Burns..

[Ice Czar]

2nd week as an apprentice I'm chiseling and twisting 40" long 5\8th inch square the middle is heated to a bright orange (only about 9" is finally twisted) withdrawing a piece from the forge (which has a small window front and back) I catch my glove on fire grabbing the far end of the stock got it a little too close to the forge port

I find this rather distracting and while bobbling the bar I loose control of it the heated section bounces off my stomach producing a nice smiley face in my (thankfully) cotton t-shirt and a flash burn that has yet to fade wasnt really a bad burn but it is the most noticable

the other day chiseling 1" stock (for the 1st time) with an air hammer, I burned my knuckle through the glove with my hand over 6" away from the stock, there is that much more thermal mass involved had to wrap an extra glove around that hand as a shield to finish that burn was more annoying, you notice it every time you put on a glove

[ApprenticeMan]

Originally Posted by RainsFire

Ya, so I couldn't find a thread anywhere on here where The topic of Burns was brought up, and in the middle of swearing off one of my best, I thought it'd be kinda "cool" to hear some good ole' burn stories..


Personally I'm somewhat used to super heated gloves, burning slag, and speeding sparks, but every once in a while I get hit with a sweet one.. Today I did a dumb thing, and used the wrong tongs to hold my work in progress sen.. The yellow hot glob of metal flipped up and melted off my right hand pinky side palm.. kinda deep but I didn't feel it.. The scent and look of it was what was nasty..plus its starting to hurt now a little

alright guys, shoot!!

Sounds like you are working your steel too hot.

[Glenn]

Ice Czar, if it gets hot, turn it loose.

You do not need to hold on to the metal while it is being heated. Tongs are usually long enough to keep you away from the heat while handling the metal. But you may be surprised how much heat and how far the heat travels up the metal. It can be controlled by simply putting a shield up to deflect the heat. This stops the hot air from blowing along the metal heating it up in gassers. In solid fuel forges, it blocks the flame from contacting the metal outside the fire ball in the forge.

How far and how much heat travels up the metal depends on the size and shape of the forge. I have a forge that is 4 inches diameter and about as deep that will heat up a piece of 1/4 x 1-1/4 flat bar about 6 inches. You can easily hand hold a section only 18 inches long. The other forge is 13 inches diameter and with the same size and length stock, by the time you get to the same temperature on the hot end, you can not hold the "other" end by hand. Yep was a surprise to me too !! It did not take me long to look at a hot piece of steel (grin).

[Ice Czar]

howdy Glenn

great advise, but those lessons where learned the first day, pain is a great teacher
started my apprenticeship making 1000 x 4" wide penny scrolls

that one inch stock that bit me through my glove was already in the jig Id made to hold it while it was being chiseled, it was the radiative energy that got me in that case, was so xxxx used to chiseling the 5\8 inch stuff somewhere near four times the thermal mass radiating energy. Raised a pea size blister right on my knuckle from 6" away

we have two forges, both are propane one short and wide for large scroll work, one breadbox like with a small port front and back for heating the middle (also has a side door).

Ill be working with an open hearth charcoal\coal forge here soon at home
which Im sure will be much different

[fat pete]

Well I have only been at this hammerin thing for about 6 months...knock on wood no injuries, ah a few little scraps but no burns...untill today, lol not big oneS but brands none the less....1 on my little finger, 1 across the back same hand and 1 on the side of my wrist same hand just down from the little finger...each from a different occurance, all in the last 2 days...but all are brands...
I guess I will call it a day

[primtechsmith]

Right inner forearm....Mike had me practicing using jigs and long heats to make big s hooks out of bar stock. Also a good lesson in drawing out a taper on bar stock.....anyways. The piece was NOT hot enough and I slapped it in the jig and went to bending.....well she jumped out of that jig and into my forearm.

I pulled out the bar stock....it kinda sunk in a little.......I then looked over at Mike and he reacted just like I thought he would: With a smile and "Not enough heat. Saw that right off."

Later that night I dug around it with my pocket knife to try and facilitate the natural wonders of healing by letting it bleed and scab over to fill in the "dent" left behind. It never bled when it happened, guess it cauterized itself.

That was a good one...wasn't as bad as it sounds...but it was deep and hurt. Makes a cool story now though when someone notices the scar.

I am also always burning Mike......he asks to see something I am working on so I just hand it to him....hot(black heat).......I am just a good apprentice doing what I am told. Nevermind the fact I have a welding glove on and am handing him the hot end.....


Peyton

[coltpax]

I/ve had a couple burns, but never been to the hospital/doctor for them. I have two tied for my worst though. Recently, i was working on a piece of .5 in. bar stock, and dropped it into my shoe after pulling it out of the forge. Big burn on my left foot, left a nice scar though. My other was just when i started blacksmithing, pulled away a piece of metal, and had red coal fall out of the tongs. Stupid me, not thinking, went to catch it between the anvil stand with my leg. About 5mm deep and 3 in. square.

[racer3j]

I've already used up all of my fire stories. But, when they is you a burnin'-you don't forget.mike

[ironrosefarms]

I was volunteering in a pioneer village and had my fair share of minor burns... Then the village organization thought it a good idea to allow a bunch of kids to join us in the shop. The shop was already over crowded but we was told that they still wanted the more experienced guys in the shop as well. So the first time a hot mild steel knife wantabee came around and caught my reenactment shirt on fire and putting that cool white ashy line on my skin from the metal I wrote it off and went back to work (not happy but still went back to work). Not more than an hour later another kid did the same thing to me. The best part was the village organization people couldn't understand why I was upset and packing my stuff. That was my last day there.

[JosephPrivott]

In a similar tale, I knew a director of a museum that was smithing and hurt himself. he was working on a knife, and was notorious (to me) for using the wrong tool. Had a pair of button tongs squeezing a tang while he was hitting it. *smack smack smack smack* and the blade worked itself out, flew up, and caught him in the face. left a scar across his bridge, burned his cornea. Unfortunately his lack of judgement now means that everyone who works in the shop must wear safety glasses (18-19th century period shop)