Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Removing a glass cylinder...

..I have a Fry 117 to restore and I am little hesitant to try an chip away at the white sealant at the bottom and top. Do any of you know of any kind of chemical that will disolve the white sealant so it can be wiped or scraped out???,,,tks Warren

I found the best way swabby is to use a hacksaw blade...its good and flexible..mm

Laquer thinner softens it then pick it out with a hooked picking tool.

I use brake fluid, pore some in let it soften it up scrape it out with a pick and small screwdriver then pore some more in till you get to bare metal, then pore some more in and let it seep under the glass, you should be able to wiggle it and lift it out. DONT thump it. once the glass is out turn it over and do the same to the top plate,,I have not broken one yet, I always hold my breath on that wiggle though...Frank

The one that I broke, I was doing it in a cold garage. I've since only done it in the warmth of the house or outsude during Summer and haven't cracked another one. I don't know if that means anything, but I think that the glass might be a little more brittle when it's cold. JMP,H,YVACO!

Swabby, thinner or different solvents will help but, No.1 is take you time. As for the tools, an old man from the gas business years ago told me to go to my dentist and have him save all his broken tools. They will have one good end on them andhave him sterilize them. I must have 50 different types of picks and shovels that have all come in very useful as they are very tough and do not break. When the cylinder starts coming loose DO NOT rock it back and forth. When everything is cleaned out put your hands on the bottom of the glass and lightly twist. If it doesn't move you have more work to do. One other tip, cover the glass after you remove it with a blanket and put it in the corner for the night. I have had 3 cylinders basically explode from being under pressure so many yrs and having hair line cracks one cannot see. Nothing you can do to prevent this. Good luck!

To all of you....thanks for the tips on getting the cylinder out....Right now here in Boise, ID. its about 30-32 Degree...I'm gonna be really nervous trying to get the cfylinder out,,,But the tips you guys passed to me about brake fluid and paint thinner, and hack saw blade, etc, I'm gonna try and let it soak for a day or two and hopw it doesn't freeze, and pray it doesn't break...thanks again....Warren

Thick glass will break just from the warmth of your hands if it is cold enough.

Thin glass can easily expand and contract with varying temp changes - but thick glass will try to expand on the outside of the cylinder while the inside (opposite your hand) is still at 'room temp'. If you have any stress cracks near the temp variances - you can break the cylinder.

Best to do it in a heated shop - or in the summer when the temperature difference bwtween your body and the glass is not so extreme.

Later . . .

Jim

I have one to get out also. Is it best to start loosening the rods a little at a time first or start on the white caulking first?

Mike

[This message has been edited by Mike Smith (edited 01-15-2008).]

In the warmth as T-way says, loosen the nuts on top of the rods several turns over a couple nights. Sudden pressure release could cause a hair line crack that might not be visible to completely let go and thus a broken glass. Also, NEVER rock the cylinder back and forth holding the top as the glass will crack instantly an inch above the bottom pedestal if ALL the caulk is not removed. Again ,as T-way said ,never do this in the cold as the outcome is almost certain breakage.

A Fry 117 shouldn't be too bad.

A Rush Model 'K' is a disaster waiting to happen. Scott Anderson told me once that he was something like 0 for 4 on taking them apart w/o breaking the cylinder.