Mini-school of the Boat

[JTheotonio]

The picture is a common object found on board a fleet boat. 
1. What are they?
2. How are they used?
3. Each canister holds 5 lbs.  What do I get for openning 5 canisters?

[JTheotonio]

One we use a lot, the other is no longer used at all.  What are these two items?

[Darrin]

Awwww come on JT those are easy to ID.... The first can pic is of the Lythium Hydroxide used to cut the CO2 down on the boat when you couldn't snorkle to refresh the air and the other two are even easier......... One is a coffee cup holder and the other is an ash can. FYI a Torsk Vet and I made a prototype Lythium Can to replace the ones missing on Torsk but I fell out on the job and there are only a couple of the can's still around (I have on here at home) and the other one or two are at Torsk or they were 4 years ago when I dropped them off to see if they worked. These were based off of a live on that I was able to get from Nawfalk and they aren't that hard to make.

[Darrin]

OOOOOPS forgot to mention that the Lythium Hydroxide was spread out on the fart sack covers on the bunks and were known to be corrosive once opened, that and you had one hell of a mess when they were open and then having to dispose of that mess. Personally never had to use the cans because of our O2 Generator and a O2 candle burner for when the "bomb" went down and while I had to move those damned things in and out of the forward trim tank to paint down there I was fortunate enough to never have to use them, got close once but never had to open the cans. FYI Lythium Hydroxide absorbs the CO2 in the air and is good only for a couple of hours once the can is opened and spread out on the racks or deck whichever came first, we were always told to put as much back in the can's after it was used to help in the disposal process once back at port.

[Lance Dean]

5 cans at 5 lbs. each gives you 25 lbs of stuff. 

Is this the same stuff they used in WWII boats?

[JTheotonio]

Yes - all easy that was for sure.  but you never said how long a canister was good for, or how many crewmen one would take care of - so

[Darrin]

JT you arsehole.... hell I don't remember that anymore but I will give it a SWAG.....with 5 cans being spead out on the fart sacks of a Tench Class boat with 76-90 people onboard it should last for about 4-5 hours or has my brain turned completly into mush

[Paul Farace]

WWII Lithium Hydroxide canisters were rectangular in shape, sort of like mini Jerrycans, or really big Nestle Cocoa cans (as in they had a round opening on the center top)... COD still has about four in their racks!!! and full!! Hope this stuff doesn't become lethal or exposive after sitting for 60 years!!!  

The guy in a given compartment who was "in charge" of the "soda lime" had to wear rubber gloves and a gas mask or similar cover, and used a wooden stick to stir the stuff...  while his eyes and nose ran like a devil (according to one guy who had to use it during a 20 hour submergence while "a pair of Jap DDs sat on them like a hen").

Sure wish I could easily repro the empty cans, since we have empty racks...  A while back Pamp made some, but told me AFTER they were made... we could have had them double to order from the shop.  Guess I can find a shop in this part of the USA that can do it...  another job in the job jar.

PF

[Darrin]

Paul,
the round cans are very easy to make, but the rectangular can's I have no clue as to how to make those because I have never seen one. BTW the round cans you cut the bottoms out of two one gallon paint cans and then use a flaring device to allow the attaching of the other can and then weld it in place and then putty over it and paint it haze grey. To answer your question about are they dangerous?? yes and no, personally I would contact a hazmat disposal company and open the cans up and the dump out the contents and then reseal the cans and put them back in place. As long as air isn't added to the contents it will not be corrosive so it might be wise to check those cans periodically to see if they are rotting out, it would be bad if one opened while a tourista was onboard.

[Mark Sarsfield]

Batfish has at least one rectangular can in one of the engine rooms sitting in its rack above an engine.  I didn't bother to look for any more of them.

[JTheotonio]

JT you arsehole.... hell I don't remember that anymore but I will give it a SWAG.....with 5 cans being spead out on the fart sacks of a Tench Class boat with 76-90 people onboard it should last for about 4-5 hours or has my brain turned completly into mush

Thanks - but everyone is way off (well a bit off).  One 5lbs canstier will aid about 10 men for ONE hour - that's it.  These were spread out as a last resort and did not help much.  However if you wrote home - Mom always felt better.