Getting the valve out of a gas cylinder

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Lee Wright

Forager
Mar 9, 2009
178
0
38
Nottingham
Instead of the condesending reply why not use your obviously greater intellect to explain your comment? After all, this forum is all about passing on knowledge to the unknowing and in my case, not so bright, help me out :)
 

mrcharly

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 25, 2011
3,257
44
North Yorkshire, UK
If you drill into steel you will generate heat, sometimes sparks. Drilling into a steel container still containing gas creates the possibility of igniting the gas when it comes out of the hole you are drilling.

Take valve out. Fill with water. Empty water. No gas. Cylinder is now safe.
 

demographic

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 15, 2005
4,694
711
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Thinking about this I think some of this confusion regarding the thread might be my fault as I forgot which way I turned it then just posted it was a left hand thread on one of the stove building threads cos flammables are left hand thread after the valve.

If you got it wrong because of anything I said I apologise.
 

Lee Wright

Forager
Mar 9, 2009
178
0
38
Nottingham
If you drill into steel you will generate heat, sometimes sparks. Drilling into a steel container still containing gas creates the possibility of igniting the gas when it comes out of the hole you are drilling.

Take valve out. Fill with water. Empty water. No gas. Cylinder is now safe.

Hence the reason I advised lubricant and slow speeds to keep the workpiece cool, not just for the safety aspect but for the longevity of the cutting tool and to avoid hardening the material being drilled. As for sparks from a bi-metal holesaw... I would honestly love to see that, can't say I've ever needed a hot works permit on any site to allow the use of a drill, even the petroleum industry whose site safety is quite strict as you would imagine.

With respect sir I will leave it with you as you seem far more qualified than I.
 

wingstoo

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
May 12, 2005
2,274
40
South Marches
I might think about using a speed drill to drill a few holes in the cylinder, a few pilot holes and then increase them, no chance of sparks and no excessive heat generated, and as it is only 2mm plate it should be easy enough.
 

jonquirk

Tenderfoot
Sep 24, 2007
60
2
Guildford
I see no reason to doubt that the valve is screwed into the cylinder on a right-hand thread, irrespective of whether the cylinder held butane or propane and is therefore unscrewed by turning it anti-clockwise.

The thread on the valve that the appliance or regulator screws into is left-handed for propane and right-handed for butane to prevent the wrong gas being used for a particular appliance.
 

demographic

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 15, 2005
4,694
711
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I see no reason to doubt that the valve is screwed into the cylinder on a right-hand thread, irrespective of whether the cylinder held butane or propane and is therefore unscrewed by turning it anti-clockwise.

The thread on the valve that the appliance or regulator screws into is left-handed for propane and right-handed for butane to prevent the wrong gas being used for a particular appliance.

Pretty sure that its on the outlet from the valve that its different and flammables are left hand thread and non flammables are right hand thread.
A quick Google suggests that both butane and propane are left hand threads.

That's that way it was with acetylene (left hand thread) and oxygen (right hand thread) anyway.
IIRC the flammables also have a nick taken out round the nut so you can tell at a glance which is which
 

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