Will I die?

[Joshvegas]

I have a 450g primus butane cannister, its faulty, faulty in the sense that its pretty full but no gas will come out.

I kind want the cannister for something.

How big will the fire ball be if I hammer a nail through the valve to vent it?

[Chew]

I cant work out if this a serious question......

[Bearbonesnorm]

I usually have a very cavalier attitude to personal health and safety but if the thing ignites YOU WILL DIE ... it's that simple

[Joshvegas]

To clarify...

I wasnt intending to ignite it! I am more than happy to not have the emty cannister I really just want to get rid of it but who would take a full cannister?

What the hell do I do with it, its already moved with me atleast three times.

[Chew]

Take it back to where you got it from. Reputable sellers will be able to deal with it for you.

[Joshvegas]

Och you're no fun.

That was my main plan really just thought there might be a piercing tool or something.

[rufus748]

There is, I use one of these
http://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2010/ ... boili.html
I had a shelf of empty (ish) canisters. Now I bin them once pierced.

[composite]

Saw thread title. Thought whatever it is I'll reply with "flaming ball of death". Then read thread.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I wasnt intending to ignite it!

I know you weren't intending to ignite it but ... steel canister + steel nail MIGHT = spark, which inturn could = death.

The piercing tools are for use on EMPTY canisters, not nearly full ones ... you've no way of knowing how much pressure is still inside the thing, so

[Joshvegas]

I had actually considered that!

Looks at copper nails....

[Joshvegas]

Can I just clarify I have no intention of hammering a nail through the cannister!

[Ian]

Two suggestions:

Do you own a bow and arrow?

Place canister on top of a fence post in a very large field. Stand a safe distance away, say 250m*, fire arrow through canister. Hey presto.

* you might want to research precisely what a safe distance is.

--

Put the canister under water before you hammer the nail in. The water should* extinguish the spark before it ignites the escaping gas.

* I've not tried this

[Bearbonesnorm]

Can I just clarify I have no intention of hammering a nail through the cannister!

How big will the fire ball be if I hammer a nail through the valve to vent it?

Sorry ... my mistake

[rufus748]

The "piercing thing" I have screws into the canister to release the pressure first. The piercing then releases the remaining gas held at low very pressure.

[Yorlin]

When is Bob-a-Job week? maybe you can pay a small child to do it.

[slarge]

Can you film it (from a safe distance) when you do so your relatives can post it up here?

Seriously what you are considering is pretty daft. Gas is quite flammable and piercing the canister is likely to end in lots of gas going everywhere. And you are unlikely to be able to control where it goes.

Spend the £6 for a new canister wisely!

[Wotsits]

Build a fire in an isolated spot, get it to a good heat then chuck in on (at a safe distance) & run like feck!!
(Although forget about using the canister afterwards)

When i was a kid we chucked a full gas lighter refill can on a bonfire once. It was like a small nuclear detonation, there was a mushroom cloud & everything, blew the fire to pieces too!

Tins of beans are quite amusing, as when the tin explodes you get a shower of burning beans everywhere!

[Joshvegas]

I assumed the reference to fireball in the OP would suggest I wasn't serious I do like the idea of a bow and arrow although I reckon making it a flaming arrow would add a little something to proceedings!

Rufus, I might get a piercer anyway to dispose of empty ones but its the valve thats faulty so I dont have anyway of emptying it and I am pretty reluctant to pierce an almost full can of unknown pressure.

I'll call into a camping shop and see what they say to be honest I dont hold out much hope dunno where it came from either I have never required that much gas!

[RE8ELD0G]

just use an angle grinder to remove the valve............

whats the worst that could happen????

[Joshvegas]

I'm pretty sure we covered fireball already!

Out of interest what would happen if ignition failed to happen is there enough pressure to send it flying or would it just be a massive rush of gas like opening a valve?

[mountainbaker]

Once, in my pyromaniac years, I put a fire extinguisher on a bonfire. And hid behind a stone wall.

It left a 6 foot crater in the ground, and there was a piece of the casing embedded in the wall, right where I was on the other side. Not recommended.

[rufus748]

Rufus, I might get a piercer anyway to dispose of empty ones but its the valve thats faulty so I dont have anyway of emptying it and I am pretty reluctant to pierce an almost full can of unknown pressure.

Ah, then you'll probably die.

[gairym]

Brilliant thread!

How about standing on a big rock (or small cliff) and throwing big stones at it from above until one hits and sorts your problem.

Maybe bring it along to the bb200 and it could be an event?

[Wotsits]

Or we could use an air gun, Dirty Harry stylie!

[Joshvegas]

An update.

I got a crunch it for general disposal anyway so i put it on to see if i could make it vent. It did looks like the pin in my stove isnt long enough to activate this particular cannister.