When is free scrap metal not free?
When you cut yourself on it and it requires stitches.
I wanted my first post to be about me finally starting my gasification project. I just wish it would have been under better circumstances.
I have been visiting DOW.com(and many other gasification resources) for a while and have been compiling my stock of materials/hardware to build my first gasifier. I picked up a free broken water heater and, in the process of stripping the sheet metal off, I lacerated my hand and took a trip to the doctor. I told my wife that I am not the first person to get injured while building a gasifier.
Anyway, I just want to wish everyone safe and successful gasification.
Not to diminish the appeal to safety, but you are correct, Bryan, in assuming you are not the first to sustain injury. You are also correct in seeing the unbridled determination in the man (the person) once bitten by the woodgas bug. Keep it up.
Was using a cut-off disk in a angle grinder to cut knives for a rebak I am building from an old cracked 54" saw blade. Less heat to change the steel than a torch or plasma cutter. Was getting a little smoke from the old pitch on the blade but the smoke from under the blade that was blocked up about knee high started to get stronger. Then my leg felt warm. The fire started by the hycarbon steel sparks had gone threw my insulated bibs and was starting on my jeans. Tall socks protected my leg but the melted insulation from the bibs that stuck to my hand when I slapped the fire out took the fun out of things. Please be careful of sparks, especially when grinding threw something and you can’t see where they are going. I almost made an ash of myself. Fred
Years ago when working on a metal lathe, I was taking a heavy cut in 400 series stainless with good chip breakage, chips flying lazily, leaving little smoke trails. I was surprised when my shirt pocket started to get warm, then warmer than that as a fire started in my pocket. Fortunately it didn’t get too far, but it was certainly exciting.
I’ve had close calls but never suffered the injury yet, but a ball of glowing welding or cutting slag burning through the top of a boot has got to be one of the worst. (Or falling in a boot not tied up).
Always wear cotton around hot stuff, and be mindful of the power of showers of sparks.
Several years ago I was burning off a broom sage patch and my old raged coveralls caught fire . I quickly stopped, dropped , wallered and hollered ( as I had always been taught ) Each time I dropped and wallered I would set more grass afire .
The two take aways from this event is pain is a wonderful teacher and whoever taught me to stop , drop , waller and holler has no experience in a broom sage patch
My old college computer lab boss was a former Army Ranger. His only (physical) injury was getting hit in the chest by a tracer round, basically a giant match head.
He remembers: looking around the corner; suddenly laying on his back and on fire; thinking to himself in all seriousness “I’M ON FIRE! STOP, DROP, AND ROLL! OH, CRAP! I’M ALREADY DROPPED! I MESSED UP THE STEPS AND NOW CAN’T PUT MYSELF OUT!”.
His chest armor stopped the round, but he still had a nasty burn from it that left a scar that looked like a cartoon sun. Of course, he got a smiley face tattooed into the middle of the scar.
35 years ago a relative of mine ran a welding shop. One day he was welding inside a diesel tank that obviously wasnt properly emptyed/cleaned. He was caught inside, toasted by the flames.
He spent years recovering and had several skin transplants. Mostly face and hands/arms. Somehow he managed to continue his business on his own, until last year when he retired. He never met a woman again after his accident. He died due to alcoholism shortly after his retirement. His still was later given to me by his sister and it is now my hopper
