09-29-2020, 07:47 AM
I had an uncle who worked at a steel mill in Youngstown, OH. They wore thermal underwear year round to help keep cool. He was working as a furnace inspector and standing nest to an open inspection hatch the size of a man door when there was an explosion inside the furnace. Unfortunately for him he was wearing polyester thermal underwear. He caught on fire and was burnt 50% 2nd degree and 50% 3rd degree. By all rights he should have died, but lived. Multiple months and surgeries he finally was discharged from the hospital looking like a patchwork quilt from all the skin grafts. His survival was so far off the chart his case was written up and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Yes aluminum pours at about one-half the temp of steel. but as we have been saying take safety precautions very seriously.
The worst incident I had teaching foundry was when a student accidentally added some magnesium scrap to a hot crucible. It set off a Class 4 fire (metal fire) and it looked like a large Roman candle coming out of the furnace. I suited up, grabbed a one man shank and took the crucible outside so it could burn out.
None of this prevented me from foundry work. I find it quite enjoyable even with the risks taken.
Yes aluminum pours at about one-half the temp of steel. but as we have been saying take safety precautions very seriously.
The worst incident I had teaching foundry was when a student accidentally added some magnesium scrap to a hot crucible. It set off a Class 4 fire (metal fire) and it looked like a large Roman candle coming out of the furnace. I suited up, grabbed a one man shank and took the crucible outside so it could burn out.
None of this prevented me from foundry work. I find it quite enjoyable even with the risks taken.