantities of sugar that
went in, because now they don't drink sugary pop any more, so I'd say
it worked.
I'm wondering if a small CO2 bottle, the 20 pound kind, can be used
for MIG welding aluminum.

Yet another example of why I love lurking in this newsgroup. I like to
think I'm a pretty good make-do engineer but I'm a rank amateur here. Keep
it up!

-- Mark

But he said, base side down?

Dave Hinz wrote:
On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 07:08:22 +1000, Jordan wrote:

Why make the hole at the bottom?
Wouldn't a hole at the top release the gas, without the paint?


If it's upside down, the bottom _is_ the top. And the bottom is a much
better surface to try to pierce.

Jordan wrote:
But he said, base side down?

Dave Hinz wrote:

On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 07:08:22 +1000, Jordan
wrote:

Why make the hole at the bottom?
Wouldn't a hole at the top release the gas, without the paint?



If it's upside down, the bottom _is_ the top. And the bottom is a much
better surface to try to pierce.

And it sounds like Jordan was trying to get the paint to **** out of the
bottom of the can and squirt into the bucket.

I'm skeptical, its sound from a physics basis, but likely to be VERY
messy. Especially trying to hammer a nail *upwards* at a location below
the workbench, with a bucket in the way no less.

And how 'ya gonna grip a spray can in a vise very well, unless you make
up some curved mating jaws out of 2 by 4s or something like that.

Fess up Jordan, have you *actually* done it that way yourself?

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."

On 26 Sep 2005 11:47:15 -0700, wrote:

Can we assume you have tried pulling the nozzle off and replacing it
with a fresh one from another can? Surely you have other spray cans. I
think any other way would result in paint all over yourself.

Paul in Redmond, OR
I never toss "rattle can" nozzles - toss them in a bottle of brake
fluid for a few days then blow them out with compressed air.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

"Don Foreman" wrote: I made a little brass stem , threaded on one end to
screw into the pipe of a Bernz-O-Matic propane torch. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That's a marketable idea. If they were for sale, I would place an order
right now.

Grant Erwin wrote:

Is there any safe way to open a still-pressurized can of spray paint with a
completely plugged nozzle, to get the paint out so I can brush it on?

I've done this many times. Go outside with a smallish bucket and pierce
the side near the top or bottom with a knife tip. Twist a bit, and push.
A small hole; about 1/16 x 1/16 inch. It'll hiss, pull knife out, it'll
hiss like hell, then tilt so the pressure pushes the paint out into your
bucket.

It's not going to burst like a balloon. But you will get paint on
yourself.

~Dave

Grant Erwin writes:

I'm wondering if a small CO2 bottle, the 20 pound kind, can be used
for MIG welding aluminum.

No, gotta be argon. When I tried it, you get something like a thermite
reaction where the molten aluminum takes the O2 off the CO2 and there's all
this amorphous C spraying around as soot.

Pretty strange to think that (oxidized) soot is what makes beverages fizz.

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 23:35:24 -0500, Richard J Kinch
wrote:

Grant Erwin writes:

I'm wondering if a small CO2 bottle, the 20 pound kind, can be used
for MIG welding aluminum.

No, gotta be argon. When I tried it, you get something like a thermite
reaction where the molten aluminum takes the O2 off the CO2 and there's all
this amorphous C spraying around as soot.

Pretty strange to think that (oxidized) soot is what makes beverages fizz.

I wonder if helium will dissolve in water. "Helium-ated" water
probably wouldn't have any flavor, but it might make some hilarious
pop for the kids talking like Donald Duck.

Thanks. I will remember this.

Dan

CO2 works pretty well for Mig welding steel, but it is not good for
aluminum.

Dan
Grant Erwin wrote:

I'm wondering if a small CO2 bottle, the 20 pound kind, can be used for MIG
welding aluminum.

GWE

On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 02:22:16 GMT, "Leo Lichtman"
wrote:


"Don Foreman" wrote: I made a little brass stem , threaded on one end to
screw into the pipe of a Bernz-O-Matic propane torch. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That's a marketable idea. If they were for sale, I would place an order
right now.

Feel free to market it if you like. I'm retired! If you get
rich, send me a case of Dixie VooDoo black lager if you think of it.

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 11:23:43 -0700, Grant Erwin
wrote:

Is there any safe way to open a still-pressurized can of spray paint with a
completely plugged nozzle, to get the paint out so I can brush it on?

How about if I made a tool e.g. drilled a small hole in a Popsicle stick or
tongue depressor, turned the can upside down, removed the nozzle, and depressed
the valve stem with the hole aligned? Maybe the air would all come out and leave
the paint inside, then I could cut it open any way I wanted reasonably safely.

Ideas? Experience?

GWE

Put on another nozzle from another paint can? Thats what I normally
do when this happens

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner

Horrible Freight used to, and may still sell a refillable spray paint
can. Had a Schrader valve you could pressure up with your air hose. I
wound up with several of them over the years, and they work quite well
if you do have to bust open a spray can. They came with a handful of
nozzles, most of which Ive lost by now.

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner

In article , Ignoramus4243 wrote:
On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 17:23:59 -0700, Grant Erwin wrote:

I would have expected no less than that from you, Don, the guy who IIRC
told me he made a his own special bottle cap so he could refizz flat
soda pop with CO2.

I just pour the flat soda in my 40 year old "soda syphon" and waste a
CO2 cartridge on it, 'cause I don't have a big tank of CO2 standing
around. :-)

Jeff Wisnia

I have nailed the problem of either making soda water or recarbonating anything
fizzy in a plastic soda bottle. I followed Richard Kinch's advice pretty much
but for the cap hardware. I just went to the car parts store and bought some
screw-on Schrader valves and drilled holes in plastic bottlecaps and screwed on
the Schrader valves. I have a CO2 tank with Schrader fitting so now it's duck
soup to pressurize a plastic bottle. For awhile I had my kids make their own
pop. I think they were horrified by the quantities of sugar that went in,
because now they don't drink sugary pop any more, so I'd say it worked.

I'm wondering if a small CO2 bottle, the 20 pound kind, can be used for MIG
welding aluminum.

Grant, I am greatly interested in making my own carbonated water. I am
on low carb, no sugar, but we spend quite a bit of $$ on buying
carbonated mineral water. Can you give some more details on homemade
carbonated water, thanks.


i


I have used carbonator cap (I now have two systems, one at work and one at
home) to carbonate water. see http://www.liquidbread.com/carb.html
Morebeer (www.morebeer.com) sells it for 12 USD but you will need co2
tank, ball lock connector and regulator. You can use it to carbonate beer
or hard cider too (either in bottles or corny kegs).

--
seismo malm | sfnet 20 vuotta -bileet http://liw.iki.fi/liw/cgi/20v.cgi

In article , Ignoramus4243 wrote:
On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 13:05:46 +0000 (UTC), Seismo Malm wrote:
In article , Ignoramus4243 wrote:
On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 17:23:59 -0700, Grant Erwin wrote:

I would have expected no less than that from you, Don, the guy who IIRC
told me he made a his own special bottle cap so he could refizz flat
soda pop with CO2.

I just pour the flat soda in my 40 year old "soda syphon" and waste a
CO2 cartridge on it, 'cause I don't have a big tank of CO2 standing
around. :-)

Jeff Wisnia

I have nailed the problem of either making soda water or recarbonating anything
fizzy in a plastic soda bottle. I followed Richard Kinch's advice pretty much
but for the cap hardware. I just went to the car parts store and bought some
screw-on Schrader valves and drilled holes in plastic bottlecaps and screwed on
the Schrader valves. I have a CO2 tank with Schrader fitting so now it's duck
soup to pressurize a plastic bottle. For awhile I had my kids make their own
pop. I think they were horrified by the quantities of sugar that went in,
because now they don't drink sugary pop any more, so I'd say it worked.

I'm wondering if a small CO2 bottle, the 20 pound kind, can be used for MIG
welding aluminum.

Grant, I am greatly interested in making my own carbonated water. I am
on low carb, no sugar, but we spend quite a bit of $$ on buying
carbonated mineral water. Can you give some more details on homemade
carbonated water, thanks.


i


I have used carbonator cap (I now have two systems, one at work and one at
home) to carbonate water. see http://www.liquidbread.com/carb.html
Morebeer (www.morebeer.com) sells it for 12 USD but you will need co2
tank, ball lock connector and regulator. You can use it to carbonate beer
or hard cider too (either in bottles or corny kegs).



That's very interesting. With this, I also need a CO2 tank and a
regulator, right?

i


Yep.

Locally I pay 0.40 euro per litre for naturally carbonated mineral water
(cheapest brand) and local homebrew store sold me 750 gram co2
bottle+regulator for 50 euros (refill at 15 euros [expensive]). One litre
of co2 weights about 2 grams so I will get about 100 litres of carbonated
water (4 volumes of carbon dioxide per volume of water) with one refill
and no empty bottles to dispose of. With larger co2 tank savings are
biger, locally it is about same if you fill a 10 kg tank or 750 gram one.

At home I have 10 kg tank, it takes several years for me to use it.

Btw, I live in Finland (where usual price of brand soft drinks [Coca-Cola,
Pepsi, Sprite ...] is something like 2.20 euros per 1.5 litres [1.7 USD /
quart ...])

--
seismo malm | sfnet 20 vuotta -bileet http://liw.iki.fi/liw/cgi/20v.cgi

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 18:38:06 -0500, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 16:20:06 -0700, Eric R Snow
wrote:

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 17:28:44 -0500, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 11:23:43 -0700, Grant Erwin
wrote:

Is there any safe way to open a still-pressurized can of spray paint with a
completely plugged nozzle, to get the paint out so I can brush it on?

How about if I made a tool e.g. drilled a small hole in a Popsicle stick or
tongue depressor, turned the can upside down, removed the nozzle, and depressed
the valve stem with the hole aligned? Maybe the air would all come out and leave
the paint inside, then I could cut it open any way I wanted reasonably safely.

Ideas? Experience?

GWE

I made a little brass stem , threaded on one end to screw into the
pipe of a Bernz-O-Matic propane torch. The stem goes where the nozzle
was. Insert stem smartly, hold firmly, turn on propane. That will
often blow the paint tube clear, and re-pressurize the can. Saved
many rattlecans that way. Hardly ever get any on me.
Don,
That's a great idea! I can think of at least 7 people I know who could
use these. Thanks! I'm gonna make some for Christmas presents. And
anybody who has put a match to spray paint knows that the propellant
burns pretty well so propane isn't gonna hurt.
Cheers,
Eric

Hints:

Not all spraycans are the same. Mike the nozzle stem from the kind of
paint usually used.

It works best if there's a little slit in the end (slitting saw),
only needs to be .050 long or so.
I'll do that. Maybe there's a way to use a cone to fit several stem
sizes.
Eric

Grant, I am greatly interested in making my own carbonated water. I am
on low carb, no sugar, but we spend quite a bit of $$ on buying
carbonated mineral water. Can you give some more details on homemade
carbonated water, thanks.

Richard Kinch did a real good writeup: http://truetex.com/carbonation.htm
I used his method for joining the valve to the cap, but I used a Schrader valve
on my hose and just pressurize the thing like you're blowing up a car tire.

Fill the bottle 1/3 full of water, put it on its side in the freezer, then rap
it smartly against the edge of a table to break the ice into chunks, then fill
with cold water (leaving some head space) and then pressurize while shaking. It
really works great.

GWE

Don Foreman wrote:
On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 23:35:24 -0500, Richard J Kinch
wrote:


Grant Erwin writes:


I'm wondering if a small CO2 bottle, the 20 pound kind, can be used
for MIG welding aluminum.

No, gotta be argon. When I tried it, you get something like a thermite
reaction where the molten aluminum takes the O2 off the CO2 and there's all
this amorphous C spraying around as soot.

Pretty strange to think that (oxidized) soot is what makes beverages fizz.


I wonder if helium will dissolve in water. "Helium-ated" water
probably wouldn't have any flavor, but it might make some hilarious
pop for the kids talking like Donald Duck.


Particularly funny if they were "burp talking" like some folks with
laryngectomies (and some kids too) do.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."

Dave August wrote:
Must be you then Rex, as in culling out the ones stupid enough not to think
and try things...

I'm 54 and have been doing this since I was 6 and NEVER had a problem, and
it was my ole man who showed me the trick...

Maybe you should try things before shooting yer mouth off.

Dave,

Hey, lighten up!

I suggest you open up a can of Humour next.