I was noodling round YouTube today, and came across a couple of excellent videos produced by a car nut who used to be a full-time industrial welder.
Basically, they are 2 videos that each show 5 ways to die while welding at home...
https://youtu.be/2hAJJky4KAQ?si=8c4y5PHwV8fkxGY9
https://youtu.be/pvPD00F_pOg?si=gwPyvVn8EgCFpXOo
I was aware of most of these, but brake cleaner surprised me... and stainless steel...
Considering the sort of things we do with cars, they're very relevant.
Oddly enough I've seen these pop up but not had chance to look at them. It does raise a question though, is chlorinated brake cleaner something we even get here? I see it when I see aluminium videos where they say don't use chlorinated brake cleaner, but none of my cleaners reference 'chloro' or any other derivative.
I realised that I had a big can of brake cleaner in the garage so I went to have a look: it has "trichloroethylene free" in big letters on
the front!
I guess this is due to the phosgene problem... probably banned by UK or EU authorities (sounds like a good thing...)
I heard a story a while back (in 'murica) about a bloke going tobdo some oxygen acetylene welding for a friend decided it would be better to put
both the oxygen and acetylene in one bottle (to save moving two bottles around).
Friend was a bit dubious so got out of the way.
Rest is obvious.
We had someone die about three miles away when he was cuttings open an old gas cylinder to make a bbq!
I once tool my mum to a pub, she was frail and on oxygen, they came round with candles for the table. we declined...
still a great pub ;-)
I read a story by someone who, as a kid, decided to fill a bin bag with a mixture of oxygen and acetylene. He let it go across the yard (it was in
the USA, as you may suspect) when it ignited. The explosion defoliated a tree and smashed all the glass in the garage windows...
There's also a funny video in YouTube where some bright spark decided to fill a mole tunnel in his garden with oxy-acetylene - when he lit it his
garden erupted...
Found it - might not have been oxy-acetylene - but it was good! (apparently he was Brazilian)
https://youtu.be/LzApW0WsVfs?si=isNrqjWVaVeTeM3Q
quote:
Originally posted by Sarah
I heard a story a while back (in 'murica) about a bloke going tobdo some oxygen acetylene welding for a friend decided it would be better to put both the oxygen and acetylene in one bottle (to save moving two bottles around).
Friend was a bit dubious so got out of the way.
Rest is obvious.
I KNOW a chap who was working in a garage in Market Harborough, and, one of the lads there did the same with a black bin bag (Oxy/Acet) (while the
manager was in the loo), all the doors were shut when he set it (the Bag) off. All the windows in the 3 roller doors were blown out, the window from
the work shop into the customer viewing area was blown out. The Manager came out the loo still doing his trousers up and said "What the F*CK was
that" as the bloke stood there, hair all stood up holding the remnants of the bin bag. About a minute later the local fire Brigade turned up
(THREE engines) along with the local plod and ambulance. The "official line" that the manager spun to the Authorities (and Head Office) was
that a car exhaust had "Back Fired".
quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
I read a story by someone who, as a kid, decided to fill a bin bag with a mixture of oxygen and acetylene. He let it go across the yard (it was in the USA, as you may suspect) when it ignited. The explosion defoliated a tree and smashed all the glass in the garage windows...
There's also a funny video in YouTube where some bright spark decided to fill a mole tunnel in his garden with oxy-acetylene - when he lit it his garden erupted...
Found it - might not have been oxy-acetylene - but it was good! (apparently he was Brazilian)
https://youtu.be/LzApW0WsVfs?si=isNrqjWVaVeTeM3Q
quote:
Originally posted by Sarah
I heard a story a while back (in 'murica) about a bloke going tobdo some oxygen acetylene welding for a friend decided it would be better to put both the oxygen and acetylene in one bottle (to save moving two bottles around).
Friend was a bit dubious so got out of the way.
Rest is obvious.
[Edited on 8/1/26 by David Jenkins]
The biggest no no is welding under a car with plastic petrol fuel pipes