OK, once you get through the check valve its time to blow out the shavings and reinstall the brass valve.
http://wowway.com/~unloaded/therma6.jpg

Here's a blurry pic of the hole we made, you want it small enough so it won't touch the sides that hold the brass valve in.
http://wowway.com/~unloaded/therma7.jpg

To get the brass valve back in I start it with the pliers and then turn it upside down and press it against the floor. Made sure you get it seated all the way.
http://wowway.com/~unloaded/therma8.jpg

Now it's time to refill. Here is the tip that came with the Cigar Store butane. You fill with the butane tip pointed down so it fills with liquid butane rather than gas. If the can is warmer than the cartridge it will work better. The refill isn't instant, maybe 30-40 seconds to get it done.
I didn't have enough hands to take pics of actually filling it.
http://wowway.com/~unloaded/therma9.jpg

Here we are at about half full.
http://wowway.com/~unloaded/therma10.jpg

Here is the level I filled it to.
http://wowway.com/~unloaded/therma11.jpg

I didn't fill it completely full, want to do a bit a safety testing. Right now I've got one in a lamp style repellent burning on the front porch. It's been going for a few hours now with no problems. I'm wondering about adding some loctite or superglue to the brass valve before reinstalling but so far it doesn't seem needed. I'll probably do it as a precaution before I use these in the hunting style ones that are hanging from the belt. Hope this helps some of you having the same problems I am.

I guess I need to state that there is potential for danger if the valve were to leak or come out releasing all the butane at once so use at your own risk. Try a few and set them up in a safe area to test and see if you are comfortable with the results.

peace.
unloaded

 

I hope it works out for you and you don't turn into a crispy critter while carrying your thermo cell or having it on stand with you. I like the DIY stuff but I'm going to spend the $7.99 for refills so I'm not worried about the possible incendiary device sitting next to me as I hunt. Lord knows that I would perfer to stay in my stand instead of jumping off to save myself and my safety belt wouldn't let me get far.

 

You can just punch a hole in the valve with a needle. The big cans of KING butane that have the different sized tips in the lid, have a perfectly sized tip to fit the valve on the ThermaCell Cartridge.

 

This does seem dangerous . If the butane develops a sudden large leak once after you have it lit , it will turn into a blow torch. Im all for saving money but what would a really bad burn cost you? Something to think about.

 

refill

Stupid ought to be painful

 

i've done this, sorta. i have couple torch lighters that i've repaired. as long as the o-ring on the check valve is in good condition (is which why i changed it in the first place) i've never had a problem.

 

refill

Nice idea
But do your self a favour and take a new one and weigh it first , and then you will know exactly where to charge it too. Also do it at about 70 deg F so it wont get over charged.

Andy

:darkbeer:

 

Just the thought of being strapped into a tree 20 feet high and having a blow torch going off on the back of my boots is worth the $$ to buy a refill.

 

Butane will not simply ignite or combust because the valve popped out or leaked. It requires a heat source. So all you guys that think you have a incendiary bomb strapped to you get over it.

He has done nothing different that what the manufacture does. He has simply remove the check valve so you can refill the bottle. There is no voodoo magic to how th manufacture puts the brass fitting in there, it's pressed in.

 

The thermo cell unit burns the butane to produce heat to release the chemicals in the pad. The butane is ignited while the unit is in use. What other heat source would you need since the butane is already burning in a controled manor? My problem is that modifications to the butane cell increase the chances of the butane burning in an uncontroled manor.

Get over it? You might want to rethink that comment.

 

You can buy the refills for butane hair dryers much cheaper than the Thermacell Branded ones.

The REALLY expensive item is the damned pads!!!!

Anyone ever tried resoaking them in permanone?

 

I tried this and they dont fit my thermacell??

 

Who's worried about flame getting into the bottle? I would be conserned about butane come out of the bottle.

 

IF the key word there.... If the butane leaked the tiny flame in the thermacell is more likely to get blown out by the pressure of the butane being released than turning into a ball of flames. It's not like you are talking about holding a match with a nice open flame and butane vapors coming in contact with it. You are talking about a pressurized gas that is at the most 1/2 from the "flame". It will not stand. Worry all you want, there is nothing unsafe about it.

Like said before, there is nothing magical about the way Thermacell presses in the brass fitting. You are simply removing check valve that keeps you from refilling the bottle.

 

Jersey Bob,

I have not found anything that would fit locally, what brand did you find that fit?

 

I did this last year and it works great.

 

on the torch lighters i rebuilt, the problem was that the butane was leaking around the check valve, it had a o-ring that went bad. i tried to light it and there wasnt even enough leaking to light.
on this set-up i probably wouldnt refill them 50 times. just like i wouldnt reload a rifle cartridge 50 many times. just have to make sure everything is in good shape.

 

Why in the world?

 

Guys, I've been using refilled ones since late last summer. So far no problems. I don't think there is a worry while the cartridge is installed in the unit, its screwed in and the brass piece can't come out. If one were to come out, it would be during storage while there is no flame. The reason I got started with this, my wife has one of the latern units for the front porch and she could never seem to remember to turn it off each night so she was using one cartridge per pad. As a result I wound up with a lot of extra pads. I haven't tried refilling the pads with Permanone yet but will soon.

peace.
unloaded

 

I need to find someone that has a bunch of extra bottle they are going t toss and take them off thier hands. It is getting close to that time of year where the bugs are coming back out!

 

It is getting close to that time of year where the bugs are coming back out!

Close??

 

theres a really good way to refill them and a how to video on you tube. the guy goes thru the bottom of the canister and installs a new valve and epoxies it in. plus if it did leak for some odd reason the butane would escape out the bottom of the canister and no where near the flame.

He also shows what he uses as a substite for the pads. Coleman mosquito rings and he just drops them in the grate with an old pad in place and has a thin piece of fabric to hold them in place.

Pretty cool idea yall should check it out if your to worried about this way. Its a two part video also so you will have to find the second one to see the the end and the repellant replacement

 

the guy goes thru the bottom of the canister and installs a new valve and epoxies it in. plus if it did leak for some odd reason the butane would escape out the bottom of the canister and no where near the flame.

Duh! . . . :darkbeer:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKb4YX_6Iw4

 

Think I'll book mark this link before this thread gets deleted!

 

thanks neo. I didnt even think about putting a link in the msg i posted

 

I'm lazy and don't like having to look stuff up so after I did I figured why not just post it.

 

No one wishes to take even a small chance anymore

This is the reason so many products are not available any longer. Cessna for one Hey I bought a little C180 way back when It only cost me about 5 grand I went through many of the things that needed to be done. Things that were Cheap if I did them but cost an arm and a leg if I hired a guy with a license to do them. Lets Talk a simple Item. Spark Plugs: If I buy and use the certified ones that the local fsbo sells about 20bucks each. If I go down to napa or a walmart they run me about 3 bucks each. I can buy all the parts and pieces to build my own spark plug wires with the outer cover of tin sheetmetal and the braided SS cover for the wire. Now let us talk Alternators. I took a chevy V6 alternator I took the one off my plane Took them both apart. Put the new good parts in the old alternator. All it had were some screens and such to keep the gas fumes from getting inside the alternator. To be honest it just is not going to ever happen but that is what the FAA wants to have done any way. The price difference on the alternator? $245.00 So just to do an electrical tune up on a Cessna 180 would run me about a Grand For me to do it my way about a hundred dollars.

Now your looking at other things again. I feel maybe we should go back a few steps and quit trying to make a million dollars out of suing the Rockefeller's or some such.

Now we are just trying to save a few dollars and someone will tell us we will Die doing this.

I am 60 I think I will see 70 or be shot by the husband of a jealous 18year old beautiful bride on her wedding night. Just after she came home to me.

I sure hope he can shoot straight cause I wont be good for very long at my age.

dray

 

Well put! I think this is a awesome idea....for those that don't? Keep it to yourself, the guy is just trying to help out the people that want the help. Good Day!

 

Thanks for the info on this thread, I just finished refilling my first one with the method of drilling out the factory refill plug and it worked like a charm.....$5 for the canister of butane is going to refill a lot of thermacell bottles......I've already got it going in the unit and it's working flawlessly

 

I'm next.

Do you think adding a drop of "GOOP" would help keep the brass fitting from leaking as extra insurance?

 

Video was great. Just as in the video, I'd only goop around the fitting, but I may just do what the guy in the youtube vid did.

I'll try the mosq. coil too and see if that works for me as it does for him. I wonder if you really need to wrap something around it like that. I suppose it's to keep the cut pieces on the old pad good.