[TheForge] Teaching blacksmithing and insurance

[Bruce Freeman]

Andy,
 
A VERY bad thought.
 
Water seems so innocent.  But just hold your hand in the steam from a
tea kettle and see how innocent steam is.
 
Water CAN be heated in a container until the pressure of the steam
exceeds the strength of the container.  If the container has no real
strength, like a pot with a loose lid, then the temperature won't exceed
212F.  If the container is strong, then the temperature will increase
above this until bursting strength is reached.  At that point you have a
steam explosion.  Much of the water is converted instantly to steam,
producing a blast and filling the area with 212F steam.
 
Steam explosions are devastating.  Absolute killers.  Not only do you
get the blast and shrapnel, but the air becomes filled with steam that
will cook you, and, if  you happen to inhale it, your lungs.  Cooked
lungs do very poorly at absorbing oxygen from the air.  Or flexing,
even.  Not to mention that it probably hurts a bit while your lungs are
being cooked.  Or that if you only cook your lungs, say, 10%, you die in
agony from what amounts to being pneumonia.
 
Now I know a lot of you are into things that go "bang", but iIf any of
you decide to try this, please do so when I'm not visiting you.
 
Bruce
NJ

>>> osan@netlabs.net 12/8/2003 10:23:00 PM >>>



Michael Horgan wrote:
> 
> Nope, won't work, Pete.  With water in it the max temp will be 212
degrees,
> or 100C.  Possibly  this would work just fine with air pressure,
though I
> just  feel that  a pressure vessel  filled with air makes a nice
> bomb.  Might try blowing it up with water, empty and spot anneal with
a
> torch,and then refill it  and pump it up again.

    How about this: weld halves together such that there is some
    cavity.  Fill with water, weld shut, find place to peck-drill
    a failure point in some unobtrusive spot and toss into the
    forge.  The steam pressure should be more than enough to expand
    the form and pop the weak point before blowing up in any
    dangerous fashion.

    Just a thought.
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