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How many have set themselfs on FIRE !

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by ChefMike, Mar 14, 2012.

  1. spraying ether into a carb, had to hold open the sticky butterlfy and i got a back fire. Toasted my 10" long biker goatee right off!

    Outside of not being able to shave for a couple weeks, i healed fine. Just no more long hanging "goats" for me.
     
  2. WOODEYE
    Joined: Feb 21, 2010
    Posts: 375

    WOODEYE
    Member

    It is 1969 and I am taking a night time welding course up at the local High school and having a bit of trouble getting on to how this all works. Now I am one of the lucky guys that managed to whip the cigaret habit 35 years ago but I was still hooked up hard during this learning period. So we are into the uphill part of welding school and I have a package of Smokes & a book of matches in my shop shirt. I am under the hood and I am pushing the puddle up the slope, the rod ain't stuck and there is no way I am backing out no matter what. A big puff of smoke rolls up under the hood but even though I can hardly see what is going on the puddle is still good and the smoke is subsiding. I run out of rod and it is time for break and some bragging about my new found talent (not). I reach in my pocket, pull out a package of smoked Smokes and a book of pre lit matches. I guess I didn't rally catch myself on fire but I got really close. Even after the schooling I am not much more than a mud dobber at best.
     
  3. Belchfire8
    Joined: Sep 18, 2005
    Posts: 1,540

    Belchfire8
    Member

    When I was working we had about a dozen guys welding at any given time. It was very common to hear someone walk past another guy and just casually say, "Hey, you're on fire" and keep walking. I used to weld on steel rule dies and was always bent over from the waist; when the sparks would come down on me I'd feel my flannel shirt flash off the "fuzz" on the shirt on my back. If the heat didn't stop right away I'd just ask somebody if I was on fire on my back. Used to light up my old frayed denim aprons at least once a day, that's how you knew it was time for a new apron...in a day or so. On the serious side I did witness someone fatally burned and a friend was burned so bad that he might have been better off dead: not at all a pleasent thing and not something to take too lightly, it van get real bad real quick!
     
  4. Just about everyday. Wear nomex welding coat/leathers, and 100% cotton sweatshirts and starched shirts. Helps alot, but with my job as a welder/ inspector it happens almost everyday.
     
  5. Diamond"t"
    Joined: Apr 11, 2011
    Posts: 20

    Diamond"t"
    Member
    from Idaho

    I have a story about my buddy that did. Trying to get my truck on the road for the first time, a couple of buddies pulled an all nighter. The only two of us not drunk and sleeping in the garage decided we were ready to pour gas in to the carb with half a beer can and get her fired up. Forgot to check timing and as my buddy was pouring it in, it fired enough to back fire outa the carb and he poured the gas all down the right side of his body. As he was running around the shop screaming I was trying to knock him down to help him out. Luckily he made enough noise to wake the others out of there drunkin stupor and camp chairs. Now there was two of us chasing him around the garage, I had him about half way down and another kid did a jump and double knee kick to his back just as a 5 gallon bucket of used antifreeze covered all of us. That put the fire out and we got him in a cold shower cloths and all. Next was about 100 mph trip to the hospital at about 6 in the morning. The ER doc said he had 2nd and 3rd degree burns over 17% of his body and all most sent him via chopper to the burn center in Utah. Several weeks later with no skin graphs he was doing pretty good but still complained his back hurt from getting knocked down. By the way my truck made it to the car show......on a trailer.
     
  6. aircap
    Joined: Mar 10, 2011
    Posts: 1,748

    aircap
    Member

    I wasn't working on my car.... but years ago I was grinding the burrs off some titanium parts at the machine shop I worked at. I got a pretty good build-up of gray on my T-shirt, and all the pretty white sparks from the titanium finally lit off the dust in a blinding flash! When I could see again there was an eight inch diameter red glowing ring on my T-shirt that was getting kinda hot. I grabbed a cup of water nearby and doused myself right quick. Thank gawd I always kept a spare T-shirt in my toolchest. Grabbed my shop apron while I was at it....
     
  7. OMA_Turk
    Joined: May 2, 2011
    Posts: 43

    OMA_Turk
    Member
    from Omaha, NE

    X2 :eek:
     
  8. My "funniest" one was while I was taking an overhead dual shield weld test. I was welding a beveled steel fixture 1" thick with a backing bar. The weld coupon was 12" long, so, each bead took 20 seconds or so. Anybody that's welded much dual shield knows that sometimes, in the overhead position, it will develop "The BB's of Death!" (tm), which showers you with.... you guessed it..... molten droplets of steel about the size of BB's. I was about 1/3 of the way into the bead when the "BB's of Death!" (tm) started and managed to set my hooded sweatshirt pocket on fire. I knew it was on fire almost immediately, but, when you've dropped $200 on a weld test you have bigger concerns than a little fire at your belt-line. I was nearing the second test cut zone when I could start to see the flames coming in under my hood. I tucked my chin down to keep the flames out of my beard. I was patient with my bead through the cut zone, but, as soon as I got through there I hustled that bead down to a little taper. I flew out the end of that weld coupon. I'm sure it looked terrible. I whipped my helmet off, and ran out of my booth with about 2' of flame running up my chest. I did a little mini belly flop in to the quench tank, and got the flames out. The instructor was already beside me by the time I was out of the quench tank, and asking what had happened. I told him the story, and that I knew I was on fire, but, had to finish the bead. He told me that someday I'd make a damn fine weldor, and offered me some neosporin for the silver dollar sized burn on my gut. My hoody was trashed, and I got to finish my Wabo weld test with a wet crotch. I've still got the scar right next to belly button, but, I guessed I earned my stripes that day.

    Good times.
     
  9. tnich123
    Joined: May 26, 2009
    Posts: 163

    tnich123
    Member

    Nice.... now I know that not only will I get some great information and advice on the HAMB but I will also have job security to boot. I have been on fire but not because of anything I did in the garage. We all have fire extinguishers in the garage right???
     
  10. SakowskiMotors
    Joined: Nov 18, 2006
    Posts: 1,240

    SakowskiMotors
    Member

    Years ago.
    Starting fluid spraying while trying to start.
    Backfired. Can blew up. Flaming can flying through air landed on cowl gas tank with cap off.
    Gas tank blew up in small garage.
    Dove under vehicle.
    Trapped under vehicle holding breath while wall of fire dissipated.
    Burnt badly over body.
    Skin falling off.
    Ambulance.
    Put fire out while waiting for ambulance ( was not my barn but elderly neighbors)
    Almost died on way to hospital from shock and loss of fluid. When you lose large sections of skin your fluids leak out.
    In burn unit for a time.
    Don't spray anything in carb to "keep running"
    Will get away with it thousands of times, or less....
    Have fun!
     
  11. NSTLGA 33
    Joined: Feb 13, 2012
    Posts: 72

    NSTLGA 33
    Member
    from australia

    Yep, that fluid you lose is plasma, and you don't wanna be losing too much of that stuff.
    I went to work one day got 50% burns and a broken back to top it off, came home two and a half months later, not fun, have had a few scolds working on cars, nothing much though.
    One thing to be very mindfull of though is grinding and thinners.
    A friend of mine was grinding the quarter panel on his 60 chevy when a spark hit a tin of thinners that had a cap on it punched full of holes that he'd use to pour on a rag to wipe things down, well that spark caused that tin to explode.
    Needless to say, he wound up in the burns unit in a Melbourne hospital needing several skin graft operations, almost cost him his life, which severe burns generally do, burnt half his shed down aswell.
    His nickname now is BBQ, at least he has a sense of humour.
     
  12. Mike Rotch
    Joined: Jul 15, 2010
    Posts: 166

    Mike Rotch
    Member
    from Easley SC

    Ya know that awkward feeling when a hot spark goes in your ear?
    Well it's about as bad as when the poor man's ear plug made from an old cotton ball catches fire from that spark.
    Now I'll only stick shell casings & cigarette butts in my ear.
     
  13. Hell, I can set myself on fire washing my car! I think every shirt I own has evidence of flamage.-MIKE:eek::D
     
  14. Morgan91
    Joined: Sep 12, 2010
    Posts: 560

    Morgan91
    Member
    from Australia

    Pretty much once or twice a week at work haha.
     
  15. More times than I can count, mostly in flannel shirts but frayed jeans mostly around the knees.
     
  16. Burned down a garage in 1964 with two new cars inside playing with matches , I've set myself on fire more than a few times , set numerous motorcycles on fire , and once set my brother in law on fire by "accident" according to the police report , charges no longer pending..
     
  17. uc4me
    Joined: Feb 3, 2006
    Posts: 516

    uc4me
    Member

    lacquer thinner (just not too much) will burn off of your hand without burning your hand....generous amounts of beer also lends to the process...that also explains the hat and goofy sunglasses)

    [​IMG]
     

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  18. Imperial Kustom
    Joined: Dec 20, 2007
    Posts: 270

    Imperial Kustom
    Member

    Managed to set me, AND two buddies on fire at the same time. We were trying to get a '59 283 running that was in a '67 El Camino. The car had sat in a wrecking yard for 18 years so I wanted to know if it ran before I bought the motor. The car had no fuel system so we had a line going going into a bottle from the pump. after checking the oil, we went ahead and then pulled the dizzy, primed the oil system, replaced the dizzy and and primed the carb. Nothing. Ether. Cough spit. Ether. Cough, ether, run, ether, run. Carb too junked up to run. Put on spare carb. While priming the new carb my buddy cranked it over early and of course, it back fired right into the bottle of gas in my hand. As I quickly withdrew it from the erupting carburetor, flaming gasoline sprayed me, my buddy Joe, and K.C. (who cranked the motor, we we were using a remote starter switch), the ground and the side of the shop. Thankfully we came prepared with a running water hose which Joe promptly grabbed, put himself out, put me out quenched the shop wall and the ground, musta forgot about K.C. 'till he started yelling at Joe, "Forget the concrete man, get me! Get me!" Joe got him out and no one was hurt and we all had a good laugh. Must have been a riot for Joe's dad to be watching our asses jumping around on fire trying to put each other, the shop, the car and the concrete pad out. Got the engine started, ran great. Ten years later we still laugh over that story and I still have the 283 (although it's been blown up and rebuilt, then freshened and seized [crank was machined with a taper on rear main. didn't catch it.] and rebuilt again.)
     
    Last edited: Mar 15, 2012
  19. That sizzle in my ear always get's my attention!
     
  20. I'm not at all ashamed to say that a big spark deep down in my ear is one of the few things that truly freaks me the hell out. There should never be that kind of noise coming from inside of my head. Sounds like I sprung a massive air leak, and I'm not even a blonde.:rolleyes:
     
  21. I still have a scar under my chin where a ball of slag landed in my beard when I was cutting up a junk car. It went 30 years without being seen until my beard came off in 2008.

    Another time I was in my stock car welding up the seat support and my frayed Levis corduroy pants cuff went up. I did smell something smoldering figured I'd look at it as soon as the welds were finished. My sister walks up and informs me that my pants are on fire. Good thing I had engineering boots on.

    I was under the dash of my OT '68 Mustang working on some wiring when I accidentally pushed in the cigarette lighter. It rolls down my arm and falls into the palm of my other hand. I didn't know it was the freakin' lighter until I caught the scent of burning meat, I swear it smelled like walking past Burger King.

    Bob
     
  22. cederholm
    Joined: May 6, 2006
    Posts: 1,748

    cederholm
    Member

    ...this month??
     
  23. Model A Gomez
    Joined: Aug 26, 2006
    Posts: 1,695

    Model A Gomez
    Member

    I was welding subframe connectors on my sons Mustang using an old jean jacket as a welders coat and caught the frayed collor on fire, trimmed one side of my beard before I could get it off.
     
  24. King Karl
    Joined: Sep 27, 2007
    Posts: 383

    King Karl
    Member
    from N.C.

    When I was in welding school I was sitting on a stool running a bead (if you could call it that then) and a piece of slag fell off, going through my jeans and ran right past my nuts. I quickly dropped my pants and underwear in front of 3 people that were standing close by.

    I opted to wear the leather apron after that day when stick welding.
     
  25. rustang
    Joined: Sep 10, 2009
    Posts: 710

    rustang
    Member

    I do it all the time.... twice just this week and I was only welding some frame tabs on for my brakes...

    This is a pretty regular occurance in my life... :)
    Tom
     
  26. probably the definative question is "How many have not put themselves on fire"
     
  27. koolkemp
    Joined: May 7, 2004
    Posts: 6,005

    koolkemp
    Member

    Disposable lighter in breast pocket to light torches.....mig welding later with said lighter still in my pocket...piece of hot slag lands on coat burns through and lighter explodes in pocket...I am a jumpy bastard at the best of times shoulda seen me that day !
     
  28. which time should I tell about, the time the fuel line broke on my mini bike as I rounded the house and sent me and the bike up in flames not to mention the house, or the time I was cutting expanded metal with the torch in my cool 70's jeans and caught the fringe on fire. can't go on to traumatic!!!
     
  29. Barsteel
    Joined: Oct 15, 2008
    Posts: 732

    Barsteel
    Member
    from Monroe, CT

    You're lucky you didn't drop ass right after your coveralls caught...there would have been some blue flame added in there for color!
     
  30. machine_builder2
    Joined: Sep 15, 2011
    Posts: 10

    machine_builder2
    Member

    The scene:

    REALLY hot day in Salt Lake City in the 70's
    One of my Dad's mechanics decides to go nekkid under his coveralls
    Said mechanic welds, a large spark goes down the front of his coveralls
    Spark lands on the end of his , well, you know

    Everyone learned some new dance moves and naughty words that day
     

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