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Steve Conner

Mon Apr 07 2008, 02:05PM

Registered Member #30 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706

Oh well, I guess you know all about inter-winding capacitance in isolating transformers now, as well as the need for safety goggles.

Zum Beispiel

Mon Apr 07 2008, 03:27PM

Registered Member #514 Joined: Sun Feb 11 2007, 12:27AM
Location: Somewhere in Pirkanmaa, Finland
Posts: 295

We'll see how long this thread will last, but I'll post my story anyway...

I was working on a mains driven H-bridge some time last spring. It was around midnight and I was testing the bridge. I had a large-ish filter cap and no fuse since I had burned them all (

). The bridge was in front of me on the table and just as I turned to take a look at it it went BOOM, and I got chunks of blown fets in my face.

Well, I fell on my back off the chair. The fuse blew and because it took the lights with it I thought I had gone blind. It took around 30 seconds for my eyes to adapt to the dark. Boy was I relieved to find out that I could still see.

So the moral of the story is, don't look into the inverter with the remaining eye (or wear safety glasses)

teslacoolguy

Mon Apr 07 2008, 06:43PM

Registered Member #1107 Joined: Thu Nov 08 2007, 10:09PM
Location:
Posts: 792

One time i was putting in a 30 amp circut breaker and i used a screwdriver to punch out a opening for the wire and the screwdriver slipped hitting the main 200 amp buss bar and a huge bang and a bright shower of sparks shot out of the box at least 3 feet at my face luckily i was wearing safety glasses and here is a picture of the unlucky screwdriver that i did it with.

Dr. Dark Current

Mon Apr 07 2008, 06:49PM

Registered Member #152 Joined: Sun Feb 12 2006, 03:36PM
Location: Czech Rep.
Posts: 3384

Steve Conner wrote ...

I once worked as a technician at BBC Scotland, and they required you to wear glasses when soldering (either normal or safety) for this reason. They told me that they brought the regulation in after someone lost an eye when a glob of molten solder flew into it.

How often this happens to me. A blob of molten solder flies off a wire after the solder melted, and the wire "catapulted" it. I just have fast enough eye reaction every time.

To the shocking experiences: I got shocked by 230V mains several times, I would say it is nowhere near deadly... maybe this is just because my natural reaction is to "shoot" my arms back as soon as I sense any electricity flowing through my body :D

One quite strange shock was when I was igniting a large fire with MOT arcs. As I reached for the switch to turn it off, I received quite serious shock. The thing is that the switch was isolated and I was wearing shoes of course.

HV Enthusiast

Tue Apr 08 2008, 01:32AM

Registered Member #15 Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 01:11PM
Location:
Posts: 3068

Its amazing how people brag about their own stupidity. . .

Arcstarter

Tue Apr 08 2008, 02:38AM

Registered Member #1225 Joined: Sat Jan 12 2008, 01:24AM
Location: Beaumont, Texas, USA
Posts: 2253

I hope no one stops giving me help because of this,but here goes. Today i got shocked by a flyback at like 40kv and 210 watts. I have been shocked numerous times by mains(125 volts). I have blown up an irfp460 and got is embed deep into my skin. I got another chunk of silicon thrown at me the same day by discharging a 15000 uf cap at 50 volts into a 555. And the worst of all(i was stupid back then and now i use chicken sticks) I got shocked with a 1200 watt mot. Wow that sucked. I could feel my,ah well i couldn't feel all of me.

In conclusion i don't really like calling chicken sticks that,i like to call them "really freakin' smart sticks". Kinda sounds like a breakfast food from lean cuisine or smart ones doesn't it? No not really.

HV Enthusiast

Tue Apr 08 2008, 02:54AM

Registered Member #15 Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 01:11PM
Location:
Posts: 3068

Arcstarter wrote ...

I hope no one stops giving me help because of this,but here goes. Today i got shocked by a flyback at like 40kv and 210 watts. I have been shocked numerous times by mains(125 volts). I have blown up an irfp460 and got is embed deep into my skin. I got another chunk of silicon thrown at me the same day by discharging a 15000 uf cap at 50 volts into a 555. And the worst of all(i was stupid back then and now i use chicken sticks) I got shocked with a 1200 watt mot. Wow that sucked. I could feel my,ah well i couldn't feel all of me.

In conclusion i don't really like calling chicken sticks that,i like to call them "really freakin' smart sticks". Kinda sounds like a breakfast food from lean cuisine or smart ones doesn't it? No not really.

This is pretty sad. There is absolutely no reason to be shocked period, yet alone several times including a MOT.
If you are getting shocked this many times, you really need to look at what you are doing and have a bit more respect for the dangers involved.

wrote ...

(i was stupid back then and now i use chicken sticks)

Considering the fact you got shocked once again, today no less, my bets are that you are still stupid.

Coronafix

Tue Apr 08 2008, 03:51AM

Registered Member #160 Joined: Mon Feb 13 2006, 02:07AM
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 938

At first I didn't think this was a good idea, but I now think this is a good thread.
I don't think it's bragging about getting shocked, but highlighting the many possibilities
for accidents. I've often thought about the flying solder when I'm soldering,
it usually goes in the down direction though, but I will definitely use goggles from now on.
I'm very safety conscious as it is, but it never hurts to be extra cautious.
This story isn't mine, but from a friend doing an electrical apprenticeship.
They are making battery chargers in class and drilling the holes in the chassis. One of the
guys isn't holding the metal tight enough as he put the bench drill into it, it catches and tears out of his
grasp, he is unhurt though. One of the other guys comes up to help all macho and says he'll fix it.
He reaches out to grab the spinning metal on the end of the drill bit. Needless to say, he didn't return to the course.
It still surprises me at the stupidity of people.
Never rush it, take your time and think about it. Be safe.

Arcstarter

Tue Apr 08 2008, 04:46AM

Registered Member #1225 Joined: Sat Jan 12 2008, 01:24AM
Location: Beaumont, Texas, USA
Posts: 2253

Dr. shock, I am sorry that i come off as that. But back then i didn't know the dangers. I got shocked today almost purposely because i held the wire too close to my hand. I didn;t get it shorted across me,but i had a single thin spark hit me. Let me put it like this. I will take care of myself and you take care of yourself. If i die out of stupidity than that is my fault. I appreciate your concern for ones life or whatever though.

Andyman

Tue Apr 08 2008, 06:31AM

Registered Member #1083 Joined: Mon Oct 29 2007, 06:16PM
Location: Upland, California
Posts: 256

I don't really consider it bragging, I mean almost dieing isn't something I'm proud of. It's kinda like sharing personal horror stories that you would never want to revisit

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