Safest Way to Remove Glowdisk Vial

What's the safest/best way to remove a vial from a glowdisk?

TIN, I usually just peel off the white gummy stuff on the back & use a toothpick to gently pry the vial loose from one end over a flat surface like a desk or kitchen tabletop. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Ray,

I usw a saw to cut a notch through the thick rim of the disk at each end of the tritium vial. This establishes a "fault" line. I then grab the disk withtwo sets of pliers at 90 degrees to these notches. If the vial is pointing at 12 and 6 o'clock asare the notches, I grab the disk at 3 and 9 o'clock. I then use the pliers to "fold" the disk in from the topside. As the disk breaks, the vial is forced up into the foam tape and its cavity of containment is opened from below it with no compression loads on the vial itself. Once the disk breaks in half, it can be pulled apart and the vial is still safely stuck to the foam tape and easy to pull off. I have had 100% success with this method.

EDIT: I just saw flashlight beat me to it here. I initially used his method until I had one vial that was a bit too snug in the acrylic and it broke. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

[ QUOTE ]
McGizmo said:
Ray,

I usw a saw to cut a notch through the thick rim of the disk at each end of the tritium vial. This establishes a "fault" line. I then grab the disk withtwo sets of pliers at 90 degrees to these notches. If the vial is pointing at 12 and 6 o'clock asare the notches, I grab the disk at 3 and 9 o'clock. I then use the pliers to "fold" the disk in from the topside. As the disk breaks, the vial is forced up into the foam tape and its cavity of containment is opened from below it with no compression loads on the vial itself. Once the disk breaks in half, it can be pulled apart and the vial is still safely stuck to the foam tape and easy to pull off. I have had 100% success with this method.

EDIT: I just saw flashlight beat me to it here. I initially used his method until I had one vial that was a bit too snug in the acrylic and it broke. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Don, you always like doing it the 'hard' way? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif And you're getting very verbose lately /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif

Thanks guys.