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Landrover Monthly April 2011 - make a propane cylinder stove
Rank: Forum user 
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Folks,
I am not sure how many of you read this esteemed publication. But, on page 88 there is a 6 page article on how to convert a propane cylinder into a wood burning stove.
I was shocked that this article demonstrated how a home DIY'er could crudely purge the cylinder, fill with water, cut open with a plasma cutter and weld all the name of making a "pot belly" stove.
I saw this article as a fast way to injury or potential death and did not understand why they would publish such an article to an uncontrolled audience.
Who is the correct body to complain to other than the magazine?
Thanks in advance
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Rank: Forum user 
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Can you give us a link to the article so we can consider the item further as we don't all get this publication
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Rank: Forum user
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Personnlay I dont see your problem.
I have made a wood-burner from a propane tank in much the same way your describe.
no issues as far as I can see so long as you use your noodle.
lovely heat from it and its a nice feature in the garden. Would reccomend it to all.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Next month: "How to make an r/c U-Boat from an old Acetylene Cylinder".
I would have thought these specialist publications would have been more conservative in an attempt to hold on to their readers!
Still - there's worse on Youtube.
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Rank: Guest
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frankhone wrote:Can you give us a link to the article so we can consider the item further as we don't all get this publication
Yes, a link would be helpful. I've been planning on doing this for some time and a (possibly) optimum design would be welcomed.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Many landrover owners (well most of the traditional owners - not the owners of the fancy new landrovers) are creatures that like to tinker with things with the general philosophy of waste not want not. They are generally quite competent at tinkering (they are not common or garden DIY'ers) - landrovers break down a lot and have to be tinkered with a lot. A suprising number will completley rebuild landrovers in various guises with a great deal of competence at doing it.
My husband is one of said landrover tinkerers. I'm sure many of you would be alarmed by what he gets up to but I'm fairly confident he knows what he's doing.
As long as the advice was followed to adequately purge the cylinder, fill with water etc then can't see the problem.
Leave well alone. It's not work related and poking in a H&S nose just gives us all a bad name.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Generally I would agree to leave well alone as 'professional' tinkerers are usually good at what they do [ my mats LR spends half of its time being tinkered with because this or that has failed -- whereas my Suz??? is boring because it does not break down!] but when discussing 'Act' cylinders and the like its not quite the same situation as using an old Oxy cylinder; so logic [the new word I believe for the term common sense] should be applied and if the article is properly managed there should be no problem
Its a mystery where somebody actually gets hold of an old gas cylinder nowerdays anyway!
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Rank: Forum user
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Go down to your local recycling centre, Bob. There's usually dozens of them lying around in various states of rusting/ damage/ unidentifiable contents, etc.
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Rank: Super forum user
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I cannot access the article, but the heading appears, under its "Technofile" section as "WORKSHOP HEATER by Lindsay Porter -How to build a heater from a gas bottle".
Refer to:-
http://www.lrm.co.uk/ThisMonth.html
Presumably, the target audience is not the un-informed/novice DIYer, but those who will be aware of the hazards and implications of what they are up to. The author appears to have written several "intersting" articles.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Just to clarify following Townshend1012's post. Local Authorities tend to take a dim view of Joe Public attempting to remove things from Civic Amenity Sites. Probably defined as theft.
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Rank: Forum user
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Many readers of this forum are of a "certain age" where we all had to learn to tinker and make from scratch because we were not quite in the disposable consumerism soup that exists today.
I talk to 20-somethings who don't seem to know how to do much at all other than "buy a new one".
Articles such as the Landrover one should be seen as helpful to keep Britain's can-do approach going. British engineering skills are slowly vanishing, and maybe hobbies are the only way we will keep them.
A purged, water-filled bottle poses small risks - but that initial purge had better be very well explained ;-)
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Rank: Super forum user
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You mean "hot convert someone elses property into something else"
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Rank: Super forum user
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Environmental law also comes in here as most of it applies to all areas inclusive of to Joe public in their own back yard not just to employed work situations, so purging [a very good idea] needs to account for the lechate/waste left over -------where is it going etc
Yep many youngsters have no idea of DIY especially engineering DIY so lets keep the practices going noting that tipping old spent oil into the fence paint tin is now a 'no go' idea [but it makes great long lasting fence paint!]
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Rank: Super forum user
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Just to think me and my mates rebuilt a 1930s bullnose Morris in the 60s and we were still at school. We even used a blacksmiths hearth at school and were taught to weld/repair car chassis with real metal!!!- could make horseshoes though :-(
Bob
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Rank: Super forum user
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boblewis wrote:Just to think me and my mates rebuilt a 1930s bullnose Morris in the 60s and we were still at school. We even used a blacksmiths hearth at school and were taught to weld/repair car chassis with real metal!!!- could make horseshoes though :-(
Bob
Good money as a farrier nowadays.
I think more youngsters should be taught more practical skills like they used to. I wonder if the demise of such things is due to (misguided) health and safety fears or a change in aspirations?
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Rank: Forum user
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Dissapointing response, There is enough sarcasm in the industry without it coming from the members of the Institution, and I am surprised at the number of "leave it and walk on by" responses.
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Rank: Super forum user
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JARL Solutions
If it was that inherently dangerous do you not think that a company like land rover would have the sense not to publish.
How many people have read Hugh Fernley Whitenstales cook book where he makes a smoker out of gas bottles.
Do you think that people who buy these books/mags are incapable of making there own decisions, after all they can read, it is not all pictures.
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Rank: Forum user
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In response to the original question, "Who is the correct body to complain to other than the magazine?"
If the cylinder suppliers name is visible, an email to them would be in order, notably as they retain ownership of the cylinder! If not, try UKLPG.
As for the comment 'if it was that inherently dangerous', yes, it is, I've had to investigate the aftermath of this type of activity going very, very wrong.
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Rank: Forum user
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Can't see the problem - too much mountain mole hill goes on for me!!!!
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Rank: Super forum user
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JARL Solutions wrote:Dissapointing response, There is enough sarcasm in the industry without it coming from the members of the Institution, and I am surprised at the number of "leave it and walk on by" responses.
Sarcasm????? Where???
We're not saying that it's not potentially dangerous if not done properly but that it could be carried out safely by those who are well-informed. And to publish in a magazine aimed at those that have more than a bit of knowledge on most things mechanical etc seems fair enough to me.
You have the ability to complain but obviously the majority repsonding to this thread think that your take on the matter is unwarranted. You may diasagree and that is your right, as is our right to disagree with you. However, don't accuse us of not taking it seriously just because we think you need to take a more reasonable perspective on this.
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Rank: Super forum user
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There is no question of walking by as not enough is known about the precise instructions, target audience, disclaimers etc. Now, if the target audience was the uninformed DIYer/novice, it may be a different matter.
It is not much different from carrying out repairs that involve welding/cutting/grinding to vehicles by DIYers in their own small workshops/garages as long as they know what they are up to and follow sensible safety instructions/precautions!
if we were to say that Land Rover Monthly should not have published such articles, what is next--should we say the Haynes Manuals has content that should not be published because someone who does not understand it may try to carry out dangerous stuff?
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Rank: Guest
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Aren't the majority of the responses here more in the way of being reasoned and pragmatic, rather than sarcastic?
As has been said, the vast majority of people who buy the magazine (very much like those who buy titles such as Classic Bike and other similar titles), are likely to have a modicum of common sense/ intelligence when it comes to carrying out engineering tasks.
One of the more valid points so far is that as none of us appear to be able to read th earticle, it is difficult to put it into context re disclaimers/ recommended skill levels, recommended safety precautions, etc.
To expect safety professionals to come out and say that the article is irresponsible without having read it is a touch naive I would have thought.
Just my opinion.
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Rank: Super forum user
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We seem to forget that these cylinders are quite capable of being worked on if properly cleaned and purged. An article giving precise instruction to competent mechanical people is not irresponsible in the sense that you claim. We would not undertake many processes that are dangerous if the risks could not be controlled. Control the risks and you can be amazed at what can be done.
We are not sarcastic simply because we disagree we are simply aware of the problems of snap judgements especially when many of us have engineering backgrounds. Distillation columns have far greater risks and we rely on them everyday for our petrol
Bob
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Rank: Super forum user
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JARL Solutions wrote:Dissapointing response, There is enough sarcasm in the industry without it coming from the members of the Institution, and I am surprised at the number of "leave it and walk on by" responses.
Standing in a Viking Galley about to be burned by drink fuelled, torch weilding guizers is quite dangerous Mr Jarl!
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Rank: Super forum user 
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A quick Google reveals many articles and even videos on how to do this. Got to say that they look bonser!
Jarl - I can only assume that the responses have been disappointing, only because in the main they haven't 'agreed' with your own perceptions.
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Landrover Monthly April 2011 - make a propane cylinder stove
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