ChemoSabe (Hive Addict)
10-13-03 00:02
No 464247
       Headless Stuck Stopper Removal     

Penny headed top portion of a #27 ground glass stopper has broken off from the plug end which is stuck in a 500ml sep funnel.

Any suggestions for removal of the stuck and broken stoppper?

The sep funnel is full of something which is only useful outside of the sep funnel.

Also, there was once given here a method for unfreezing frozen glass or teflon joints involving glacial acetic acid but I couldn't find it with TFSE. Anyone got a clue to it's whereabouts?
Cash trumps merit - double on Sundays 		 
 
 
 
    pHarmacist
(pHantasticant)
10-13-03 00:20
No 464251
       hmmz..     

Step one, get your head out of your ass and UTFSE: Post 436452 (Rhodium: "Emptying Separation funnels with a stuck stopper", Chemicals & Equipment)

The last, hazardous option, if nothing else would work and you REALLY, REALLY, REALLY need the substance on the other side is naturally to brake the funnel and vacum filter, but brake it with great caution and protection. Altho, the tip in Rhodium's post will most probably work, so you are a lucky guy.

Wrong forum, this is general discourse...
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    acid_egg
(Hive Addict)
10-13-03 00:59
No 464260
       Get the contents out using the pippette method     

Get the contents out using the pippette method shown in Rhodiums post, then stick the broken part of the stopper back on with strong glue. When it has set flash the neck of the funnel with a blowtorch. The neck will expand much quicker than the stopper releasing it and leaving you with your funnel intact.
Make sure if you had anything flamable in the funnel to let it evaporate off first of course.tongue 		 
 
 
 
    fanofshulgin
(Stranger)
10-13-03 01:42
No 464270
       hot air gun (paint stripper) for 30 seconds,...     

hot air gun (paint stripper) for 30 seconds, it has to be pretty damn bad for that not to work.
Peace, love and empathy 		 
 
 
 
    Osmium
(Stoni's sexual toy)
10-13-03 09:51
No 464356
       Don't use glass stoppers in a sep funnel.     

Don't use glass stoppers in a sep funnel.
I'm not fat just horizontally disproportionate.
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    Lilienthal
(Moderator)
10-13-03 10:47
No 464369
       The penetrating solvent mixture is acetic acid     

The penetrating solvent mixture is acetic acid / acetone and it works great. Maybe you can also try to push from the inside with a bicycle spoke while heating from the outside. 		 
 
 
 
    dwarfer
(esoteric)
10-15-03 19:51
No 464826
       Hydro-shock     

Invert in bucket with "shoulder" support being smaller plastic bucket, capische?

Remove  petcock-stopcock whatever, fill up sep funnel
with water..

Using small wooden dowel, extending thru tip of sep funnel,
and thru the stopcock cavity and bearing on water column..

take small hammer and tap tap tap tap tap tap.
the plug will  fall out after exactly 17 taps.

guaranteed or your money back.

laugh
dwarfer 		 
 
 
 
    ChemoSabe
(Hive Addict)
10-16-03 01:28
No 464865
       Acetic Acid/Acetone Ratio?     

Thanks for the many suggestions. But getting my head out of my ass is still not yet possible.

The useful contents of the funnel  were successfully removed by taking out the twisting teflon portion of the stopcock assembly afterwhich they easily drained out.

Penny head portion of the stopper (which initially broke off when wrapping it in a towel, gripping it tightly with jaw and forcefuly twisting) has now been epoxied back on but stopper removal has not yet been attempted.

The solvent in the funnel was methanol and there are still traces of it left in there. I'm assuming this still might be a hazard if a torch is used to heat the area around the stopper. Correct?

Also, I'm assuming that a hair dryer (blow style) could sub for the paint stripping heat gun and would be less dangerous than a butane, propane or acetylene torch for heating the neck. (I've got all 3 torch types) Of the torches the puny little butane one has the capacity for producing the smallest and coolest flame but I'm still sort of attached to the idea of trying the hair dryer first.

And thanks Lillenthal for the reminder about acetic acid and acetone.  Is there a preferred or ideal ratio for the acetic acid/acetone mix that is recommended?

I've also got a funky-ass, pressure equalized, graduated, distilling funnel Post 374962 (ChemoSabe: "My Strangest Peice", The Couch) that I've tried everything on to unfreeze the stopcock with and I'm hoping this mix will finally loosen it up. Coca Cola soak sure didn't work on it.

17 taps guaranteed ay dwarph? I'll let you know iph eye try your nifty dowel pounding trick.
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    acid_egg
(Hive Addict)
10-16-03 03:34
No 464885
       Also, I'm assuming that a hair dryer (blow...     

Also, I'm assuming that a hair dryer (blow style) could sub for the paint stripping heat gun and would be less dangerous than a butane, propane or acetylene torch for heating the neck.

Dunno. I got myself a lovely 2 piece stirrer gland which I very stupidly got stuck fast within 30 seconds of taking it out of the box.blush A 5-10 second blast with a gas blowtorch round the neck worked fine.