retrieve contents of aerosol can??

[carkenord]

I have an aerosol can of an expensive "dry lubricant".

Can is almost full, but the plastic button on top, that you push to release the contents........that valve has failed.

I've messed around with it a lot, cuz I want that lube. Could _NOT_ get the button to function. Clogged, internally broken........I don't know!

Now the flimsy plastic push button has disappeared. So now I just basically have a sealed, pressurized can, full of an expensive dry lube.

How can I release the pressure in the can so that I can safely empty the contents into a non-pressurized container?

Lee in Denver

[cas]

Have you replaced the spray nozzle with one from another aerosol container?

No idea if there is a way to easily "dra> I have an aerosol can of an expensive "dry lubricant".

[Jeff Wisnia]

I have successfully done what you've asked about by standing the can upside down across the opened jaws of a bench vise so the top rim of the can was supported by the jaws, balling a rag on the now topside botttom of the can and carefully piercing a small hole in the can bottom by tapping an awl through the rag and can bottom with a hammer.

That will release the propellant, after which you can use a "church key" can opener (or whatever) to make a larger hole in the bottom of the can to empty the contents through.

Use common sense to protect yourself and make sure there's plenty of ventilation and no sources of combustion around, in case the propellant is flammable.

HTH,

[Joe]

Take a sharp nail and with the can upright tap the nail into the can at the outer top seam to make a small hole. The pressure is less than that of most air compressors so other than the surprise factor there should be no real downside and the contents won't spurt out of the can. As always, YMMV.

Joe.

[Stormin Mormon]

My best technique for venting an aerosol can was to hold it underwater in a pail, and puncture the SIDE of the can with the old style can opener formerly found on scout knives.

Shows you hold old I am. I can remember when boy scouts carried knives. And axes, and saws. Now days they are all unarmed and helpless, so that child molesters can be assured they are helpless in those cute uniforms.

This being dry lube, I think the other guy's suggestion was good. Crumple a rag on top of the can, and punch it with a hammer and an awl.

[John Grabowski]

I would try calling the manufacturer and see if they will offer a free replacement. You may not be the only person that this has happened to.

[mm]

I save the buttons from aerosol cans so that I'll have a spare one when this sort of things happen.

In this case you could look on cans of other things to get a button, and borrow it.

But when I broke the nozzle off the can of scrubbing bubbles, I think I broke the stem too, and nothing fit right. I was able to spray some by poking a tube in the hole, but it didn't go where I wanted it. (It went everywhere!)

I didn't think it would have worked as a liquid, so I ended up throwing it away. Alas.

[Joe]

Just to expand on my previous post, I routinely dispose of aerosol sprays by punching the small hole in the TOP seam to release the pressure and have never had any contents spew out. I don't like to expose our refuse collectors or other people to any unpleasant surprises by tossing a loaded can in the trash. When I first tried this years ago it was with a shop towel over the top, and pierciing tool through the shop towel. It soon was obvious that nothing spattered on the shop towel, so we do it with bare tops now. Use common sense and safety glasses with all tools, though.

Joe