Comments on: Blast Ice Away http://toolmonger.com/2008/12/16/blast-ice-away/ All tools. All the time. Your source for news, information, and reviews of hand tools, power tools, and tools of all kinds. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:58:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Mat http://toolmonger.com/2008/12/16/blast-ice-away/#comment-735493 Mat Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:32:02 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=17154#comment-735493 I really don't like this for environmental reasons. To me it seems like trying to heat the whole outdoors, wasting increasingly scarce hydrocarbons in the process. We actually had huge gas flame snow melting trucks here in Toronto at one point. The idea seems to have been that for city snow cleaning, a snowblower could blow snow into the hopper of the machine which would melt the snow and dump the water down the storm sewers where it would not refreeze and would just run off, rather than the city having to invest in a massive fleet of trucks and the fuel to transport the road snow from the snowblower to various snow dumps. I haven't seen one of the "fire monster" things for about a decade; I guess the idea was dropped for some reason or other, possibly environmental costs? I really don’t like this for environmental reasons. To me it seems like trying to heat the whole outdoors, wasting increasingly scarce hydrocarbons in the process.

We actually had huge gas flame snow melting trucks here in Toronto at one point. The idea seems to have been that for city snow cleaning, a snowblower could blow snow into the hopper of the machine which would melt the snow and dump the water down the storm sewers where it would not refreeze and would just run off, rather than the city having to invest in a massive fleet of trucks and the fuel to transport the road snow from the snowblower to various snow dumps. I haven’t seen one of the “fire monster” things for about a decade; I guess the idea was dropped for some reason or other, possibly environmental costs?

]]> By: ambush http://toolmonger.com/2008/12/16/blast-ice-away/#comment-709719 ambush Sun, 21 Dec 2008 06:38:35 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=17154#comment-709719 I think if I set the feet on my snowblower high enough the auger would chip away at it. I think if I set the feet on my snowblower high enough the auger would chip away at it.

]]> By: James B http://toolmonger.com/2008/12/16/blast-ice-away/#comment-705497 James B Wed, 17 Dec 2008 18:19:27 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=17154#comment-705497 I wonder if one of those fixtured to point at a the blade of a hand held ice chipper would help it get up under the ice better? You would have to watch it didn't get so hot that it softened the metal. Please have 'they' build me one. Personally I don't have anybody (cities or HOAs) forcing me to clear snow and ice, so I just leave it. I'm just planning on resurfacing the driveway when I move. I wonder if one of those fixtured to point at a the blade of a hand held ice chipper would help it get up under the ice better? You would have to watch it didn’t get so hot that it softened the metal. Please have ‘they’ build me one.

Personally I don’t have anybody (cities or HOAs) forcing me to clear snow and ice, so I just leave it. I’m just planning on resurfacing the driveway when I move.

]]> By: blore40 http://toolmonger.com/2008/12/16/blast-ice-away/#comment-705326 blore40 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:10:06 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=17154#comment-705326 Damn you all for being reasonable! I was so gonna have some fun. Damn you all for being reasonable! I was so gonna have some fun.

]]> By: fred http://toolmonger.com/2008/12/16/blast-ice-away/#comment-705309 fred Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:57:30 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=17154#comment-705309 Unlike salt , calcium chloride or prilled urea that depress the freezing point - melting ice requires that the water formed drain away - otherwise it will just refreeze Unlike salt , calcium chloride or prilled urea that depress the freezing point - melting ice requires that the water formed drain away - otherwise it will just refreeze

]]> By: Don http://toolmonger.com/2008/12/16/blast-ice-away/#comment-705272 Don Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:33:32 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=17154#comment-705272 A silly idea for melting ice. Looks handy for starting camp fires though. A silly idea for melting ice. Looks handy for starting camp fires though.

]]> By: Don http://toolmonger.com/2008/12/16/blast-ice-away/#comment-705270 Don Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:33:09 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=17154#comment-705270 A silly idea for melting ice. Look handy for starting camp fires though. A silly idea for melting ice. Look handy for starting camp fires though.

]]> By: Old Coot http://toolmonger.com/2008/12/16/blast-ice-away/#comment-705189 Old Coot Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:33:53 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=17154#comment-705189 What rjerryc said. What rjerryc said.

]]> By: rjerryc http://toolmonger.com/2008/12/16/blast-ice-away/#comment-704120 rjerryc Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:44:42 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=17154#comment-704120 Unless you have a very tiny area to clear, you are going to need a co-signer for the number of propane bottles you will need. If you really want to use a torch to melt away the ice, grab one from HF. They have one that is listed for burning weeds and can attach to your BBQ tank. Just borrow the kids' wagon to tote the tank along or slide it on the un-melted ice! If you later use it to burn the weeds remember that those big weeds can be pretty flammable - don;t want to take out your wood fence too. Unless you have a very tiny area to clear, you are going to need a co-signer for the number of propane bottles you will need. If you really want to use a torch to melt away the ice, grab one from HF. They have one that is listed for burning weeds and can attach to your BBQ tank. Just borrow the kids’ wagon to tote the tank along or slide it on the un-melted ice! If you later use it to burn the weeds remember that those big weeds can be pretty flammable - don;t want to take out your wood fence too.

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