Cutting Safety

[zout]

Things happen when you least expect them and you think you are fully covered for anything that could rear its ugly head at you - but something always comes out to bite you and make you realize your not as smart as you think.


Tuesday night a fella comes over and needs a piece cut out of 1/2 inch steel to make a brace and get it all ground down like it looks like it came off a production line. I am in the process of wiring Debs jeeps before this occurs.

I wear safety steel toe boots and have no other shoes - when I die my steel toed boots will be on my feet.
So I light up the torch's and get it all laid out - I seldom brace my foot when I cut but I did this time against the leg of the table.

Cutting the second leg of the brace a huge slag dropped and richoched off the table leg and landed right behind the steel toe tip of my left boot - only noticed this once the burning started. NO you do not move or jump around because it only gets worse. First thing to pour on it was brake fluid I had there - nope ain;t gonna do that - so the fella grabbed his beer and started pouring and the slag kept going deeper (anyone know the term CHINA SYNDROME) well - that is my left food and the slag nearly went all the way through.

This was a matter of seconds.

When you think you have it all figured out - remember to do whatever you can to protect yourself from what else could happen. Just some ole timers advise. I have been doing this for years an minor burns always happen - first time for this.
​

 

[F18hornetM]

Oh man I feel your pain..I had a piece go down the back of my boot once, then when iI grabbed boot it went further..not fun for sure.

 

[dodgedougak]

Hey Zout- I feel your pain. While in tech school welding class (with all the right safety gear?) I had a big ball of slag go through the tongue area of my lace up boots. It burned a 1/2" hole about 1/2 way through my foot. The class area had a big central cooling tank and I stuck my whole foot and leg in that, it still kept burning forever. It took months to heal from the bottom up. Still have a big scar there. Almost 40 years later I still think about that each time I fire up a torch. Get well brother!

 

[Lothar]

I can relate to this one... I was doing some ironwork years ago, sitting on the edge of a beam about three or four stories up. Cutting a bracket that was in the wrong place. My pant leg had ridden up, so the top of my laceless boots made a nice funnel that directed a large piece of slag to the top of my foot. As it was melting the flesh away, I had to try to calmly remove the boot without falling. Takes a long time for a burn like that to heal, and the daily pain keeps reminding you to make sure your feet are safe before you shower them in slag.

 

[wreckerman893]

Been there.....done that....got the scars.

Burns suck.

 

[nk14zp]

I too have a burn scar on my left foot like that.

 

[RedbeardTheZombieHunter]

I too know the pain and momentary helplessness of hot slag down the boot. I worked for a carnival company in the shop as a welder/fabricator fixing all the stuff the brain-dead carnies tore up, bent or broke. Firing up the blowtorch and cutting off something that was destroyed was a daily occurance. I have my fair share of burn scars on both feet from this and learned in my time there that non-laced steel-toed boots and a pair of the mini bungee cords are the perfect preventative measure. Hook the bungee cords to the inside and outside of the hem of your jeans/workpants and pull the cord under your boot like a sturrup in front of the heel. Your pant leg will never ride up and funnel slag into your boot.

 

[doghead]

I've had a few burns from slag. Each one, I was not wearing my leathers(because it was a small task(WRONG)).

Hope you heal fast.

I bet it smelled just like the pig on the smoker... Put some Zout sauce on the burn, and continue heating to 165F for 20 hrs(or until the meat falls off the bone). Serve with slaw...

I wonder if we could do shots from the burn hole, at the next rally!

 

[mhassett]

Like Wreckerman said,
been there, done that, got the scars.
MHassett

 

[elevenbee]

Sounds like good advice-- I'll do that for the welding class I signed up for this fall. I just hope the instructor doesn't think I know what I'm doing!

 

[crazywelder72]

Been there.....done that....got the scars.

Burns suck.

Me too... This sums it up good
its always fun when a tiny spark makes it into your ear and its sizzling on wax. Or when welding overhead and the slag globs and drops into the pocket of your elbow down the cuff of your shirt sleeve.

 

[RedbeardTheZombieHunter]

Me too... This sums it up good
its always fun when a tiny spark makes it into your ear and its sizzling on wax. Or when welding overhead and the slag globs and drops into the pocket of your elbow down the cuff of your shirt sleeve.

Eww! Sizzling ear slag! Thanks for the memories! lol Makes ya wonder what good the welding mask does, don't it? lol
It's a wonder I was never accused of being a junkie for all the burns I got in the crook of my elbows!

 

[jaxsof]

We have a large horizontal milling maching at work. To go from one side to the other you walk under the machine. Youre not truely an operator untill youve gotten a red hot chip in your ear. Thats a blister/burn you remember for a good long time!

My thoughts are for you Zout, Get healed quick!

 

[oilcan]

I was sitting under a truck burning on something, when a great big hunk o' slag dropped right in my lap! It burned through my loose-fitting pants to the ground, missing my junk by millimeters.

 

[patracy]

Slag burn scar member #10 in this thread.

Well 10, 11, and 12 if we're counting each scar.

 

[cornrichard]

Slag in belly button. Not cool.

 

[Tinwoodsman]

I hope this is not like airplane crashes, in groups of three. I had a big chunk fall on the floor and I inadvertently stepped on it and it went right through the sole of my "steel toe boot" Guess I should get a some steel sole boots.

I hope Commander Warp is back in the captain's chair soon.

 

[TJP]

I will be getting a new pair of shoes to wear while working on my truck project. Thanks for the heads up.

Hope you are ok and heal well. Give Bill cook a hello from his friend in Scottsdale AZ.

TAKE CARE

 

[tigger]

All i can say ti this is OUCH!!!!!!!!!

 

[poppop]

I guess I have been lucky, been cutting for 40 years and never had anything burn through my boot. But now if you are not careful with the welding rod and it somehow swings into your leg when you lay it down now thats a different matter. It enters your leg like a hot knife in butter.

Zout I feel your pain, get well soon, you may have to come help me on the M37.