Solid CH4 hydrate samples can be built up by pulses of water spray onto a solid surface in a CH4 atmosphere at temperature and pressure within the hydrate stability domain. By pulse spraying into a cylindrical well, clean cylindrical samples approximately 4 cm diameter by 2.5 cm long can be obtained. There have been found experimentally simple means to achieve for such a cylindrical sample axial stress in excess above the radial and azimuthal stress imposed by gas pressure on the lateral face or excess radial and azimuthal stress above axial stress imposed by gas pressure on the end face. When uniaxially loaded on the end faces, the samples have very little strength, crushing or fracturing at excess axial stress less than 0.2 MPa, at temperatures above 0 deg C, but can withstand at least 2 MPa at temperatures below 0 deg C. These results suggest that stress anisotropy is not a significant factor in the thermomechanics behavior of gas hydrates at temperatures above 0 deg C. Samples can be temporarily depressurized below the stability envelope at temperatures below 0 deg C and then be repressurized and have temperature raised above 0 deg C without any change of appearance, whereas, at temperatures above 0 deg C, samples decompose and dramatically alter in appearance upon depressurization below the stability envelope. 6 refs., 10 figs.