> fire ball
Posted: Mon Jul 05, 1999 8:11 am
Original Posted By: Gordon Ward
After that description, I'm not so sure I'll ask why they call you "Oil Can Bob".......>From: oil can >Reply-To: Pietenpol Discussion >To: Pietenpol Discussion >Subject: fire ball>Date: Sun, 04 Jul 1999 19:31:35 -0700 (PDT)>>welding landing gear tube...>>putting a steel cap on top of a 2" hollow tube.>>Tube standing up right on shop table...>>Finished about 2 min. of spot welds...>>picked up tube, looked down hollow end....kind of like looking down wrong>end of a gun barrel....>>Ka-Boom ! Orange fire ball heads stright into face !>>By reflex, close eyes.>>Instant later feel symptoms of sun burn, smell burnt hair.>>Mustash burned back by 15 %>Eyebrows burned back by 15%>Eyelashes...almost gone, whats left are little pigtail stub ends...burnt>brown.>Hair on head singed back to ears.>>Smelled singe, and scorch all last night.>>Sat down and tried to figure how a hollow empty tube, hot at one end could>cause so much damage...>>Best I can tell, is the combustion process of actlyene, and oxy, leaves a>residue of combustable CO (carbon monoxide) in the tube. CO must be >heavier>than air. So as I welded, the CO built up at the bottom of the tube, with>the red hot end at the top.>>When I picked up, and turned over the tube, the CO sank to the red hot end,>and ...POW ! I became the star attraction of an explosion.>>>I'm ok, but I sure do have a lot more respect for welding gas.>>BOB>>________________________________________________________________________________
After that description, I'm not so sure I'll ask why they call you "Oil Can Bob".......>From: oil can >Reply-To: Pietenpol Discussion >To: Pietenpol Discussion >Subject: fire ball>Date: Sun, 04 Jul 1999 19:31:35 -0700 (PDT)>>welding landing gear tube...>>putting a steel cap on top of a 2" hollow tube.>>Tube standing up right on shop table...>>Finished about 2 min. of spot welds...>>picked up tube, looked down hollow end....kind of like looking down wrong>end of a gun barrel....>>Ka-Boom ! Orange fire ball heads stright into face !>>By reflex, close eyes.>>Instant later feel symptoms of sun burn, smell burnt hair.>>Mustash burned back by 15 %>Eyebrows burned back by 15%>Eyelashes...almost gone, whats left are little pigtail stub ends...burnt>brown.>Hair on head singed back to ears.>>Smelled singe, and scorch all last night.>>Sat down and tried to figure how a hollow empty tube, hot at one end could>cause so much damage...>>Best I can tell, is the combustion process of actlyene, and oxy, leaves a>residue of combustable CO (carbon monoxide) in the tube. CO must be >heavier>than air. So as I welded, the CO built up at the bottom of the tube, with>the red hot end at the top.>>When I picked up, and turned over the tube, the CO sank to the red hot end,>and ...POW ! I became the star attraction of an explosion.>>>I'm ok, but I sure do have a lot more respect for welding gas.>>BOB>>________________________________________________________________________________