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Pyro Disposal

#1 User is offline   Dave Kay 

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 01:46 AM

Hey guys, I have a number of confetti cartridges that have unfortunately been found sat at the back of a shelf. They are now about 6 months past the "use by date".

They obviously won't be used on a show now as they are little too far past their stable date.

What's the best way to dispose of them safely - obviously not in household / commercial waste?

Any advice would be much appreciated, along with the usual humour of course ;)

Many thanks,

Dave
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#2 User is offline   smalljoshua 

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 01:52 AM

Take them all apart, load all the contents onto tin foil, wrap and microwave.

:P *

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#3 User is offline   dbuckley 

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 03:15 AM

Got a 45 gallon drum in the back yard? Thats where I'd stick 'em.
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Posted 18 February 2012 - 04:35 AM

I've always carefully pierced the paper top on them and then put them in a bucket of water for a couple of days until they're completely waterlogged. After that I think we used to put them in the skip. Have to admit I haven't ever done that with confetti cartridges though, just gerbs/theatrical flashes/flame cartridges. The other thing we used to do was fire them in a controlled environment and then any which didn't fire got the water treatment....but a confetti cartridge will make a mess you may not want to clean up!
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#5 User is offline   Brian 

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 08:24 AM

Remove the paper top and empty out the fetti, stick the unit in water for 48 hours and the dispose of in your industrial waste.
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Posted 18 February 2012 - 08:45 AM

If they are only six months out then use them as freebies /test. If they have been kept dry there is no reason they wont work exactly the same as a new one. Its hardly perishable
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#7 User is offline   Dave Kay 

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 10:59 AM

Hi guys, thanks for the replies!

I have no problem with using them as glorified circuit testers, just one hell of a mess to clear up afterwards! Think I'll head out to the New Forest with some PP3's and bellwire! ;)

Or...... go for the water soak!

Cheers again!

All the best.
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#8 User is offline   bob hoskins 

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 11:21 AM

:lol: BLOW THEM UP! TICKER TAPE PARADE IN YOUR BACK GARDEN (IN A SAFE CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT ACCORDING TO HSE GUIDELINES):lol:

#9 User is offline   smyles 

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 11:40 AM

I was once sent out of date pyro by accident from a large supplier. When I called Le Maitre to have it collected, they said for the amount we had, (a fair few boxes of gerbs) either piece and submerge for a couple of days, or take them into a field and fire them all at a safe distance.
Doesn't take a lot to guess which we picked ;)

#10 User is offline   Dave Kay 

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 12:04 PM

View Postsmyles, on 18 February 2012 - 11:40 AM, said:

I was once sent out of date pyro by accident from a large supplier. When I called Le Maitre to have it collected, they said for the amount we had, (a fair few boxes of gerbs) either piece and submerge for a couple of days, or take them into a field and fire them all at a safe distance.
Doesn't take a lot to guess which we picked ;)


Yeah, I wish they weren't confetti carts otherwise I'd be letting them off all over the place (Having completed a full RA for said task of course :D )
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#11 User is offline   themadhippy 

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Posted 18 February 2012 - 01:01 PM

No church/register office nearby :P
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#12 User is offline   Ynot 

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Posted 19 February 2012 - 01:01 AM

View Postthemadhippy, on 18 February 2012 - 01:01 PM, said:

No church/register office nearby :P

Sadly very few churches will allow confetti these days.
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#13 User is offline   bigclive 

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Posted 19 February 2012 - 01:43 AM

View PostYnot, on 19 February 2012 - 01:01 AM, said:

Sadly very few churches will allow confetti these days.


And quite right too, for the fluttering colours in the air are clearly symbolic of the burning ashes of Hades. :o

Personally I'd thoroughly wrap the end of the confetti cannons in gaffa tape before squashing the end flat enough to fit through my neighbours letter box, then I'd ring the doorbell, wait until they came to the door and then stick a PP3 across the terminals on the back. :rolleyes:

I'm only kidding... I actually have some VERY out of date confetti cannons here that I haven't disposed of because they really do need emptying out and rendered safe before being binned. They were taken off George Square in Glasgow when the "pyro" company that taped them to the lamp posts abandoned a whole load of unexploded units that had been miswired. I'm not sure what sort of company would abandon live pyro like that, let alone not removing their spent cartridges.

#14 User is offline   scjb 

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Posted 19 February 2012 - 08:56 AM

Name and shame!

#15 User is offline   bigclive 

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Posted 19 February 2012 - 02:50 PM

I don't actually know who did it. I was removing the Christmas lights from the Square in January and there was live pyro taped to them!

This was for the Millenium new year celebration. (Which means that any remaining cartridgesz I have are about 12 years old!)

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