Can Opener 2.0

[sossol]

I especially like the severe-duty construction.

You could make the punch travel vertically and use a smaller hole by trapping the punch in a guide tube. Otherwise it could be ejected by pressure, which would be fun to watch, but not from above.

[hemmjo]

I am with mklotz, I just use my Grandpas, good ole Remington Model 41, single shot, bolt action, .22

[ranald]

I currently have 2 sulo bins full & stamping on a few at a time works for me. Besides the Jack Russell gets excited at the stomping and looks for more mice & snakes.Ha , Ha. We both get excercise.

[tgood]

I use a hack saw and clamp the head section in a vise and cut a grove in the can to release the gas. I then cut off the top and salvage the marble inside to use as cargo on my train set.

[Philip Davies]

Hope that load is properly secured!

[mlochala]

I have a more practical way of doing it myself. I use a .177 caliber pellet rifle.

[carl blum]

Hi: That is a very nice job, and should be safe.
One suggestion would be to turn the box tubing on its edge, so the can would rest in a "V-Block" and not roll away from the puncher tool.
That said if a cylinder is to fail it is usually the long seam on the side, and punching the side might cause this. Your box tubing protects you then.
If I want more paint out of a spray can, I punch a hole in the edge of the top. Then I can use the Awl as a needle valve to let the pressure out. When the pressure is low, and this take a while since the propellant is in the paint, I punch a second hole. With two holes you can pour the paint out. Use it quickly, it is only good for an hour or so. I tried to save some in a jar and the paint volume was half the next day.
Stay safe! Carl.

[carl blum]

Hi Gang:
I guess I keep my spray cans too long, since they refuse to spray. I do puncture them, but never in the side. The side split is the classic failure of a cylinder pressure vessel. I use an awl and puncture the edge dip in the top. The can is very strong there and will not rupture from the hole. Then I slowly release the pressure by removing the awl. If it is paint I pour it out in a bowl and use it right away. The propellant is also the solvent and the paint will be hard in a day. I did this once with WD-40, it doesn't harden and I used the contents for over a year.
I guess if you made a fixture with a screw awl, you could pour some out and reseal the can??
Carl.

[paul_j]

Nice work, and smart!
I've punctured 100's of spray paint cans. I worked in road construction and we got marking paint by the case. I always held the empty can down on its side with my boot and gently swung the tip of a machete or corn knife into the side of the can. I used the dull side of the knife tip for the impact. Any remaining paint would be in the down side of the can and very little would ever come out of the puncture hole. Only a small puff of propellant comes out of the puncture. If anyone was interested in the marble, a twist of the knife would enlarge the hole. I never had a mishap or even a mild scare using that method. I only did that with EMPTY (no paint left) cans. I have never tried it on anything but paint cans, but I think that I'll experiment with some empty brake cleaner cans. My son has an auto repair shop and there is a heaping barrel of empties that he cannot put in the dumpster.

[sossol]

When I was a kid my brothers and I would puncture spray paint cans (usually empty) with a screwdriver and a hammer to extract the marble. The can sat on cardboard and was covered with a rag in case anything more than propellant came out. Usually the marble was plain glass, but occasionally it was multicolor.

Neil

Nice work, and smart!
I've punctured 100's of spray paint cans. I worked in road construction and we got marking paint by the case. I always held the empty can down on its side with my boot and gently swung the tip of a machete or corn knife into the side of the can. I used the dull side of the knife tip for the impact. Any remaining paint would be in the down side of the can and very little would ever come out of the puncture hole. Only a small puff of propellant comes out of the puncture. If anyone was interested in the marble, a twist of the knife would enlarge the hole. I never had a mishap or even a mild scare using that method. I only did that with EMPTY (no paint left) cans. I have never tried it on anything but paint cans, but I think that I'll experiment with some empty brake cleaner cans. My son has an auto repair shop and there is a heaping barrel of empties that he cannot put in the dumpster.