[TheForge] Auto darkening helmet

[Jerry Frost]

Pete: I don't really think Phlip or I really care if it's your shirt or 
beard is burning so long as you have a video cam catching the dance. See ya 
on Youtube eh?

Silk is even hotter than wool if it's think enough a spark won't burn you 
through it. Silk stockings and a silk turtle neck make the hands down BEST 
thermal underwear. Not only is it really warm wet or dry but it won't chafe 
in the cold, breaths and feels good. Wool will indeed shield you from sparks 
and even flame if you don't leave  yourself in the fire too long. Wool ash 
is downright non-flamable.

This is the REAL downside to wearing wool as fire protection, the smoke 
contains cyanide. This was pointed out on a smithing forum yakking about 
this subject a few days ago. The upside is it takes a pretty serious 
exposure to wool or hair smoke to be hazardous unless you're sensitive and 
the smell is more than enough to clue you into taking care of the problem.

Jer
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "peter fels" <artgawk at thegrid.net>
To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, June 06, 2011 8:05 AM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Auto darkening helmet


> Wool you stop trying to pull the wool over our eyes Phlip?~
> And what about all my silk welding shirts?
> How important is it to be able to tell from the smell
> if that's my shirt or my beard burning?
>
> On Jun 5, 2011, at 9:17 PM, Saint Phlip wrote:
>
>> Among other things, wool is very reluctant to burn ;-)
>>
>> "Wool is also a protein fiber but is harder to ignite than silk as the
>> individual "hair" fibers are shorter than silk and the weave of the
>> fabrics is generally looser than with silk. The flame is steady but
>> more difficult to keep burning. The smell of burning wool is like
>> burning hair."
>>
>> Most natural fibers are pretty much self extinguishing- and with wool,
>> if you  DO catch it on fire, you can generally tell it's burning ;-)
>> Certainly,that SOMETHING is burning that shouldn't be. Very useful bit
>> of information, at times, when you're wearing this great thing allover
>> your head and peeping out through a tiny little window....
>>
>> -- 
>> Saint Phlip
>>