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I install the protectors, place the bulb with its protector in an extremely thick cardboard box slightly bigger than the bulb istelf, tape the box securely with duct tape, and toss the box containing the bulb down an unused stair case or out the booth window.

(with nobody under or near the window. Make sure the "coast is clear" before you toss them)

Do one bulb at a time, and use a different box each time.

Don't hit the box with a hammer.....the hammer could break the box, and glass fragments will fly out.

Of course I always pick up the box after tossing it down, taking much care to see if any glass shards are poking through so I don't cut my finger in half. I then rattle the box a little and listen to make sure it has exploded. Then I just toss the box in the trash along with memos and stuff like that.

I have tossed a few boxes on the booth floor as Joe does, but it usually scares the crap out of the dog sitting in the chair. Then I could have two messes to clean up instead of one.

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Then take and tape the box so that it doesn't open itself and toss it up and away from you. If there is a loud POP then its broken, if no pop, carefully shake the box listening for shards. If the bulb didn't break after that (I have had a Chinese bulb once that required pitching unboxed against a wall to get it to break ) In most cases the box will take all of the blast with little to no damage (Especially the ORC/PerkinElmer boxes-Osram and Christie boxes usually have some minor damage to them after absorbing an xenon explosion)

Then simply throw the box into the trash.

-Aaron

I never really liked that idea. One of the riskiest times in a xenon's life must surely be during shipping. OK, the polystyrene wrappers will absorb a certain amount of shock but the way some postmen chuck parcels around I'm convinced that one or two must blow up. By shipping the lamp twice, you're doubling that risk.

I suspect that the real purpose of that sheet was to cover the reseller's ass against any claims arising from someone attempting to dispose of the lamp themselves and causing an injury.

One suggestion for disposing of a xenon, though: If Brad and Joe don't manage to win the best documentary Oscar for 'Booth Training II' and want to have a go at next year's awards, a video of an exploding xenon would make an excellent training resource for chief projectionists to push home the point to trainees that xenon safety has to be taken seriously.

I don't know how you'd video it or induce the explosion, though. The only way I can think of is to replace one lamphouse panel with a pane of very thick perspex, put polarising and UV filters on the camcorder, strike the lamp, retire to a very safe distance, i.e. another room (taking care not to look into the lamp, of course), and then increase the current till it blows. Of course this would take quite some organising and the downside is that this would risk writing off some expensive gear, so I can understand if no-one is exactly enthusiastic about the idea.

1). Are you referring to the "dog" as a real dog or just a lazy projectionist?

2). If it is a real dog, what is it doing in the booth? Sure, Ian may have his cat sleep on the platter decks, but you're better than him, right? I mean, who isn't? Dogs != Clean.

3). If you are referring to a lazy projectionist, wouldn't half the fun be scaring the crap out of him/her? I'd throw the box as close to that projectionist as safely possible just to be amused by the reaction!

Jeff, you didn't happen to get a 3D picture of your sliced finger, did you? That must have been some cut. 25 stitches is A LOT of stitches!

Aaron, your new picture makes you look like a ghost! A happy ghost with beer. Lemme guess... flash camera?

Leo, I had an exploding xenon in Booth Training I. Two, in fact.

Anyone care to donate some fake bulbs?

In the meantime, Jim Ziegler's method is the safest.

Insert a small steel rod. Rap the lot in a dust sheet & hit the rod with a hammer.

I have recently disposed of a lode of 4 kW using this method.

The good thing about this method is
1/ the lamp 99 out of 100 will degas with the first hit. The second hit will usually smash the glass.

2/ The safety jacket around the lamp will contain any explosion & the box & dust sheet will contain any glass dust.

3/ when the lamp has been broken you can seal the hole in the box &
dispose of it safely.

It is a bit long winded but works & is safe.

The most important thing is to be safe. IF IN DOUBT DO NOT DO IT.

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The other method that seems common is just to let the used bulbs sit around in the booth forever, thus avoiding the need to dispose of them.