Dangerous leafsprings?

[Kael]

Heh, I'll have to remember not to mess with the springs.

Anyway, thanks again to all of your mput, everyone. Rest assured that I will use all necessary PPE and work in a well-ventilated area(namely, under a canopy in my backyard).

Also, if anyone knows of a blacksmith in need of an apprentice in the Southeastern Massachusetts area, could you refer me to them?

[nhblacksmith]

"Mark's PPE lineup is good though I have a couple things to add. Wool is a good natural fiber, it's really HARD to get burning and the smell is something you are not going to miss."

Cotton is a much better choice than wool. Wool, like synthetics and plastics gives off hydrogen cyanide when it burns or smolders so if you smell it burning, you are breathing hydrogen cyanide. In the days before fire departments required air packs for building entry, it killed a lot of firefighters and even now is thought to be responsible for heart attack-like symptoms in some firefighters during the overhaul phase when the fire has been nearly extinguished and breathing apparatus is taken off.

In open air or very small quantities it may not be a problem but you should be aware of the danger.

[Frosty]

Granted, burning wool and cyanide are bad for you but it's the concentration that really makes the difference. You have to ignore a pretty hefty stink to get even a noxious dose. On the other hand, entering a burning building where smoke levels are high, they tend to mask dangerous levels of toxic smoke of all kinds. Modern fire fighters suffer from smoke inhalation and dangerous levels of toxins in their systems. Old time fire fighters had much lower life expectancies for the same reasons.

Heck, Spreading wool blankets and fleeces over fires was an early method of chemical warfare. Biblical I think but I read that a long time ago so . . .

Anywho, the reason I allow wool is for it's relatively non-flamable character and the really strong stench as soon as any get's smoldering.

Frosty the Lucky.