Yet another WhatTheFuckIsThisThingAnyway? thread.

[spongerich]

Yet another WhatTheF**kIsThisThingAnyway? thread.

Found this in a box lot at an auction along with some old oil bottles.

When you open the thumbscrew some odd smelling gas/liquid sprays out. Smells slightly sweet and somewhat reminiscent of butane but it doesn't seem to be flammable (yes, I checked) doesn't seem to extinguish flame either.

Unfortunately the label is long gone.

Ideas?

 

[Bull]

Anthrax grenade? Be careful snuffing mystery fumes!

 

[Rico.]

^^^^^^^^ totaly this ^^^^^^^^^^

I can't quite believe you sniffed it, then tried to ignite it, then sprayed it on a fire
without having even the beginning of a clue as to what it is......

 

[Tim Kennedy]

Had one many moons ago -- a brass fire extinguisher.

 

[ZRX61]

Carbon Tetrachloride.

 

[southalabama]

what does it taste like?

 

[Wrenches of Death]

what does it taste like?

Probably not as good as the mouthful of coffee that I just spewed into my lap.

Best laugh this month, thanks!

WoD

 

[davesnothere]

what does it taste like?

Hahahaha!

 

[Link-Belt]

Yeah brass fire extinguisher. They awesome oil tanks on kick *** old school style choppers.

 

[metaldad]

Carbon Tetrachloride.

X2.
you do NOT want to inhale it. Suspected carcinogen, which is why it isnt available. It was used as a fire suppressing agent, mebbe age has altered the chemical composition.
I have about a dozen of them.

 

[oilslick]

Awesome thread title, totally ****** awesome! I tend to smell stuff too cuz why not?

 

[Skyline]

Carbon Tetrachloride.

Assuming this is accurate, according to my Emergency Response Guide Book, Carbon Tetrachloride is Highly Toxic, and could be fatal if inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the skin.

Effects of contact or inhalation may be delayed.

Fire may produce irritating, corrosive and/or toxic gases.

Dilution with water may make it corrosive.

Does not burn, but may decompose upon heating to produce corossive and or toxic fumes.

If you had contact with this chemical, flush your skin with water for at least 20 minutes.

 

[Big-Foot]

Yep, fire extinguisher.. I've got one just like it, but almost new condition!

 

[1stblack97ZJ]

Assuming this is accurate, according to my Emergency Response Guide Book, Carbon Tetrachloride is Highly Toxic, and could be fatal if inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the skin.

well that explains why we haven't heard back from the op...

 

[PT Doc]

No way this happened.

 

[JDS968]

I can't quite believe you sniffed it, then tried to ignite it, then sprayed it on a fire
without having even the beginning of a clue as to what it is......

He's more man than the lot of us put together!

X2.
you do NOT want to inhale it. Suspected carcinogen, which is why it isnt available. It was used as a fire suppressing agent, mebbe age has altered the chemical composition.
I have about a dozen of them.

Burning carbon tet generates phosgene, what kind of lunatic would try to put out a fire with it???

It's mostly used in chem labs these days, but it used to make a good brake cleaner...

 

[Bull]

Rich, are you there?!

Your GJ pals are worried!

 

[spongerich]

Rich, are you there?!

Your GJ pals are worried!

LOL - Yeah... I'd assumed it was a fire extinguisher from the get go, but it definitely does NOT put out fire in its current condition.

Carbon tet makes sense.. it would explain why the smell was familiar. Back when I was in grade school, they used to give it to us for collecting butterflies! You'd soak a cotton ball and drop it into a jar with the butterfly and it would suffocate.

 

[Skyline]

He's more man than the lot of us put together!

Burning carbon tet generates phosgene, what kind of lunatic would try to put out a fire with it???

It's mostly used in chem labs these days, but it used to make a good brake cleaner...

A lot of these Carbon Tetrachloride extinguishers were in glass balls, so I guess you could throw them and run.

 

[Bruce Lancaster]

Yes, fire extinguisher grenades! Essentially like a light bulb full of the CT. Hurl it at the fire and hope for the best...

"I can't quite believe you sniffed it, then tried to ignite it, then sprayed it on a fire
without having even the beginning of a clue as to what it is...... "
Hey, isn't that the scientific method defined?? Only thing is that a REAL scientist would recognize the potential danger and have a graduate student sniff, taste, and test the stuff and submit a report...
This guy is an EMPIRICIST in the tradition of Madame Curie, whose grave probably STILL glows in the dark.

 

[Squankum]

Well... good thing you didn't step in it!

 

[fortson]

what does it taste like?

 

[crbassassin]

Re: Yet another WhatTheF**kIsThisThingAnyway? thread.

Found this in a box lot at an auction along with some old oil bottles.

When you open the thumbscrew some odd smelling gas/liquid sprays out. Smells slightly sweet and somewhat reminiscent of butane but it doesn't seem to be flammable (yes, I checked) doesn't seem to extinguish flame either.

Unfortunately the label is long gone.

Ideas?

Actually, its Methylene Chlorobromide

here is what it looks like with the label
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761023@N07/743681548/

 

[Stuart in MN]

Back when I was in grade school, they used to give it to us for collecting butterflies! You'd soak a cotton ball and drop it into a jar with the butterfly and it would suffocate.

We did the same thing when I was a kid. At the time I assumed it was something that everyone had a bottle of under the kitchen sink, but now that I think of it I'm not sure where my folks got the stuff from - probably the hardware store.

 

[FrankieD]

Carbon Tet used to be used as a cleaning fluid.Remember Carbona?

 

[Wrenches of Death]

Carbon Tet used to be used as a cleaning fluid.Remember Carbona?

We kept it under the kitchen sink. It had a candle on the label. I hadn't though of that in years. I guess that they don't make that any more either.

I needed another quart of xylene a while back and burnt more in fuel looking for it than it cost. That's another one that no one seems to stock any more.

You can't hardly find raw linseed oil either. Boiled (not really boiled, just contains dryers) yes, but plain old raw linseed oil is next to impossible to find.

I'm fed up with the health conscious tree huggers that want to impose their will on me. I'm headed out to the shop to shoot a couple of cans of R12 just for a few laughs. Hopefully a few extra polar bears will suffer a slow and lingering death because of it. Polar bears stress me out anyway.

WoD

 

[WVBrady]

A lot of these Carbon Tetrachloride extinguishers were in glass balls, so I guess you could throw them and run.

I actually remember reading an article when I was a kid about making them from burned out light bulbs!

 

[Mr.Nutcase]

Carbon Tetrachloride.

Did brake clean use Carbon Tetrachloride?

 

[metaldad]

A lot of these Carbon Tetrachloride extinguishers were in glass balls, so I guess you could throw them and run.

yep. I have a case full, in the original steel case.
I didnt realize these might be worth something, at some time, to somebody. the decal on the lid has completely
deteriorated. and, some of the brass ones.

 

[JDS968]

I needed another quart of xylene a while back and burnt more in fuel looking for it than it cost. That's another one that no one seems to stock any more.

I think paint supply stores are the primary retail source of xylene.

I briefly toyed with the idea of converting my car from gasoline to xylene as a cheaper way to get high octane than race gas. Also figured that there are more Sherwin Williams stores than gas stations that sell race gas.

I quickly decided the idea was stupid, and now I plan on running 93 octane with water injection when I install the turbo, because I figure I can always get distilled water at any grocery store anywhere in the country.

I'm headed out to the shop to shoot a couple of cans of R12 just for a few laughs.

Hey! Stop that! For some of us, R12 is a rare and rapidly dwindling resource that powers these magical contraptions in our cars that are actually capable of generating icy cold air, unlike all these useless modern cars full of R134a.

Did brake clean use Carbon Tetrachloride?

Used to. Now the good stuff [CRC "Red" Brakleen, chlorinated version] uses tetrachloroethylene. Which shares the amusing property of turning into phosgene when exposed to enough heat. But damned if it isn't the best cleaner I've ever seen.

yep. I have a case full, in the original steel case.
I didnt realize these might be worth something, at some time, to somebody. the decal on the lid has completely
deteriorated. and, some of the brass ones.

Wow! That's a very cool collection. I'll bet there's even some eccentric out there somewhere who would be thrilled to give you a stack of cash for it.

 

[metaldad]

Wow! That's a very cool collection. I'll bet there's even some eccentric out there somewhere who would be thrilled to give you a stack of cash for it.

you offering?

 

[JDS968]

As hilarious as it would be to throw glass spheres of CCl4 around...I think I'll pass.

 

[rsanter]

yep. I have a case full, in the original steel case.
I didnt realize these might be worth something, at some time, to somebody. the decal on the lid has completely
deteriorated. and, some of the brass ones.

The glass ones are worth $25-$50 each
Yours are the plain ones so I say $25 but with the case that's a good adder.
You should take them into pawn stars

Bob

 

[camarotoolman]

what kind of buzz did you get?