Posting Multi Fuel stove and bottles?

[DannyS]

Just came back from the post office, I was about to post off a multi fuel stove and two aluminium fuel bottles. I declared what I was about to send to make sure it would be ok, they told me if the scans picked even a hint of flammable vapour it would be declared dangerous and returned? They then told me they wouldn't accept them at this time?

How can I make these items 100% safe to ship, what about the stove, will that have detectable traces in the delivery line?

Just to add, it's posting within Australia.

Thanks for any help,
Danny

[corvus]

Just came back from the post office, I was about to post off a multi fuel stove and two aluminium fuel bottles. I declared what I was about to send to make sure it would be ok, they told me if the scans picked even a hint of flammable vapour it would be declared dangerous and returned? They then told me they wouldn't accept them at this time?

How can I make these items 100% safe to ship, what about the stove, will that have detectable traces in the delivery line?

Just to add, it's posting within Australia.

Thanks for any help,
Danny

G'day Danny,
This can be a real pita however if you soak your bottles in water and Bi Carb that should remove all traces of shellite and as for the multi fuel stove run it on gas that should also clean out any trace of shellite.

[Moondog55]

I'm guessing that if you follow the directions for airline carriage you should be OK
Wash with hot soapy water then flush with vegetable oil and air dry for 24 hours or more
Including the stove and pump
Be careful using BiCarb; it can corrode the aluminium fuel bottle, ask me how I know

[corvus]

I'm guessing that if you follow the directions for airline carriage you should be OK
Wash with hot soapy water then flush with vegetable oil and air dry for 24 hours or more
Including the stove and pump
Be careful using BiCarb; it can corrode the aluminium fuel bottle, ask me how I know

Tell me please.

[DannyS]

I'm guessing that if you follow the directions for airline carriage you should be OK
Wash with hot soapy water then flush with vegetable oil and air dry for 24 hours or more
Including the stove and pump
Be careful using BiCarb; it can corrode the aluminium fuel bottle, ask me how I know

Tell me please.

And me!!! Tell me too!!!

[Moondog55]

Left the SIGG bottle in the soda water overnite and it ate a series of tiny holes in the aluminium both from the inside and the outside
Mind you one of the old pure aluminium ones for fuel but Bi-Carb is alkaline and does react with metals especially aluminium
I'd used this bottle for Drambuie and I was trying to get the taste and smell out
Hot soapy water is much safer
Interestingly the PO doesn't have a problem with you posting Eucalyptus oil or Tea Tree oil both of which are flammable

[RonK]

Interestingly the PO doesn't have a problem with you posting Eucalyptus oil or Tea Tree oil both of which are flammable

Flammability is not really the issue - it's the potentially explosive vapours.

Cleaning the bottle is easy, plenty of hot soapy water, leave out in the sun to dry, fill with kitty litter or rice and pack in two layers of ziplock bags.

Getting fuel residue out of the pump and stove is more difficult - use compressed air perhaps, stand them out in the sun for a while, wrap in paper towels then pack in a ziplock bag with kitty litter and then in another ziplock bag.

Post without declaring.

[DannyS]

Interestingly the PO doesn't have a problem with you posting Eucalyptus oil or Tea Tree oil both of which are flammable

Flammability is not really the issue - it's the potentially explosive vapours.

Cleaning the bottle is easy, plenty of hot soapy water, leave out in the sun to dry, fill with kitty litter or rice and pack in two layers of ziplock bags.

Getting fuel residue out of the pump and stove is more difficult - use compressed air perhaps, stand them out in the sun for a while, wrap in paper towels then pack in a ziplock bag with kitty litter and then in another ziplock bag.

Post without declaring.

Yep that's what I'm going to do, I'll get a few ziplock bags today. What's the benefit of the rice?

[RonK]

Rice or kitty litter to absorb any remaining vapours.

[DannyS]

Rice or kitty litter to absorb any remaining vapours.

Ah ok, I don't have to post it with rice in, or do I?

[RonK]

No, the bottle should be ok. Can't do any harm though.

[MickyB]

Rice or kitty litter to absorb any remaining vapours.

Ah ok, I don't have to post it with rice in, or do I?

Don't post it with ricin. It's highly toxic.

[DannyS]

No, the bottle should be ok. Can't do any harm though.

Cheers!

[dashandsaph]

Thanks for the tip MickyB. So much good advice on this site.