[TheForge] to heat treat or notto heattreat... that is my question.

[Jerry Frost]

We weren't saying you were taking unnecessary chances, this is an inherently 
dangerous craft, we were just wishing a little oil spill is the worst that 
happens.

I spent most of my life doing inherently dangerous things, Dad was a metal 
spinner and I was spinning by time I was 10, been welding and fabricating 
since I was only a little older, maybe 14. Professionally I drove wreckers 
and repaired, serviced, etc. cars, finally landed a job with AKDOT in the 
materials lab and after a couple years moved onto drilling for the geology 
section and after an official transfer spent nearly 20 years drilling 
foundations, bridges and other more technical investigations. My last 10 
years with DOT was in Highways Maintenance doing whatever was needed to keep 
the traffic moving from filling potholes, repairing guardrails, plowing 
snow, grading dirt roads, cleaning ditches, cleaning storm drains, etc. You 
get the idea. I operated most kinds of equipment you've ever seen the guys 
in orange (NO, not prisoners) doing, including leaning on a shovel handle 
watching someone else.

On to my point, I could go on for pages with specific machines and tools. 
Anyway, I had to learn at an early age to keep my eyes open, pay close 
attention to what any given machine, tool, etc. is telling me, make 
contingency plans on the fly and always map out an escape route. Well, a 
year ago Sept 28th. I was felling a tree, just one of literally thousands 
I've dropped in the past 40 years and I NEVER take falling a tree lightly. I 
don't remember falling the tree nor much for about 3 weeks afterwards. Seems 
it kicked back and nearly killed me outright and had our dogs not alerted 
Deb when it happened I'd be pushing daisies, the EMTs said I only had a few 
minutes left when they finally got me stabilized enough to strap to the 
backboard.

Oh yeah, the point, I drift easy, traumatic brain injuries will cross your 
wiring, IF you're lucky. It doesn't matter how careful or skillful you are, 
something can go wrong so fast you don't see it even as it's punching your 
ticket. This is why Pete and I wished you the fortune of a little spilled 
oil being the worst that happens.

Jer
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jason Nass" <me at wargoth.com>
To: "'Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA'" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, October 30, 2010 4:24 AM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] to heat treat or notto heattreat... that is my 
question.


> Meh, I am generally pretty safe when working... was just one of those 
> stupid
> things you do from time to time... I dropped the small container I was
> pouring from into the 5gal. bucket which at that point was about 1/4 full.
> No real harm, just made me have to steal cat litter from the cats and take 
> a
> shower that night... I guess it wasn't so bad, it was getting close to 
> time
> for my annual shower anyway.
>
> Jason Nass - MacTalis Ironworks
> me at wargoth.com
>