Could have been a bad one.

[Sniper]

Got lucky earlier today. Welding up a frame/stand for all the 'C' clamps and vise grips around the shop. Tack here, tack there, reposition the frame, weld a bit more, same old mundane stuff. What I didn't plan on was a bad ground, and an aerosol can of cutting fluid becoming the ground. Had drilled a few holes earlier and set the can on the bench, in itself, not a real big deal. Should have moved it though, when I started welding. Last time I repositioned the frame, I had slid the frame up against the can. Reattached the ground to the frame and went to town again. First the sound of sizzling that you get with a bad ground, next the sound of hissing when you get????? What the heck is that??
Flipped up the helmet and it was "Holy crap!" No fire, no explosion or anything dramatic like that. Just the realization of what have could had been. That was a 'Hey stupid...better smarten up' lesson right there. It can happen pretty easy.

 

[earthman]

Close call there. It's serves as a reminder for the rest of us.

 

[rainman]

I've often wondered if that could happen!! Now I know!!
Thanks for sharing the story!!

 

[Neverdone]

Ever been welding and didn't notice the pack of fire crackers laying on the bench???? Happened to me about a year ago. Scared the hell out of me!! I took off running not knowing what was going up but knew I didn't want to be around when it did! Thought it might have been a paint can or something, but no harm no foul just had to change my pants..

 

[sgtpontiac]

Fire Crackers???!!!

Ever been welding and didn't notice the pack of fire crackers laying on the bench???? Happened to me about a year ago. Scared the hell out of me!! I took off running not knowing what was going up but knew I didn't want to be around when it did! Thought it might have been a paint can or something, but no harm no foul just had to change my pants..

Who would.....what would.....WHY would anyone have firecrackers sitting near their build????[S Unless of course you are a practical joker who likes to lite them off when somebody is least suspecting it....[cl

 

[old man dave]

Cool story glad nothing bad happened. I was a commercial electrician for 20 years and have seen AC and DC voltage do some crazy, painful and down right scary things.

 

[Bonehead]

Seems like I always have a spray paint can sitting around, and have caught myself moving them, thinking they could ground while I am welding something on the bench. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

I don't take any of this lightly, (safety is serious business, and no joke whatsoever) but you have to admit, one of Neverdone's firecrackers would be perfect in this situation.

 

[Sam_Fear]

Yeah, I need to go a gather up all my cans and put 'em back in the cabinet too.

Who would.....what would.....WHY would anyone have firecrackers sitting near their build????[S Unless of course you are a practical joker who likes to lite them off when somebody is least suspecting it....[cl

I agree! Why? ....I keep them in my pants pockets. Much safer.

 

[moparcowboy]

great reminder
[

 

[roddguy1]

To bad you just used up all your lottery ticket luck in one shot there bud.

But seriously, that is the sort of luck you appreciate the most in life. The chance to realize it could have been a whole lot worse. Good on you. [cl

 

[donsrods]

When we lived in Pa we had a garbage pit in the backyard where we burned our trash and leftovers from remodeling our house. My Sons were about 6 and they would toss an aerosol can into the pit every so often because they liked to watch the can go 20 feet in the air when it blew. I can't remember how many times I got the bejesus scared out of me and how many times I warmed their little butts for doing it.

Don

 

[Neverdone]

I admit the firecrackers on the bench was not so bright on my part, but I am a jokester [ddd......... and so are a lot of my friends. There are always firecrackers around...... I can't say that maybe one of my friends put them there as a joke.....????? Who knows. In any when that happened I started to look around the bench and surrounding areas to insure that there are no flammables in the area.....