What did you learn today?

Inferno

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Today I was pondering different chemicals to use to degrease aluminum before anodizing.
I tried everything I had for solvents and detergents and couldn't get the water to stop beading.
After doing some reading, I saw Sodium Hydroxide (lye) was a common degreaser. I didn't have any. It's cheap.
What DID I have though? I had EASY OFF OVEN CLEANER. One of it's main ingredients is Lye.
It took a single spray and about 30 seconds of rubbing before the water stopped beading.

Beware of fumes and use with PLENTY of ventilation. The byproduct of lye hitting aluminum is hydrogen gas.
 
Earlier this month I learned don't do any grinding on a work bench that has old fireworks in a drawer that rats chewed up. Cause BOOM then FIRE!

Well it was actually my buddy who was doing the grinding but me & a shop neighbor were standing right there. He jumped, I ran, & so did my friend... with the grinder in hand. None of us knew what the hell had happened. I thought the grinder (old red HF) shorted & burned the cord or something. Haha, that was funny as hell!

........

Then I learned, don't go take a wee after cutting jalepenos without washing your hands first. Cause otherwise your wee wee will..... well you know, if not, refer to the result of the story above.

Well I already knew that but sometimes you don't learn the lesson the first time. ;)
 
Earlier this month I learned don't do any grinding on a work bench that has old fireworks in a drawer that rats chewed up. Cause BOOM then FIRE!

Well it was actually my buddy who was doing the grinding but me & a shop neighbor were standing right there. He jumped, I ran, & so did my friend... with the grinder in hand. None of us knew what the hell had happened. I thought the grinder (old red HF) shorted & burned the cord or something. Haha, that was funny as hell!

........

Then I learned, don't go take a wee after cutting jalepenos without washing your hands first. Cause otherwise your wee wee will..... well you know, if not, refer to the story above.

Well I already knew that but sometimes you don't learn the lesson the first time. ;)
Washing your hands, doesn't help that much, saying that from experience... :burned up:
 
Washing your hands, doesn't help that much, saying that from experience... :burned up:
I will say, that you don't even want to think about touching anything that has even come in contact with cut up ghost peppers -
Not even the towel that you used to dry, after your multiple futile attempts to wash your hands ............DAMHIKT........
 
Today I was pondering different chemicals to use to degrease aluminum before anodizing.
I tried everything I had for solvents and detergents and couldn't get the water to stop beading.
After doing some reading, I saw Sodium Hydroxide (lye) was a common degreaser. I didn't have any. It's cheap.
What DID I have though? I had EASY OFF OVEN CLEANER. One of it's main ingredients is Lye.
It took a single spray and about 30 seconds of rubbing before the water stopped beading.

Beware of fumes and use with PLENTY of ventilation. The byproduct of lye hitting aluminum is hydrogen gas.
Boiling works pretty well and is a lot easier on the lungs.

GsT
 
Then I learned, don't go take a wee after cutting jalepenos without washing your hands first. Cause otherwise your wee wee will.....
Reminds me of the time my ex wife and I harvested the hot peppers from our garden. Hours later, we were in bed “getting busy” when suddenly she started screaming “the peppers, the peppers” I had to hold her upside down in the shower for about a half hour till it stopped.
 
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It certainly does paint a picture. Mike

Reminds me of the time my ex wife and I harvested the hot peppers from our garden. Hours later, we were in bed “getting busy” when suddenly she started screaming “the peppers, the peppers” I had to hold her upside down in the shower for about a half hour till it stopped.
 
I learned in recent weeks not to use the power down feed when drilling a 1/2" hole through a 2 1/2" thick piece of aluminum, the aluminum will heat and expand, the bit will not properly evacuate the chips and the it will seize requiring the use of a pipe wrench and every word in your able seaman's dictionary to get it out; oh, and a new bearing in the top of the mill....
 
Today I learned I can still get really ****** off. My wife called while I was in town, and asked if I could get her some lettuce, I said I was already down town, and the super markets are all on the far east end of town. I was pulling a trailer and didn't want to go all the way back in rush hour traffic. She said how about the heath food store which is in old town, so I said ok. No parking on the street and only single space parking around the perimeter of the lot. So I parked in the center of the lot leaving plenty of room for everyone to get in and out. Was back out in literally two minutes, and there's some young guy standing by the rig and says you can't park there, next time I'll have you towed. I say fine. Then he says " are you listening to me, to which I reply f*** off. I turn to leave, and he says "Oh! Yeah!" I turned around and stuck my nose right in his face and replied Yeah! Where upon he skedaddled into the store. I did consider for just a second punching him in the throat, but I've spent many years trying to become a pacifist, and I'm too old and too pretty to go to jail. Mike
 
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