Anyone have any good tricks for getting the oil out of carts for testing? Currently removing caps and centrifuging down to get the oil but that only gets about half. Don’t want to use heat gun because of terpenes/residual solvents. The centrifuging would work if I could somehow suspend the cartridge within the conical tube, but haven’t completely figured out a way to do this yet.
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If you’re using a 50mL falcon tube, they are semi-pointed at the base…why can’t you just put the cart into the falcon tube upside down as you suggested and then run the fuge? Everything should be pulled down into the falcon tube. Assuming centrifugation is your methodology of choice.
only about half of the oil will come out because of how low the cart sits in the tube. I’ve transferred to a second tube and re-centrifuged to get the bulk of it out but I would prefer to only use 1 conical tube and recover the majority of the oil
Got it. Maybe you can find a filter insert then remove the filter so it’s just an open grid so everything can flow to the bottom. This way the cart is held above the bottom of the tube and all of the oil can get pulled out.
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Get cart manufacturer usually has a specific method for opening the cart and letting you get access to what is inside.
If you are using it for testing - use your syringe or pipette. Like you normally would do out of any other kind of container, after the cart is open.
If you are just trying to reclaim what’s in there - soak it in your solvent of choice, you can vibrate it if you want, but really soaking usually works. 
Why are you wanting to get things out of the carts? I assume you are worried about testing since you are worried about residual solvents? In either way - getting it out in this way, will get you enough to perform your sample test. Hit those DMs if you want to chat about it more.
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Syringe/pipettes don’t work, its too viscous to be pulled up. I did think about adding solvent directly to the cart but the liquid I have to use it not even a solvent so nothing dissolves. Think I’m settling on just scraping it out with utensils we have on hand, after trying different methods this seems to be the easiest although messy. We did try making a centrifuge tube cap hold the cart by burning a hole through the center of the cap and sticking the cart in there but it seems rather unstable for a centrifuge and that is a mess I do not want to clean up.
If your syringe or pipette is not working - how are you getting into your vial/tube for terpene or residual analysis (assuming that’s what you want to do).
I do that using syringes (through filters, etc) and with pipettes.
Are you not dissolving into anything? If not, how are you confirming volume or weight or both before you do your test. Again, I’m assuming you are testing.
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No need for assumptions, the first sentence of this post said it’s for testing. As of now I’m taking tare weights of tubes/bags before I scrape the oil into them using small metal spatulas. For my purposes, the oil will not end up dissolving into anything. As of now I think the best way is just continue scraping it out using metal spatulas into tubes/bags, until someone designs a centrifuge tube that will suspend the cartridge within.
Take the top off and cram the open cart end into a 1.5 - 2ml centerfuge tube, tared if needed. Put that whole setup in a 50ml conical and spinner down. Just setting them for ~5min in light heat (40C) before spinning will help get it all out, won’t hurt terps… May invalidate solvents…
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Perhaps explore why you imagine you need it all…you need a representative sample…I use 50mg for potency on GC FID. 200mg for terpenes.
1/2g should be way more that you need…
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Uncap, rubberband about 10 together at a time with good rubberbands. Place inside of a lab clamp, turn the lab clamp almost upside down. Has to be at an angle. Over a jar for collection. Let sit for awhile or you can very gently heat gun but be sure not to break the rubberband.
10 or less*
did you catch why OP was attempting this trick?
the location of the post could also considered a hint.
Missed the testing part! That being said thats my preferred way to empty carts when i have to. And i have a centrifuge. I also have an aseptic isolator i do this inside of. I have an extra isolator for sale actually.
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You still running screw ons?
I haven’t figured out a decent solution for getting back into press-ons.
How about you @Labdog?
Edit: You can get also oil out the bottom of the cart by spinning it, it takes a bit…that was not the goal.
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Nothing is more reliably fast and consistent as screw ons. I have a good team and we make little contests out of it. We break fewer carts and have fewer leaks than when we tried the press on route. We make dispos also and it takes constant vigilance to insure the mouth piece is actually the whole way on as we flip everything for atleast 24 hours before it goes out the door.
We went with a robot.
It does fuck up every now and then.
Not as often as I do…but theoretically I learn from my mistakes
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Those look very cool, ive talked to the bossman about it actually. But we are remote east coast and dont like having anything that isnt easily maintenced in-house on the fly. Currently rock four kiss fillers.
WHY?!?
call that your retention sample.
You can use a second centrifuge tube to get that later if you ever need it.
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Getting the mouthpieces off press on carts? Man it sucks, best I’ve found is needle nose pliers with carts in a bench vice and trying to use a little length of 1" pipe to make a leaver with the pliers against the top of the vice. Cursing and empty threats to whomever sent you all the carts also helps I feel.
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