Using Coleman cylinders for gas burner

Submitted: Sunday, Mar 21, 2010 at 18:51
ThreadID: 77068 Views:8936 Replies:5 FollowUps:20
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I bought a Mac Coupler for refilling Coleman cylinders after reading a thread here a few weeks ago. These cylinders are small and light, hold 465 gms of gas, and cost about $9. Using the Mac Coupler they can be refilled many times from a larger LPG cylinder.

Because I only use gas infrequently for cooking, carrying a 4 kg cylinder is a bit of a pain. I was too lousy to buy a smaller one which cost about the same. I wondered if there was a way to use the small Coleman cylinders with the non Coleman gas burner.

Naturally, they don't make adapters that would make this easy. I bought a POL to double POL T adapter from BCF. I then had to block off the male POL plug by stuffing the end with copper wire and soldering it in place (gasfitting 101). You can see the solder protruding in the bottom of the photo which shows how it all connects.

So now I can take a couple of small Coleman cylinders weighing about a kilo in total, and leave the heavy bulky gas bottle at home.Image Could Not Be Found
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Reply By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Sunday, Mar 21, 2010 at 18:54

Sunday, Mar 21, 2010 at 18:54
Was thread on this on the Caravan and Motorhome Forum I think it was or maybe on here a while ago and some seemed to like them and some said the Coleman cylinder didnt fill properly.

Another reply said these are illegal in Australia.

Dont know for sure just passing it on



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Follow Up By: Alloy c/t - Monday, Mar 22, 2010 at 18:37

Monday, Mar 22, 2010 at 18:37
To fill fully the coleman cylinder has to be chilled for 20min or so , as for being illegal ? Recon that it is less dangerous to refill the Coleman than to have pimply 16 yr old refilling the 9kg bottle at the local servo/BCF .lol.
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Reply By: Member - Trouper (NSW) - Sunday, Mar 21, 2010 at 18:55

Sunday, Mar 21, 2010 at 18:55
Bob
A good idea, I hate taking bulky round cyclinders away. So how much did it cost for the bit & pieces.

Regards..........................Jeff
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Follow Up By: Bob of KAOS - Sunday, Mar 21, 2010 at 20:50

Sunday, Mar 21, 2010 at 20:50
Jeff

The Mac Coupler was $15 plus postage on ebay.

I just checked the docket for the T piece and it was $23.50 - I thought it was about $9 but I must have looked at the wrong price tag.

Full Coleman cylinders are $9.

Bob
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Reply By: Member - Christopher P (NSW) - Sunday, Mar 21, 2010 at 19:57

Sunday, Mar 21, 2010 at 19:57
instructables has a refill guide and what adaptors to buy.
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Follow Up By: Bob of KAOS - Monday, Mar 22, 2010 at 07:28

Monday, Mar 22, 2010 at 07:28
Chris

Interesting site "Instructables". Thanks for the link.

My post was more about how to use the Coleman cylinder once it has been refilled. The Mac Coupler has a refill guide on the enclosed card.

I couldn't find a Coleman to Companion/Primus adapter or hose anywhere.

Bob
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Follow Up By: Wizard1 - Tuesday, Mar 23, 2010 at 10:27

Tuesday, Mar 23, 2010 at 10:27
Yes, lets follow this exact science. especially the bit about heating the cylinder and turning it upside down. This how people become news stories...

Just spend the money on a new cyilinder.


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Follow Up By: Alloy c/t - Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 18:49

Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 18:49
Wizard1 , your post just shows that YOU cant read the instructions , whats so dangerous about refilling an 875grm cylinder , there is no possible way to overfill the coleman cylinder , there is LESS gas vented to the air following the instuctions that than there is at any servo gas bottle refill .
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Reply By: Shaker - Monday, Mar 22, 2010 at 09:20

Monday, Mar 22, 2010 at 09:20
There is an adaptor available that incorporates a tap, I believe it may be a Coleman part.

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Follow Up By: Gone Bush (WA) - Monday, Mar 22, 2010 at 10:02

Monday, Mar 22, 2010 at 10:02
I bought this at K Mart some time ago. Can't remember the price but it will do the same job.

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Follow Up By: Bob of KAOS - Monday, Mar 22, 2010 at 18:22

Monday, Mar 22, 2010 at 18:22
Damn

Thats what I wanted.

Bob
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Follow Up By: Wizard1 - Tuesday, Mar 23, 2010 at 10:11

Tuesday, Mar 23, 2010 at 10:11
The first question you need to ask. Is the practice of re-filling these containers safe and legal?

I would assume there is a reason you can't buy the Mac Coupler here...because the regulatoiry authorities have deemed them unsafe. Just because yiou can get one on Ebay from the US doesn't make it legal here. Funny how they are no longer available on Ebay anymore.

When you decant into a LPG cylinder you need to unscrew a valve that jets out gas when the cylinder is full. So riddle me this...how do you know when the disposable cylinder isn't overful?

At the end of the day these cylinders were not manufactured to be re-used. They have no certification date or other way to see if they are safe to fill again.

The Gasmate adaptor is just that, an adaptor, not a decanting device. decanting equipment is specifically made for that purpose to be operated by trained people. The Gasmate adaptor is designed to run a gas appliance, like a stove, off a disposable cylinder, not to re-fill one.

But the best one is the home made device to use with the Mac Coupler....The bit of soldered copper, priceless.

I'll pay the extra for a new cylinder.
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Follow Up By: Bob of KAOS - Tuesday, Mar 23, 2010 at 22:38

Tuesday, Mar 23, 2010 at 22:38
Wizard

I checked the gas fittings on my house - done by a licensed gas fitter I presume. Soldered copper! Priceless.

The Mac Coupler is still available on eBay Mac Coupler on eBay, funnily enough.

Wizard, I hardly know you, and I'll be happy to keep it that way.

Bob
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Follow Up By: vk1dx - Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 03:35

Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 03:35
Kaos

I too would like to know what the certification date on the bottle is. I saw a bottle break and fly through a couple of walls before it stopped. The investigation showed it was out of date. No way will we fudge it. What's a few dollars in comparison. Surely you are not that hard up. Joking.

Please note that the ebay seller is in the USA. As was previously stated just because its available in Kansas does not make it legal here. There must be a reason you are not supposed to refill those bottles. Would you like it if it blew up in your face in the middle of the Simpson?

I also just read Wizards post and your last sentence appears out of place.
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Follow Up By: vk1dx - Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 03:36

Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 03:36
Whoops. Your name is Bob. Not Kaos. My error. These rubber ducky user names get me.

Phil
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Follow Up By: Bob of KAOS - Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 08:19

Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 08:19
Phil

His second last sentence was intended to ridicule my contribution. I am quite happy to receive valid criticism framed in a constructive manner. Wizards language made me take an instant dislike to him. Hence the sentence to which you refer.

Would you call vk1dx a rubber ducky user name too?

Bob

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Follow Up By: Bob of KAOS - Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 08:43

Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 08:43
Phil

sorry, a bit slow of me. I get it now. Previously you had a problem with me using Yaesu gear, and the rubby ducky reference was implying I was a CBer.

Mate, get over it.

Not only do I modify gas equipment, and modify amateur radios for general coverage, I work on my own car, do electrical work around the house, make and repair electronic equipment (since age 12), and do surgical operations on people.

Bob

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Follow Up By: vk1dx - Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 08:49

Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 08:49
I was backing you up. On your side mate. Read it again. I just put the wrong name at the start. I used "Kaos" as the introduction. Not "Bob"

I made a mistake with your name at the start and was apologising to you. Apology is now retracted.

I don't give a rats about the radio. Thats wayer under the bridge. Apparaently you can neither forgive nor forget. I would love to use some profanity here but its not in my nature.

???????????????????
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Follow Up By: vk1dx - Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 08:54

Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 08:54
"VK1DX" is an official, registered and paid for world wide acknowledged amateur radio callsign. VK stands for Australian amateur radio licence. The "1" shows the state I am regestired in. DX is MY personal identifier.

I don't think it can be called rubber ducky do you?
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Follow Up By: vk1dx - Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 09:06

Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 09:06
I really screwed up and answered the wrong person. Bob I didn't vene remember you.

I have asked the moderators to remove me ytotally from this thread.

So if you read this before they do Apologies. My mind is being stuffed up with this cancer and the damned poisons they pump into me.

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Follow Up By: Bob of KAOS - Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 11:20

Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 11:20
Phil

I'm sorry to hear you are crook.

I've been down the chemo, radio Rx route a few yrs back

Best wishes

Bob
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Follow Up By: vk1dx - Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 11:32

Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 11:32
My luck mate. Its inoperable and could drop me off any time with a bleed in the brain. Its a lymphoma - Macro Globulin Emia. Merry christmas hey?????.

But hell or high water I still have a heap of trips to do. They say the chemo will knock it back and give me a few years each time. But watch out for the blood loss. I had a nose belle to 11 hours last month. This is why I am so happy we got the LC and its nearly fully set up for the CSR on our own. Management even di a bundle of courses to make sure she can handle the car in all conditions. Sha amazed the instructors. But we forgot to tell them she used to rally a lot.

Whats yours? All okay now or is it one of my types?

This is why I seems to come down on safety issues a lot. That radio one was because I have been warned by the cardiologist to keep the power down on my radios at home and stay clear of UHF CBs in particular as they coul stuff up the pacemeker. Falling apart is Phil Ha.

So back to the issue at hand I believe the bottles are marked unrefillable aren't they? So for a measily few bucks why should one bother. Beats me.

Phil
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Follow Up By: Bob of KAOS - Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 16:56

Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 16:56
Phil

I had bowel cancer. It had spread a fair bit but I was lucky. It only reared its head because I was camping- would never have noticed the blood otherwise. I fitted in a trip from Maroochydore to Carnarvon WA between cycles of chemo. You could have traced my steps like Hansel and Gretel, but it wasn't breadcrumbs I was leaving every few hundred meters.

Its not the money with the cylinders, I just love improvising and re-using things. Point taken about safety though. I certainly won't use them more than a couple of times before recycling.

BTW I have been an electronics enthusiast since age 12. Built projects like ABC 3, ABC 5, oscilloscope. I'm finally getting around to getting my amateur ticket.

Bob
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Follow Up By: vk1dx - Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 17:47

Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010 at 17:47
Maybe we will link up on radio one day. Dont you dare try morse at me though.

Okay on your cancer.

I think we have gone a bit off topic.

Cheers and look out for my callsing. Its well known in the nternational contest scene. Heaps of firsts.

Phil
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Reply By: Barra-2 - Monday, Mar 22, 2010 at 13:41

Monday, Mar 22, 2010 at 13:41
Another tip for you to use, I place my cylinders in the fridge to get them cold for a couple of hours, and this helps to refill them with more gas..

Cheers
AnswerID: 409904

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