Hey guys. A while back someone posted a small hydraulic machine they made/sell to dump out spent material columns. But I can’t seem to find the post. Anyone remember who or where this was? It was just a small machine with a long pole that fit inside the tube and just pressed the stuff right out.
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Try an air compressor. Don’t point your column at anyone when you apply pressure. 
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Yes that is what I was looking for.
As for the air compressor, we do have a huge air compressor in the garage… I always thought about making a fitting for an old top cap when my system was passive and trying to air blast the material out. Wasn’t sure if it would work efficiently, and without blasting material all over the yard. The other plus of the machine seems that if it’s accurately sized it would also help clean the sides of the tube. Just exploring options 
I despise emptying tubes with all my heart
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I set up a 55 gallon drum and just shoot the missile into it. If you want to have some fun, tell one of your boys to hold the drum. 
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I could never get the cannabis to go more than a foot or two. I think I got a 2" column to empty in a manner fitting of the name “pot bazooka” once upon a time, but 3" and especially 4" columns just slide sedately out.
just not enough CFM through an air hose.
I could have solved that with an accumulator and a bigger valve, the same way you do with flame throwers, but having it slide gently into the trash bin worked well.
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I’m picturing at least one of you, using your potato cannon, securing the barrel to the cls, and opening fire
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hmm. maybe ill try and rig together something with the air compressor and give it a try. We have a giant compressor… now just gotta find a way to get it connected to an end piece on the column. Ill let you know how it goes
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Good luck. Get some video if you can, LOL. “The Canna-cannon” If you can shoot it out into a field to see how far it goes, even better!
LMK when you’re ready to talk about our hydraulic Iron Fist. It’s the bee’s knees, cat’s pajamas. And yes, it cleans the column interior with every use, we also recommend it for packing too, but to each their own. We’ve posted some recent R&D on the link that @Infoseeker shared with you/
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Thank you for sharing! Always much appreciated.
So I did receive a quote and unfortunately it’s way out of my price range, especially since we’re not a huge processor. But on a large scale I can absolutely see the value. I guess I shall spend the day trying To see how far I can launch a weed dookie out of the tube.
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Rig something up with this https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/5-gallon-tire-bead-seater-blaster/A-p8784738e
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exactly!
as threatening as a 4"x48" column up on your shoulder looks, without an accumulator such as that, it really is very anticlimactic when the cannabis just slides gently out onto the floor at your feet.
packing the tube with a hydraulic ram would probably help with distance too.
So my partner says the air compressor we have only goes to about 150 psi… I don’t know shit about air compressors only that it’s like 6 feet tall… any guess at how much air power id need to push that material out?
He also was concerned about blasting material all over the place but it seems you’ve all had a slow and steady emptying
I’m certainly not going to tell you not to try it.
nor guarantee its safe.
the spent biomass really doesn’t have anything holding it in there, so pressure never has a chance to build up. with an accumulator and a 1" or better valve, it might get interesting. or it might still only go 3 ft.
with 3" columns, run and emptied outside, the best I ever got might have been 4 foot from the point of ejection…and that was the stuff farthest away. Probably had to reef on it pretty hard with a baseball bat to get it in there.
with 4" columns I gave up going for distance.
Not only was it disappointing, but sliding gently into the trash was just lovely thank you very much.
I think we switched to N2 when I wrote the SOP up for licensing.
I used a tri-clamp cap with a 1/4" ball valve and a standard male air quick-connect.
Compressor set at 100PSI.
it’s a labor saver for sure. if you’re not a sock fan.
I recovered from my columns while pouring and getting the oven setup. So they were pretty dry compared to most. if your columns are still dripping with solvent when you tear them down, I would not recommend using air.
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This is the first time I tried it with a sock. I put the regulator to 80psi. Next time I send a missile I will get a better video.
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To be clear, I don’t want to blast this thing across a football stadium. Having it plop into a bin is just fine.
Sounds like the compressor might be strong enough. I have a piece with a ball valve that I can clamp on… just need a way to marry the compressor to that’s piece. I’ll see how it goes this week. I’m over stabbing and prying the material out with my caveman tool
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Are there concerns about adding more oxygen when using an air compressor? How about pressurizing a cylinder with butane in it? At what pressure does butane combust? I have been considering using a nitrogen tank to clear cylinder this way I avoid adding oxygen to a cylinder saturated in butane.
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Material column would already be recovered and the dumping would be outside so I don’t see any concern with blasting air through the material
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@BG305 Thank you!
Those moving 1k word substitutes really get the point across
Without the sock, the biomass does a better job of going where you want it to.
If you’re demounting to empty, I’m not sure why you need the socks. How much are you getting in there?
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