I had turned off the propane at the forge while doing some prep work for the next step of my project when I heard a pop and a hiss. The hose that I had made up at the local propane shop had seperated. Lessons learned: I'm too old to run that fast....I'll never do business with that company again....I'm buying a braided manufactured hose Monday....and that's why I have fire sprinklers.... But if the forge had been burning or even if it was still red hot, I probably wouldn't be sending this post. The real epiphany, "HE" decided not to call me home today.

Yep, going to have a real thanksgiving day !!

Keith

Praise the Lord.

Glad you are OK :D It looks like the ferule was not crimped. I have my own crimper to avoid issues such as this.

Looks like the ferrule was not crimped to me as well. I would take it back to the shop that made it, and ask for money back. Plus they need to know.

wow, I would be upset. yup, that's not much of a crimp

Dear Terr,

That is seriously scary. Did you head out the door or to the bottle to shut it off?

This sort of thing is why my propane forge is my secondary forge and why I do most of my work on my coal/coke forge which doesn't have the potential for blowing up me and the entire shop. Also, when I turn off my propane forge I always close the tank valve first and then the forge valve.

I agree that you should demand your money back no matter how old it is. That is a fundamental manufacturing flaw that is not obvious or even visible to the user.

I don't have to wish you a happy Thanksgiving. You've already had yours.

Combustibly,
George M.

One of my many tasks here at school is maintenance and repair of the equipment. You can purchase a kit with terminals, ferrules and specialty swage pliers for less than you can get a hat full of connections made up.

Another good Idea for propane forge saftey

I have on/off GAS ! valve @ the tank befor the regulator the valve is a ball type made for gas 1/4turn of valve gas line is off @ the sorce - I also have a ball valve @ forge for adjustment -- regulator @ tank after the valve - line/hose to forge is made for gas

ALSO there's a spray bottle of soapy water to CK for any leaks --- I DO this offen !!! all lines get leak ck atleast every 90 days or so -- ac/ox - propane - argon - helium co2
when I change out an empty tank its ck for leaks @ the valve ! ----tank valves leak more offen than you would think !!!
AC T tops are the worst for small leaks -- if valve leaks PAINT on tank LEAKS & return to filler they don't like the paint job but its stops them from putting it back in stock to sell to the next guy hopefully :huh:

I posted earlier about how a bad crimp on a propane hose almost ended in a disaster.  When I went to another vendor to replace the hose, I told them about the shoddy work their competitor had done.  So they made up a 4' hose and gave it me for free.   I thought that was awful nice and thanked everyone in the office. Several days later, I went back to get two tanks filled and the guy tells me there's no charge.  Not wanting to get anyone in trouble, I asked him why.  He saw from my shirt that I worked for "Rural/Metro Fire Dept".  (I'm a diesel mechanic-not a fire fighter)  Not being the smartest guy around, I asked why that mattered..  The guy looks at me and says "Well who else is going put the fire if this place goes up in flames."  Duh....I guess you can get lucky twice in a row

You know, I do my level best to not watch the daily news, because I just can't take all the bad stuff they try to promote. I try to live my life like you just descibed, it's a small town, be true to your craft, give an honest guy a break, and it comes around.. I broke an axle in 2 foot of snow 130 miles from town where the buzzards use GPS to get around. We stood there for 10 minutes, wondering where to find some dry firewood, when one of my old customers drove past, saw my pickup. End of the adventure, but that's not a bad thing. Carry on. 

Life is an adventure, eh Mike?

Now forge them something nice and take it back.  You may even get referrals.

Dear All,

 

I'm not sure of the law in Arizona but in some states firefighters, police officers, etc. have to be careful about accepting "gratutities" beyond those of "nominal value."  While a firefighter is less likely to be perceived as giving preferential treatment because of prior "favors" it is sometimes still illegal.  Here in Colorado a public employee, including volunteers, can only accept up to about $50 in gifts fron non-relatives/friends each year.  I tend to pay for my own meals at various functions just to avoid having to keep track.

 

I know that everyone's heart is good in most of these situations but sometimes the laws are stricter than you would think.  Territorial, I suggest that you check with your Chief to see if there might be a problem.

 

As in many things in this life, it is the appearance that matters, not the reality.

 

Gratuiously,

George M.

George, I strongly agree with all that you said.  I retired from federal law enforcement and I wouldn't even accept a free cup of coffee.  Sometimes things like that can insult the giver in which case  I would leave a nice tip that would cover the value of what was given.  In this case, the fire dept is a contract provider and not a gov entity and as you suggested, I've since confirmed that this practice with this contractor is acceptable.  I'm planning an a large donut donation next time...probable will include some sprinkles, bear claws, creamed filled.....I'm guessing that they may get shorted by a few

Dear Terr,

 

Don't forget cream filled pastries and a few plain for those who need to limit their sweet intake.

 

And don't make sure that they are all OK by sampling them all. ;-)

 

Carbo loading,

George M.