Because Forklift

[SuperBuickGuy]

Could you say he "found" god that day?

He was a relatively nice guy. I had much much worse over time, but he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. He missed some situations with other people - such as his assistant dean - that really caused some issues. What was worse was his wife and son were a chip off the old block. But those are stories for another day.

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Or in an orchard where the dean of boys is having a nice, meditative walk. Apparently, or at least according to him, it did not help his spirituality. It did aid his vocabulary. Not saying that he was a bit simple but we explained to him that we were knocking the aphids (I'm embarrassed to admit that) out of the walnut trees. Thankfully he never asked our boss....

the longer story. as most know, I went to boarding school. My freshman year I was assigned to work on the farm. The school had 300 acres of walnut trees. One bright morning, we were sent to a pump station to fix the pump. We took the torches but then I was also told to get some garbage bags and toilet paper by the senior who was in charge (Troy). As we're slllooowwwlllly going out on the tractor, I ask about the bags. Troy explains to me that I need to know how to properly create a gas bag. A gas bag? I had been raised on a farm/hobby ranch but I had no idea. So we got about 1/2 way to our destination, and Troy stopped and showed me how to properly build a gas bag bomb. Important farm stuff for sure. The dean of men (no joke Dick Peterson) was out walking in the morning enjoying some spiritual time - the gas bag bomb went off about 100 feet above his head. No harm but whatever few follicles on his head he had were gone. He said a couple "bad" words. That was how we knew he was nearby..... ut oh? Dick comes, Troy explains, Dick goes.... then we laugh... for at least two weeks any time someone said bag or tp, Troy and I would burst out laughing.... good times. Ostensibly my parents sent me to boarding school to increase my spiritual nature. Never did tell them that I help Dick gain his too...

Could you say he "found" god that day?

[SuperBuickGuy]

No, not a career ender. Boomer went on to other types of experiments tho...

And near is a relative term here. Out in a large field with nothing close by, say within a half mile, then a couple of hundred feet, you probably just need earplugs. However, if there's solid walls or some such to reflect the pressure waves off of, and stuff that might be a little bit breakable, get away.

Don't do it between 2 buildings with lots of windows, like old factory buildings. Unless the windows are already pretty much gone... don't ask!

Or in an orchard where the dean of boys is having a nice, meditative walk. Apparently, or at least according to him, it did not help his spirituality. It did aid his vocabulary. Not saying that he was a bit simple but we explained to him that we were knocking the aphids (I'm embarrassed to admit that) out of the walnut trees. Thankfully he never asked our boss....

the longer story. as most know, I went to boarding school. My freshman year I was assigned to work on the farm. The school had 300 acres of walnut trees. One bright morning, we were sent to a pump station to fix the pump. We took the torches but then I was also told to get some garbage bags and toilet paper by the senior who was in charge (Troy). As we're slllooowwwlllly going out on the tractor, I ask about the bags. Troy explains to me that I need to know how to properly create a gas bag. A gas bag? I had been raised on a farm/hobby ranch but I had no idea. So we got about 1/2 way to our destination, and Troy stopped and showed me how to properly build a gas bag bomb. Important farm stuff for sure. The dean of men (no joke Dick Peterson) was out walking in the morning enjoying some spiritual time - the gas bag bomb went off about 100 feet above his head. No harm but whatever few follicles on his head he had were gone. He said a couple "bad" words. That was how we knew he was nearby..... ut oh? Dick comes, Troy explains, Dick goes.... then we laugh... for at least two weeks any time someone said bag or tp, Troy and I would burst out laughing.... good times. Ostensibly my parents sent me to boarding school to increase my spiritual nature. Never did tell them that I help Dick gain his too...

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

No, not a career ender. Boomer went on to other types of experiments tho...

And near is a relative term here. Out in a large field with nothing close by, say within a half mile, then a couple of hundred feet, you probably just need earplugs. However, if there's solid walls or some such to reflect the pressure waves off of, and stuff that might be a little bit breakable, get away.

Don't do it between 2 buildings with lots of windows, like old factory buildings. Unless the windows are already pretty much gone... don't ask!

[SuperBuickGuy]

and you seriously don't want to be anywhere near it when the toilet paper fuse lights the garbage bag....

[SuperBuickGuy]

Okay so none of us excelled in reading comprehension, whadda ya want from a bunch of gearheads? And yes, if you want all new stuff, and you're properly insured. Otherwise fix any and all propane leaks and store the acetylene in a well ventilated place away from anything that you don't want flambeyed...

Except on the 4th of July. Then fill a garbage can with it, put the lid on and light that thing off. But remember to cover your good eye!

four items... much fun

Acetylene, garbage bags, toilet paper, flame source.

[Dan Barlow]

Actually that's the point exactly. A little background: I used to blow stuff up for a living before I met dan in Ann Arbor. Those types of tanks in good, new condition have a burst pressure somewhere way north of 440 psi. So in fact it's intended to keep the cylinder from rupturing catastrophically, which is bad. Having a venting safety valve with a jet of burning gas is much safer, if still bad. The most dangerous gas is acetylene, which likes to get to a lower energy level at ANY concentration above 3% in air at atmospheric pressures, including 100%, in a hurry. In comparison, propane is a nice gas, acetylene no.

And we all have done the acetylene in the... (pick the one that you did), and lit it off. Just ask Boomer, real name Mike Rosenfeld a colleague of mine back in those halcyon days at the research firm. He did over $100,000 worth of damage to the facility and a small town up the road from the resulting pressure wave doing an experiment with acetylene...

Was that a career ender ?

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

so you're saying I should run my forklift on acetylene. THANKS!!!!!!


now funness aside.
Let's go back to why I was changing it. It was leaking. It wasn't doing its safety function, it was filling my shop with propane. Which, I think we all can agree, is not optimal. So the 'safety' feature actually made my shop less safe. Would it help if I stored my acetylene next to my forklift from hereon out?

Okay so none of us excelled in reading comprehension, whadda ya want from a bunch of gearheads? And yes, if you want all new stuff, and you're properly insured. Otherwise fix any and all propane leaks and store the acetylene in a well ventilated place away from anything that you don't want flambeyed...

Except on the 4th of July. Then fill a garbage can with it, put the lid on and light that thing off. But remember to cover your good eye!

[SuperBuickGuy]

Actually that's the point exactly. A little background: I used to blow stuff up for a living before I met dan in Ann Arbor. Those types of tanks in good, new condition have a burst pressure somewhere way north of 440 psi. So in fact it's intended to keep the cylinder from rupturing catastrophically, which is bad. Having a venting safety valve with a jet of burning gas is much safer, if still bad. The most dangerous gas is acetylene, which likes to get to a lower energy level at ANY concentration above 3% in air at atmospheric pressures, including 100%, in a hurry. In comparison, propane is a nice gas, acetylene no.

And we all have done the acetylene in the... (pick the one that you did), and lit it off. Just ask Boomer, real name Mike Rosenfeld a colleague of mine back in those halcyon days at the research firm. He did over $100,000 worth of damage to the facility and a small town up the road from the resulting pressure wave doing an experiment with acetylene...

so you're saying I should run my forklift on acetylene. THANKS!!!!!!


now funness aside.
Let's go back to why I was changing it. It was leaking. It wasn't doing its safety function, it was filling my shop with propane. Which, I think we all can agree, is not optimal. So the 'safety' feature actually made my shop less safe. Would it help if I stored my acetylene next to my forklift from hereon out?

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

by the time the expansion valve opens the tank is to 440 psi, I think you likely have not even seconds before the tank blows.

Actually that's the point exactly. A little background: I used to blow stuff up for a living before I met dan in Ann Arbor. Those types of tanks in good, new condition have a burst pressure somewhere way north of 440 psi. So in fact it's intended to keep the cylinder from rupturing catastrophically, which is bad. Having a venting safety valve with a jet of burning gas is much safer, if still bad. The most dangerous gas is acetylene, which likes to get to a lower energy level at ANY concentration above 3% in air at atmospheric pressures, including 100%, in a hurry. In comparison, propane is a nice gas, acetylene no.

And we all have done the acetylene in the... (pick the one that you did), and lit it off. Just ask Boomer, real name Mike Rosenfeld a colleague of mine back in those halcyon days at the research firm. He did over $100,000 worth of damage to the facility and a small town up the road from the resulting pressure wave doing an experiment with acetylene...

[SuperBuickGuy]

Not sure I follow. Fire can be put out. Bombs are harder to put back in the pipe.

by the time the expansion valve opens the tank is to 440 psi, I think you likely have not even seconds before the tank blows.

[Russell]

so you think it's like a smoke alarm, if it's going off - get away?

Not sure I follow. Fire can be put out. Bombs are harder to put back in the pipe.

[SuperBuickGuy]

There you go thinking about yourself again (I know I think about me first) your already dead it's for someone trying to put out the fire?

so you think it's like a smoke alarm, if it's going off - get away?

[Russell]

It's pretty much a lateral move - you can't get double deaded.

we wouldn't want you to burn to death without the ability to simultaneously scatter your ashes.

There you go thinking about yourself again (I know I think about me first) your already dead it's for someone trying to put out the fire?

[SuperBuickGuy]

Because what's worse than a fire? A fire and an explosion!

It's pretty much a lateral move - you can't get double deaded.

we wouldn't want you to burn to death without the ability to simultaneously scatter your ashes.