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Welding safety - ways to kill yourself!
David Jenkins - 8/1/26 at 12:58 PM

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.


Slimy38 - 8/1/26 at 02:24 PM

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.


David Jenkins - 8/1/26 at 03:28 PM

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...)


Sarah - 8/1/26 at 06:56 PM

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!


gremlin1234 - 8/1/26 at 07:06 PM

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 ;-)


David Jenkins - 8/1/26 at 09:41 PM

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]