Re: [Paddlewise] looking for a stove that can simmer

The concern about safely decommissioning propane canisters is valid.  Running 
them until nothing else comes out is the best you can do for emptying.  At 
that point, there will be so little propane inside (and no air), that it 
should be OK to penetrate the canister.  If you are really concerned about 
sparking, avoid steel tool surfaces and carbide tool surfaces at penetration. 
A pointed brass or copper tool will not spark.  In addition, if you submerse 
the can during the penetration, the surrounding water will protect you.

A mild steel penetrator, such as a sturdy nail (8 to 16 penny is good), 
should not spark, either.  It takes hard steel, such as the head of a hammer, 
or a drill bit, to form a spark.

Of course, do the penetration outdoors, and wear safety glasses.

--
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "alex" <al.m_at_3web.net>

> Re:  <Rick.Sylvia_at_ferguson.com> 's question:
>> I consider my bottles to be empty when the burner on the Coleman stove
>> or the lanterns go out.  So, is that empty or not?

> It would be difficult to define when it is really "empty", since some
> percentage of this gas is present even in the air that we inhale every
> second, but after the burner goes out at room temperature, there might 
> still
> be enough gas left to explode when tank is heated (as somebody wrote
> earlier).  This is physics; gas will expand, increasing the pressure, when
> heated. Drilling a hole or cutting a slot through will ensure that it is,
> lets put it that way, *empty enough*.  Though, I'm worried about possible
> explosion ignited by the spark when drilling or cutting.  There shouldn't 
> be
> any spark in normal process of drilling by normal human :-), but who
> knows... 
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