How to get the needles out of syringes?

I have a small supply of different sizes and the first thing I do is blunt the sharp end and then usually cut it off with my dremel's cutting wheel.  When I do that the part might fly off somewhere but at least it can't stick into anything, like my foot.

When I'm ready to use one I just cut it from the plastic end it's attached to.  Normally you will have more than enough length for what you're planning, like weapons barrels or pitot tubes.

I simply  light the plastic on fire with a match and let it burn out, voila a perfectly good tube to use.

I have a stock of hypodermic needles of various size and gauges usually buy them in surgical supply stores.

I use to gunners, operating hydraulic actuators on the scales of 1/72 and 1/48 (airbrakes actuators, etc.) and especially to the axes of propellers, in which case use two needles with different calibers but with perfect fitting, propellers rotate without play or vibrations.

There are needles used in cardiac surgery with lengths ranging up to 2 inches.

You can buy the tubing from various suppliers that sell through your LHS or on line and e-bay. Would save you a lot of work & sweat (no points on them either).

One of the members of our club buys various sizes in 10ft. lengths and shares with us. A 2ft. piece makes a lot of mg barrels.

Jim  

It's a good question.  I have a small stash of hypos from my late mom, who had to inject herself with a blood thinner as part of her pre-op for colon surgery.  I mentioned that I could use the tubing on my models, so she started saving them for me, and every Sunday, presented me with a coffee can with about 20 or so hypos.

When I first looked at one to try to take it apart, I noticed that technology had really advanced since the last time I had seen a needle.  I thought the tube would just be inserted into a hole in the bottom of the syringe, but I saw that instead, it was embedded in a blob of glass or some hard acrylic, and it resisted all attempts simply to pull it out, even with pliers.  The only way to get it was to cut it.  But that still left plenty of tube stock.

The rest of the syringe provides some good materials for the parts bins, too.

Just curious, but where do you guys get your hypo needls and syringes? Here in CA mere possession of a syringe without a medical prescription is a Misdemeanor.

Baron: the best answer I got here is FIRE! Burn it off. I was concerned that burning it would damage the metal, but no, it is very hard steel and just needs to be cleaned well after the conflagration. I don't like the cutting option since it buggers up the factory-finished end which is the best possible end.

Wow, possession of a syringe? Unbelieveable. Talk about a nanny state. I can get them no problem from any pharmacy. I live in the Dominican Republic which is the other extreme from a nanny state, where you can get pretty much anything in a pharmacy by just walking off the street and asking, as long as you pay and know the name.  

Man, you need to get over here to the other coast.

All I did was buy some from a pharmacy, no problem.  I just cut off both ends and I have stainless tubing.  I also have a supply of micro drill bits I got from a dentist, more than I'll ever use.

If you need some, send me your address and I'll get your supplies to tou.

Well unfortunately we have a problem with Heroin addicts out here. And a resurgence recently in its popularity and increase in overdoses as well.

To get all the scale sizes for the tubing you need go to the following site. http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/tools_techniques_and_reference_materials/f/13/t/58444.aspx

Then go to this site.

www.componentssupplycompany.com You'll find any size tubing you need.

You can also get lots of brass and copper tubing in all sizes at

www.hobbylinc.com/hobby-and-craft-metal-tubing 

Components Supply Co. is the place our club gets all it's tubing for pitot tubes, gun barrels and any other use.

Hope that this helps.

Jim  

stikpusher

Just curious, but where do you guys get your hypo needls and syringes? Here in CA mere possession of a syringe without a medical prescription is a Misdemeanor.

...unfortunately we have a problem with Heroin addicts out here. And a resurgence recently in its popularity and increase in overdoses as well.
 

We do, too, but I think more of our addicts are using opium derivatives in forms other than heroin, that must be injected.  There is a growing epidemic of abusing prescription opiates (opiods?) like Oxycondon.  But yeah, that's pretty strict, to penalize mere possession of a syringe.

stevebrauning

Baron: the best answer I got here is FIRE! Burn it off. I was concerned that burning it would damage the metal, but no, it is very hard steel and just needs to be cleaned well after the conflagration. I don't like the cutting option since it buggers up the factory-finished end which is the best possible end.

Thanks, Steve, I'll try that.  My other option, of course, is to cut the tube at the base, either with a wire cutter or with a cutting wheel chucked into the Dremel.  I'm with you on cutting, though, because it distorts the shape.  With tubing of larger diameter, I can deal with that, by using a fine sewing needle to put the tube back into round shape.  But with a hypo, yes, it's an issue.

And I should add that the main reason I want to salvage the tubing from the hypos is that I'm Dutchy and I can't stand the thought of throwing out something I could use.  Of course, at this point, I'm a hair's breadth away from turning up on a reality show about hoarders.  But apart from this stash of tubing, I usually buy stainless steel tubing from McMaster-Carr, http://www.mcmaster.com/  I found out about that outfit over at Aircraft Resource Center.

the Baron

 

 

stikpusher

Just curious, but where do you guys get your hypo needls and syringes? Here in CA mere possession of a syringe without a medical prescription is a Misdemeanor.

...unfortunately we have a problem with Heroin addicts out here. And a resurgence recently in its popularity and increase in overdoses as well.
 

 

 

We do, too, but I think more of our addicts are using opium derivatives in forms other than heroin, that must be injected.  There is a growing epidemic of abusing prescription opiates (opiods?) like Oxycondon.  But yeah, that's pretty strict, to penalize mere possession of a syringe.

 

 

Well that's where an individual officer gets to use their discretion. Obviously the code, does not apply to those with a medical need & prescription for possession of a syringe. But seriously, I know us modelers have a use for the needle tubing, and not many other people in the general population do have a use for such. And us modelers need just the steel tubing of the syringe for our purposes, and not the whole syringe with a needle. I did use to use non needled syringes (which are prfectly legal to possess here) for some of my airbrush mix measuring needs before I started getting the cheap plastic pipette droppers instead...