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Old 2nd Mar 2018, 9:07 pm   #61
Station X
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Default Re: Don't try this at home

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I've used the paint sprayer attachments a number of times in the past, with quite acceptable results, but always worried a bit about solvent-laden air being drawn in and past the commutator...
The one I used blew air across the end of a small tube that dipped into the paint and thereby sucked it out. But it didn't come into contact with the commutator, it just blew out the end of the above tube.
Sometimes called an air brush.
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Old 3rd Mar 2018, 9:41 am   #62
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Default Re: Don't try this at home

I have never attempted to boil an egg in this early 1920's 'Premier' [Hotpoint] kettle but I'm sure it would be possible.

You just have to make sure the crocodile clips don't short out while your fiddling with it.

We were a tough lot back then. John.
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Old 3rd Mar 2018, 9:47 am   #63
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Default Re: Don't try this at home

GEC used to make a 33kV OCB (JB 424) at Traffford Park in Manchester that consisted of a large steel domed ended tank within which the CB assembly would be inserted. They once had an order for a large number of them from Nigeria back in the 80s. Several months later they found out that they were being used as large cooking utensils in certain villages. If I recall, they were about £9k at the time?
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Old 3rd Mar 2018, 9:54 am   #64
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Default Re: Don't try this at home

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Talking of bed warmers...
Someone donated an electric bed warmer to the museum where I work as a volunteer. The Curator nearly had a fit! Two bare wirewound elements on asbestos formers, encased inside a beautifully-moulded cylindrical Bakelite casing. The case can be unscrewed by hand to reveal the live parts. Two-core flex of course. If the electric shock didn't get you straight away, the asbestos would get you thirty years later.

It beggars belief nowadays that any manufacturer could place anything so dangerous on the market, but perhaps in the 1930s it was accepted that no user would ever do anything so stupid as to unscrew the case whilst the heater was plugged in. Today, we know different!
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Old 3rd Mar 2018, 10:59 am   #65
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Default Re: Don't try this at home

A few years ago whilst working in the Middle East I came across a couple of students who were using a couple of bean tin lids each with a wire soldered to it. Each of the lids was nailed to a small wooden block as a separator. The wires were then connected to the mains and the whole lot immersed in water contained in an aluminium jug. Made a nice cup of tea but required a steady hand!

I also came across suicide showers whilst staying in South America. Electrical safety does not seem to be an issue there and they work OK.
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Old 3rd Mar 2018, 11:47 am   #66
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Default Re: Don't try this at home

Whilst going through my apprenticeship the senior engineer in charge recalled a time he went out on the road with one of the field engineers, circa mid-70's.

In the field engineers car, he had a pack of low value, high(ish) wattage resistors. He also had a push-switch on the steering column & two wires running up the windscreen A-post terminated with croc-clips, with a resistor hanging from said croc-clips, about midway over the door.

The field engineer was a smoker, & yes, pressing the button until the resistor 'glowed' he would then light his cigarette. When the resistor eventually went O/C, he'd simply clip a new one in place of the failed one!

The ratio of ciggies consumed vs resistors, was an unknown!

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Old 3rd Mar 2018, 12:02 pm   #67
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Default Re: Don't try this at home

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Originally Posted by Phil G4SPZ View Post
Someone donated an electric bed warmer to the museum where I work as a volunteer. The Curator nearly had a fit! Two bare wirewound elements on asbestos formers, encased inside a beautifully-moulded cylindrical Bakelite casing. The case can be unscrewed by hand to reveal the live parts. Two-core flex of course. If the electric shock didn't get you straight away, the asbestos would get you thirty years later.
Well, the dangers of asbestos were not known then. The manufacturer used a material with zero flammability and superb temperature performance. I'd say they did a reputable job.

As for shock - Bakelite casing, well that's non-conductive anyway isn't it? But even if metal, lying in bed who would get a shock if it became live? Unless the bedstead is earth-bonded (not impossible I suppose).

However, the unscrewability without a tool is a bit of a worry, people do strange things when semi-conscious!
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Old 3rd Mar 2018, 12:11 pm   #68
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Default Re: Don't try this at home

Back in the 80s, the company transit van i used had my own modification to the screen wash system for winter.
I booked a reel of small 7 strand from stores and unwound quite a length, dumping about 75% in the screen wash bottle and the rest wrapped around all the screenwash pipes up to the jets. This was then wired via a high current 12v relay straight across the battery, with a suitable fuse. The relay coil was fed via an illuminated switch on the dash.
It worked very well. In really cold weather, there was a small amount of apparent "steam" (not 100C of course) on the screen when used.
Another engineer used meths and washing up liquid. You could smell his vehicle in icy conditions!
These heath robinson ideas were because the company was not wanting you buying screenwash fluid, except at a 6000 mile service!
Then, there was the bacon in tinfoil on the exhaust manifold whilst driving between jobs. Amazed customers with my hot bacon sandwiches. I will stop as getting a bit OT now.
Rob
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Old 3rd Mar 2018, 12:18 pm   #69
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Default Re: Don't try this at home

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Another engineer used meths and washing up liquid. You could smell his vehicle in icy conditions! Rob
My old man used to do that and I have to admit, that is what is currently in my windscreen washer bottle
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Old 3rd Mar 2018, 12:44 pm   #70
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Default Re: Don't try this at home

For being dangerous look at this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwGnxB9BXK0.
Live 2Kv on bare nails and wet wood. Interesting result though

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Old 3rd Mar 2018, 3:08 pm   #71
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Default Re: Don't try this at home

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Then, there was the bacon in tinfoil on the exhaust manifold whilst driving between jobs. Amazed customers with my hot bacon sandwiches. I will stop as getting a bit OT now.
Rob
I remember in One The Buses Stan & Jack once heated up some fish & chips on the bus's engine, & once forgot so the newspaper was nearly on fire when they got back to the depot!
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Old 3rd Mar 2018, 3:23 pm   #72
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Default Re: Don't try this at home

Asbestos bed warmers sound better than our Dreamland electric over blanket. I threw it away, only a year or two old, because we could feel a tingle when touching each other in bed.

NO Smutty comments please, there are minors on line.
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Old 3rd Mar 2018, 3:30 pm   #73
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Default Re: Don't try this at home

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Asbestos bed warmers sound better than our Dreamland electric over blanket. I threw it away, only a year or two old, because we could feel a tingle when touching each other in bed.

NO Smutty comments please, there are minors on line.
We had one like that, I think it was a Dreamland as well.
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Old 3rd Mar 2018, 4:25 pm   #74
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Default Re: Don't try this at home

Quote:
Originally Posted by laceholes View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by dseymo1 View Post
I've used the paint sprayer attachments a number of times in the past, with quite acceptable results, but always worried a bit about solvent-laden air being drawn in and past the commutator...
The one I used blew air across the end of a small tube that dipped into the paint and thereby sucked it out. But it didn't come into contact with the commutator, it just blew out the end of the above tube.
I was thinking of the induction air feeding the vacuum cleaner. As the hose is fairly short, the cleaner usually needs to be in the same room.
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Old 3rd Mar 2018, 6:12 pm   #75
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Default Re: Don't try this at home

When cutting loose with a proper compressor and spray gun, the air can get rathe thick with thinners (mask collecting paint overspray) and there's the pressure control switch stopping and starting the motor... its contacts in the same atmosphere... I've never heard of anyone going up in a blaze of glory.

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Old 3rd Mar 2018, 6:33 pm   #76
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Default Re: Don't try this at home

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but always worried a bit about solvent-laden air being drawn in and past the commutator...
In the early 70's in the lab at HP (Owen L?), someone had a newspaper cutting from the Western News of a chap who'd used a Hoover Constellation cleaner to try to vac some grit out of the bottom of the petrol tank of his car. It was described as 'shimmering around the garage on a sheet of flame'but the real disaster came when it collided with an open container holding the drained petrol. The descriptions have stuck in my mind for 45 years.

A constellation! of all the vacs!

David
I would've loved to see that one. We had a Hoover Constellation and we used to play with it, tugging it around the carpeted floor by the flex. It would only float on carpet and not on lino or concrete.
Using the petrol fumes, it was like jet propulsion.
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Old 3rd Mar 2018, 8:29 pm   #77
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Default Re: Don't try this at home

I had a carpet cleaner that bit the dust (although repair was possibly an option) that i decided to use when I needed to siphon some fuel out of my bike, using it just to start the process not to suck up all the petrol. Very quickly fire emanated from the back of said cleaner and a lot of water was needed to put it out (there would have been at most a few ML if that in the system so using water on a flammable liquid/gas was not a problem.

Luckily it was a freebee (albeit a decent/expensive 00's cleanfix model) that had only cost me the price of 2 switches so no money lost.

I don't think I a stupid enough to let new George meet the same fate so that should last a bit longer

Also, and this must be getting a bit repetitive but my Gran also has one of those metal saucer lightbulb powered bed warmers, although I think hers might be earthed, luckily it's never used.
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Old 3rd Mar 2018, 9:13 pm   #78
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Default Re: Don't try this at home

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It was quite normal at one time for people in bedsits to make toast on electric fires, using a metal toasting fork to hold the bread.
My father has often recounted the tale of a secretary who used to turn such a fire on its back during lunchtimes and fry an egg.
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Old 4th Mar 2018, 12:36 am   #79
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Default Re: Don't try this at home

Up to 25% meths is ok as an antifreeze solution for screenwash but some brands have an additive to discourage alcoholics, and this additive absolutely STINKS. If you think meths stinks this stuff is something else. I sniff before buying (even if i get funny looks)

I cannot endorse washing up liquid in screenwash as when all said and done it does contain salt, and is slightly abrasive. My sister said her 'screen was never quite the same again after using it.

I find it astonishing in this day and age that screenwash that smells of coke, orange, bubblegum, apples, etc is available, with a colour to match. Bearing in mind there is no such thing as a child proof cap, this seems like utter ambivalence to safety. (And there's us worrying about cutting the plugs off things before we sell them- for crying out loud!)

Electric blankets give me the heebie jeebies- i had one where the bond holding the element rigid within the envelope, failed, and the element drifted around and crossed over itself. I do know someone who used a filament lamp for this purpose.

Yes, it did set the bed on fire.
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Old 4th Mar 2018, 12:05 pm   #80
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Default Re: Don't try this at home

I recall a tale told to me by someone who had been an electrician by trade. He had been asked to look at an intermittent fuse-blowing problem with an old chandelier-style lantern array suspended by chains from a church roof. It had obviously been candle powered originally but had been 'converted' to electrical operation by someone who had threaded invisibly thin enamelled wire down through two of the metal chains.

The whole arrangement had then been powered from the mains for decades, as far as anyone knew.
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