Litchenberg Wood Burning - dangerous

[Random Orbital Bob]

Personally....I'll take old age any day!

 

[Keith 66]

I had a look on you tube, hundreds of videos showing how to do it & some dreadful looking set ups. Sorry but playing with home made lash ups & high voltages equals a darwin award.

 

[AJB Temple]

I agree ^^ promoting this on you tube etc is very unwise. It does not take much of an oversight or accident to cause death, over something where safe and inexpensive alternatives are available.

 

[bugbear]

Funny frequencies and Kv voltages take you to a place where your intuition is useless, and only specific knowledge and/or training will serve.

BugBear

 

[morturn]

I have to say that I too find this ‘You Tube’ celebrity culture of dismantling’s like microwave ovens and messing around with uber capacitors a little concerning.

High voltage electoral work is a highly sophisticated subject that requires a lot of sill and knowledge to avoid serious injury or death. 17 people died in 2015 with 350 serious injuries.

These celebrities on You Tube are these to make money at the expense of making a potently dangerous activity look simple. Just twisting bit of wire, transformers and jump leads together is not a good way to go. Electrical injuries can be incredibly debilitating and life changing.

 

[transatlantic]

at least he died doing something he loves, there is no better way to die

I would have thought it was a pretty painful way to go

 

[WoodMangler]

at least he died doing something he loves, there is no better way to die

But the thing i love is living...

 

[treeturner123]

Hi

I see that the AWGB have been quick to draw up a document on this. Quite right; in my view, electricity and petrol are two of the most dangerous things for an amateur to mess about with. The main difference is that at least you can smell one of then BEFORE you die rather than AS you die!!

I completely agree with WoodMangler, I prefer living to dying no matter what I am doing when I die!

Phil

 

[pollys13]

Very sad story and a warning to anyone who might be trying the same thing. As I say, so sad only 43 and two young children.
Its the volts that jolts but the mills that kill.

 

[rafezetter]

I have to say that I too find this ‘You Tube’ celebrity culture of dismantling’s like microwave ovens and messing around with uber capacitors a little concerning.

High voltage electoral work is a highly sophisticated subject that requires a lot of sill and knowledge to avoid serious injury or death. 17 people died in 2015 with 350 serious injuries.

These celebrities on You Tube are these to make money at the expense of making a potently dangerous activity look simple. Just twisting bit of wire, transformers and jump leads together is not a good way to go. Electrical injuries can be incredibly debilitating and life changing.

To be fair most of the "celebrities" on youtube, the ones with proper channels and such don't do this sort of thing. (although Jimmy D, did cut his pinky off !!) Almost all of the youtube "makers" who've got a large following all stress safety and such. It's the backyard hackers that mostly promote it in ways that are not safe.

 

[NazNomad]

at least he died doing something he loves, there is no better way to die

But the thing i love is living...

Pretty sure that living will get you eventually, if you do it for long enough. :-D

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

at least he died doing something he loves, there is no better way to die

But the thing i love is living...

Pretty sure that living will get you eventually, if you do it for long enough. :-D

I'm really not sure what's being advocated here? Are we saying it's OK to simply "die" if you're indulging yourself in a hobby you love, but that because information is available that allows you to do that with pretty much Neanderthal irreverence towards intelligent understanding of the risks....then just "go ahead anyway"?

I'm flabbergasted by the way in which this event gets treated in the minds of some. The bottom line here (for me) is that some hapless fool has gone on to Youtube and discovered a technique for creating "pretty" patterns in wood and it's cost his life and probably the psychological balance of his children and possibly his wife and we have the staggering ignorance to label that as "he was doing something he loves". As if the consequences of his actions have no meaning or significance!

Just for the record to all people who still hold some semblance of rationality and respect for other human beings and life itself......this story is tragic beyond words. The depth to which this man made folly is so unfathomable that I don't even know where to begin. The predicament in which his children remain will doubtless be trauma of unimaginable proportions and to make it the subject of humour is to demonstrate a sensitivity bypass that leaves me circling back to the comments about this forum dumming down to populist culture.

So for future readers of this thread...what the intelligent amongst you might wish to take away......just don't try this technique. Don't consult a qualified electrician and then try it either, they're not trained in converting Microwave oven electrical motors to make "lightning" jump across pieces of wood soaked in electrical conductors! If you try this technique then be fully cognisant of the fact that you have failed (miserably) to show any respect whatsoever for both yourself and your loved ones but are too arrogant or too stupid to realise it!

 

[NazNomad]

I was merely stating that if you live long enough, you'll eventually die.

Nothing to do with Darwin and his award winning advocates.

 

[WoodMangler]

I was merely stating that if you live long enough, you'll eventually die. Nothing to do with Darwin and his award winning advocates.

Life is a sexually-transmitted disease which is invariably fatal...

 

[monkeybiter]

I was merely stating that if you live long enough, you'll eventually die. Nothing to do with Darwin and his award winning advocates.

Life is a sexually-transmitted disease which is invariably fatal...

Thankfully.

 

[stuartpaul]

..... Just for the record to all people who still hold some semblance of rationality and respect for other human beings and life itself......this story is tragic beyond words. The depth to which this man made folly is so unfathomable that I don't even know where to begin. The predicament in which his children remain will doubtless be trauma of unimaginable proportions and to make it the subject of humour is to demonstrate a sensitivity bypass that leaves me circling back to the comments about this forum dumming down to populist culture......

Whilst it is without doubt a tragedy for wife/children I think you'll find there are a number of people who will find humour in almost anything (me amongst them). This stems (mostly) from our own life experiences and has nothing at all to do with a sensitivity bypass.

 

[NazNomad]

... there are a number of people who will find humour in almost anything (me amongst them).

... and me.

Plus I have a total lack of empathy for complete strangers with no brain cells.

 

[RogerS]

Would I be safe if I used push-sticks ? :wink:

 

[RobinBHM]

Would I be safe if I used push-sticks ?

It depends, are they finished with linseed paint?

 

[Jonzjob]

I'm sure this can be done quite safely, and without being 40m or even 6 feet away from it. Electricity needs a few kV per mm to arc through air - you just need adequate insulation and to be sure you're not touching anything. Or tempted to touch anything, eg catch something if it falls. But yes, if in any doubt at all about it, I'd find another way of decorating your wood ![/quote]

Ah![/quote]

I haven't been bothered to read all of this thread. It's too late in the eve for that, but I am quite happy to stick with my wood burning and the patterns that result. But then my pyrography pen only needs 2 volts! Not too death defying.

That's got to come under the same heading as a forum friend who decided that it would be interesiting to try using his chain saw with the lathe to do some turning. I warned him that it was a real . idea, but he went ahead and frightened the hell out of himself! He only tried it once.