# Dam4 The Torpedos



## Ray C (Dec 26, 2017)

We've all been there...  Happened to me again yesterday.

It was a light lathe cut; light enough not to engage the chip breaker.  It was a finish pass and the cut was close to the jaws ...had to pay attention to the carriage release.  The chips were coming off in 1/2" long spring curls and turning blue as they few off the insert.    At the last moment, a hot chip landed in the little pocket area of my ear.   This is a dilemma we all face at one time or another.

Man or mouse.  Take the poll...

Let's hear what you should do when this happens.

Happy Upcoming New Year!

Ray C.


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## hermetic (Dec 26, 2017)

You get this with welding too! Shall I finish the bead, or investigate that ball of molten plasma that has just gone down the top of my boot!! ooooooooWWWWWWWWWWWWW!


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## Alan H. (Dec 26, 2017)

I got a bad burn recently on my foot because I thought the slag would eventually stop burning.  I should have stopped and removed my shoe.  

I regretted the poor decision to carry on because I was reminded of it daily for the 6 weeks it took for that wound to get well!   So once again, I learned that my health and safety is way more important than a piece of metal I am working.


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## Terrywerm (Dec 26, 2017)

It's simple: you only have two ears, having both comes in pretty handy at times. Risking a burn and an infection isn't worth a part that can either be saved or remade from scratch if necessary.


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## 4GSR (Dec 26, 2017)

What's worse than a chip in the ear is that one that falls down between your eye glasses and your eyebrows and eyelid!  Never thought you could dance that fast!

Don't think I've ever had a chip in the ear. In the hair, lots of times.


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## rwm (Dec 26, 2017)

This is such a common welding issue!. I use the 2 second rule. If its still burning after that I drop the torch!
Terry- Burns will heal, but a work piece will not re-make it self! 
R


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## jpfabricator (Dec 26, 2017)

A spark up the nose from a torch poping is bad. It went up deep, and felt like it cooked for an hour.
Worst part was the smell.
It took a couple of days for it to go away.

Jake Parker


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## magicniner (Dec 26, 2017)

I must be differently-able, I've never had a chip in or on my ear. ;-) 
I've had chips in my beard and on my lip, but only when I've forgotten to erect the chip screen for a chip-throwing job


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## RJSakowski (Dec 26, 2017)

At least with welding dingleberries, a rapid shaking and tilt of your head will usually dislodge the ball of molten steel.  Done quickly, you won't lose your focus on the weld bead and work goes on.  Cutting steel with a torch is where I started wearing my Levi's over my boot tops.  I still have a scar to remind me of the folly of not doing so.

With the colorful blue chips flying off the lathe, the sharp edges can dig in, making then more difficult to dislodge.  Depending on the size, I might bite the bullet and continue on but with a serious chip, I would stop.

I don't have much of a problem with chips in the ears and I wear glasses which prevent at least direct impacts with my eyes.  The ones the get me though, are the ones hitting my left hand as I manually feed the tool.  My lathes have a lighted magnifier which I will place in a strategic position to stop most of the those annoying little buggers.


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## woodchucker (Dec 26, 2017)

I had a chip go under my safety glasses,  and lodge in my eye.  It wound up hooking itself to the underneath of my eye lid. Dr had a tough time removing it.


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## Billh50 (Dec 26, 2017)

Have had a hot chip drop right into the nose piece on my glasses from above and start burning. Immediately stop the machine and threw my glasses onto the bench. And pulled the chip loose. Nose area near the eye was blistered for a week. Can always blend in the cut on the part but health is more important. Just glad it stopped against the nose piece and didn't make it to the eye.


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## Ulma Doctor (Dec 26, 2017)

the worst one i got was from flame cutting overhead.
i had all the PPE on, 
but i made the mistake of having my left, gloved, hand at my side.
a glowing dingleberry dropped into my glove, on the backside of my left hand.
i immediately flung the glove off in one motion, like a windmill karate chop,
but it was too late, i had a long strange looking scar on the  back of my hand for a decade after
now my hands just look like 4x4 roadmaps and you can't see but a few spots of the original scar.

i also had an incident with a flame rig and concrete, 
another glowing dingleberry sent some hot spalled concrete down the back of my overalls that i couldn't get off fast enough.
that was good times too. i still smell that in my sleep sometimes


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## westerner (Dec 26, 2017)

Early on in my "fabrication" schooling, (school of hard knocks, mostly), I was underneath a truck, cutting rivets off that held the crossmember. I hit the lever a little too soon, the cut plunged ALMOST all the way thru the rivet, and reversed course. The sound of boiling ear wax is etched permanently on my brain. I did not feel the two knots on my head until hours later. Got no idea how they got there.


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## kvt (Dec 26, 2017)

Still have scars on my wrist from this one   Was welding, had on jacket gloves etc,   but for some reason I had let the jacket pull up my arm and had not pulled it back down.   Had on a watch,   Some how got some hot slag or something down the back of the glove and under the watch,   I was on about a 20 foot scaffold welding roofing braces on a friends barn when this happened.   Still managed to get everything set aside and gear off in one heck of a hurry,   no longer wear a watch when doing anything like that.  Will not repeat the word said at the time.


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## T Bredehoft (Dec 26, 2017)

That reminds me...
Not my problem but I witnessed it. I was working with a small crew on a concrete pour. one of the other guys picked up the torch to cut some re-rod. (this was in the 60's before OSHA) we'd been given safety glasses, but it was our option to wear them. As he struck the light I noticed what he was doing and didn't have his glasses on. I hollered at him to put them on, and he did. He started cutting, got ahead of the burn and it backfired, cut a half a groove and shot the molten steel into his right safety glass lens. He thanked me for a couple of weeks on that one.


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## FOMOGO (Dec 26, 2017)

To many times to count. The worst was rebuilding, and reinforcing packer bodies on trash trucks back in the mid 70's. Lots of overhead welding, and cutting. Down the neck, in the boot, in the glove, in the ear, coveralls on fire, pretty much the whole enchilada. It is amazing how fast one can move when required. Mike


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## Bob Korves (Dec 27, 2017)

FOMOGO said:


> To many times to count. The worst was rebuilding, and reinforcing packer bodies on trash trucks back in the mid 70's. Lots of overhead welding, and cutting. Down the neck, in the boot, in the glove, in the ear, coveralls on fire, pretty much the whole enchilada. It is amazing how fast one can move when required. Mike


Mike, I worked for 10 years in the county equipment shop (as a parts guy, not a mechanic) and got to live all of that.  Refuse trucks that had been in the shop loaded for a couple days, maggots dropping off one after another on the floor where the guys were working, having to plate the hoppers when they were worn out, a very special smell, not to mention squirting hydraulic fluid, diesel fumes, Detroit 2 strokes getting tuned up including setting the high idle with the air boxes off.  I don't know if I lost more hearing from playing LOUD blues and rock and roll, working in equipment shops, shooting guns, or flying old taildragger aircraft with no mufflers or sound insulation.  What's that ya say?


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## hermetic (Dec 27, 2017)

I just learned another life lesson! Don't rub your eyes whilst eating Wasabi peanuts!!!!! Having said that, they have really cleared my sinuses! Merry Christmas to all!


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## Silverbullet (Dec 27, 2017)

Alan H said:


> I got a bad burn recently on my foot because I thought the slag would eventually stop burning.  I should have stopped and removed my shoe.
> 
> I regretted the poor decision to carry on because I was reminded of it daily for the 6 weeks it took for that wound to get well!   So once again, I learned that my health and safety is way more important than a piece of metal I am working.


Happens to me often. Have scars to prove it.


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## Silverbullet (Dec 27, 2017)

westerner said:


> Early on in my "fabrication" schooling, (school of hard knocks, mostly), I was underneath a truck, cutting rivets off that held the crossmember. I hit the lever a little too soon, the cut plunged ALMOST all the way thru the rivet, and reversed course. The sound of boiling ear wax is etched permanently on my brain. I did not feel the two knots on my head until hours later. Got no idea how they got there.


Hey you earned the name knothead. Good handle if you were into cb radio


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## 682bear (Dec 28, 2017)

I once had a blue chip go up my nose... and my finger wasn't long enough to reach it...

I'm sure I looked like a fool dancing a jig in the shop with my finger 2 knuckles deep in my nose...

-Bear


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## 4GSR (Dec 28, 2017)

The ice cold water from the shop water fountain help sooth the wounds of hot blue meat hook shaving burns on a 100 degree day.  My early learning experiences of yesteryear.


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## eugene13 (Dec 30, 2017)

my brother got his gold welding ring between the + of a 12 volt battery and the ground of a car, the ring practically vaporized and he nearly lost the finger, took nearly 2 months to heal up.


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## Ray C (Dec 30, 2017)

eugene13 said:


> my brother got his gold welding ring between the + of a 12 volt battery and the ground of a car, the ring practically vaporized and he nearly lost the finger, took nearly 2 months to heal up.



Ouch!   That's painful just to think about.


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## kvt (Dec 31, 2017)

Was welding on a car while stationed in England,   (young and dumb) hand on no gloves, and some how my wedding ring got welded to the rocker panel of the car Wife will not let me do things with a band on,   says she would rather i have all my fingers,  I agree that was not pleasant.   and it takes a long time to get over it.


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## Bill Gruby (Dec 31, 2017)

My Mentor used to tell me  ---- Quit the Belly Achin, blue chips ain't hot they're just HEAVY.

 "Billy G"


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