Burns..

[Bob Ouellette]

I've been fairly lucky when it comes to smithing. Only a few little scale burns on my hands and some stuff coming out of the fire and landing on my lips. It looks pretty funny when you see it happen, but don't know what's going on.

The worst burn I got came from hot brass directly out of an M-16 hitting me in the neck then falling down my shirt, burning my chest and tender belly all the way down to my belt. I think you can still see a scar on my neck and a little bit of one on my chest.

[RegionalChaos]

I gave myself blisters in the pattern of rebar across the palm and fingers of one of my hands from grabbing a piece of black-hot metal when I was more of a novice. Thats probably the most painful burn I received..

[sdalcher]

Bob O. been there done that!

[jayco]

A long time ago, I heated a large bolt with a very 'rusted on' nut on it that I needed to repair a plow.

I got the bolt and nut red hot,removed the nut, and laid them both out of the way on a little table in my shop.

I then went on to some other forging task and forgot about the bolt and nut for some time.

For some unknown reason(which still confounds me to this day), I reached over and picked up that bolt with my fingers.

I carried the thread pattern of that bolt on my thumb and index finger for four or five months if I recall correctly.

I now place anything small I've been forging on in a 'safe box'.....a metal bucket,..an old skillet, etc.

I get fewer surprises and fewer burns that way.
James

[Jody]

well here's one for ya,

my worst burn was at a pizza shop i was workin in a few years ago,
I had just bought a pair of hi-tec hiking boots and was sporting them that night thank goodness... well to make a long story short , the cook was cleaning the fryers and draining the grease into a Large ten inch deep vat and he conveniently placed this vat of 350 degree grease in the middle of the walk way to the back door , which i of course felt obliged to step in ! i wound up with a blister the entire circumference of my ankle at the top of my boot, had i wore my deck shoes like i normally would have , i shutter to think the severity... but all in all a not as bad as it could have been... blister was HUGE but not a bad scar....

[Donnie]

I once took a piece from the forge, checked for straightness, only needed a slight adjustment. Then while holding one end with tongs, I grabbed the other end with a bare hand. It actually took a full second or two to feel the pain. [When you grab something barehanded and hear a hissing noise, this should be a clue]. The next 30 minutes were spent knelt at slacktub, next 30 minutes spent with hand under kitchen faucet, next couple weeks with a very sore hand.......

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by Jody

well here's one for ya,

my worst burn was at a pizza shop i was workin in a few years ago,

i wound up with a blister the entire circumference of my ankle at the top of my boot, had i wore my deck shoes like i normally would have ,

....

Okay, THAT gave me the willies!

Frosty

[Donnie]

It was not the kind of thing you will do twice.

[Wayne]

A few years back I was making a fancy candlestick involving three fire welds.
Welded the first two pieces together and put the part down on the anvil, bent down and picked up the third part then picked up the part I had just welded - that Homer Simpson moment.
Hand was a right mess for a couple of weeks, never did finish the candle stick.

[KevinD]

OK... my worst (blacksmith) burn was just an hour ago.

I reached down to pick up the channellocks that I use for tongs and grabbed the working end. I need to learn to stick those babies in the water from time to time...

The worst burn I can remember was from my childhood. You know...young enough that you can't see the top of the stove. I reached up to pull myself up to look to see what my mother was cooking and grabbed the hot eye of an electric stove.

I can still remember how much my mother cried...