SHOOT!!

[Bluegrass]

Well, I have a problem, and I hopes one of yalls can help me out. I have this powder flask and it's all fine and dandy except I dropped a big ole 1858 Remington on it and now it has a huge dent in it. The dent is so huge that it's noticeably reduced the capacity of the flask. manure. :redface:

Now I have no idea as to how I can fix the dent. :: It looks like it would pop right out if I could hit it with a hammer from the inside, but that's just a little bit impossible.

Any suggestions gang? :hmm:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Fill it with water and freeze it?

Remove the top and use a broom handle to press out the dent?

 

[roundball]

Wonder if a threaded screw on top could be made with a grease fitting attached and "pump" the dent out under pressure from a grease gun

 

[pepperbelly]

If you fill it with water and freeze it it will split the seams.
If you try to use compressed air it will split the seams.
You could fill it wil expanding foam, if you could figure out how to dissolve the foam after.
I wonder if you put baking soda wrapped in tissue paper in the flask with lemon juice or vinegar. It will make carbon dioxide. but if the cap is too tight it may split a seam and if it is too loose it won't do anything.
You need a way to have a gas slowly expand so that you can open the cap and release pressure before damage.
I used to show my kid how heat affects pressure by rinsing a plastic milk bottle with hot water and putting the cap on. As the air inside the bottle cools pressure drops and the plastic bottle collapses. I can't figure a good way to do that in reverse though.
What would MacGyver do?
Jim

 

[vradin]

Why NOT just hit it with a hammer from the inside? It's done all the time with auto body repaires. Look for a dent puller aka impact hammer. Just a bigger nastier version of what you need. You can easily make a small version with a ball puller, a handful of washers that fit on the ramrod, and a cap or 'T' handle at the other end.

Slam the dent out and then you can do a simple solder job on the little hole from the screw. Done, and almost good as new.

Either that or try and get one of Santa's elfs to crawl in there with a teeny hammer and whack the bejeebers outta the dent for ya. Well, maybe not seeing as it's the elf's busy season.

vic

 

[Birdwatcher]

You need a way to have a gas slowly expand so that you can open the cap and release pressure before damage.

How about putting a chunk of dry ice in there and then screwing down the top? Immersing the flask in water while you do this might help protect the metal of the flask from the effects of the -109 F dry ice. In water too you could see if the seams were developing leaks, and if the flask suddenly burst under pressure the water would reduce the risk to you (I would wear safety glasses). Raising the temperature of the water would increase the sublimation rate of the dry ice if needed.

I dunno if it would work, might be interesting to try though. Down in these parts some of our chain grocery stores carry dry ice.

Birdwatcher

 

Maybe you can fill the flask 1/2 full of "lead shot", then slap the "dented side" aginst tha palm of yore other hand sharply,.... use'n the "momentum" of the lead to push the dent out!?!?!?


YMHS
rollingb

 

[pepperbelly]

Dry ice might work as well as anything else you could try.
Does the dent have a sharp crease? If not a suction cup dent puller might work.
If you can't get it, and no local gunshop can fix it and none of the home remedies work take it to a auto body shop. They may have a solution.
If you have a silversmith near you he may be able to repair it. I'm sure someone has sat on an expensive hip flask and needed repairs at some time.
Jim

 

[Terry Zboril]

Bill Monroe Jr.

Take one of your kids' dart gun darts, with the rubber suction tip, spit some tobaccy juice on it and stick it on the dent.
Pull back gently. If the stem pulls out before the dent pops back, get the vice grips!
Regards,
Terry

 

[brushbuster]

i think dry ice would be your best solution .lightly hold the dry ice at the center of the dimple on the OUTSIDE ,the metal will contract from the center out causing the dent to reverse.this is how a lot of body shopes remove hail dents down here :m2c:

 

[jtmattison]

Leave about 5 grains of powder in the flask, run a fuse into it and light it. Bow the dent out....I'M JOKING!
Honestly, I would de-solder the flask and split it in two, work the dent out and re-solder it back together.

Huntin

 

HOOOOO Grenade!!!! LMAO that would be cool .

seriously go down to your lock true value or hobby story where they sell K&S piano wire . by a piece ahhh / i would think on this 3/16 to

 

[silverfox]

Okay all or most of these may work. I removed dents from 2 of my flasks this way. The top of the flask should be removable. There should be 3 screws holding it on. remove them remove the top get a smooth ramrod or as was memtioned a broom handle which is probally to big. It must fit in the mouth of the flash and be able to reach the dent. Start rubbing the outside of the dent to the inside in a circular pattern and the dent should come out. A bad crease is only a little harder and may remain visible after repair. If you have to put your wooden rod in a vise so you can use both hands on the flask. Good luck work slowly.
Fox

 

[Bluegrass]

Thanks a lot for all the idears yall! I ended up askin' ole Dad for advice again (we'd both been stumped previously). He said to put a great big flat head screwdriver in the flask on top of the dent and tap the side of the screwdriver with a small hammer. Well, I used a wide wood chisel instead, but I have an alright lookin' powder flask now! :thumbsup: I might use Silverfox's broomstick method to smooth it out a bit, but it still looks 20 times better than it used to.

Now all Dad has to do is get me an Uberti 1851 Navy to go with the flask he just helped me fix! (It's a copy of a Remington flask, but that's OK. :winking