Aargh...It never ends..

From: der Mouse <mouse_at_Rodents.Montreal.QC.CA>
Date: Fri Feb 20 20:13:16 2004

> You need to get a carbon arc lamp :-).

> John, does Dabney house still fire up "Buttercup" once in a while?
> The sure sign is the bullhorn telling you "DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT
> THE LIGHT!"

Duh. Carbon arc is about as safe to look at as an arc-welding arc, or
perhaps less so.

My father used to tell of one time when he used something like ten
pairs of sunglasses to stop the light down to where it was tolerable
one time when he had to arcweld without a proper helmet. He learned
the hard way that the intensity of an arcwelding arc is still going up
when it leaves the visible range, and normal sunglasses are designed
for sunlight, ie, a peak somewhere in the yellow - they don't stop
nearly enough ultraviolet. He sunburned his eyes rather badly. His
description is that it's like living with a handful of sand in each
eye. For a week.

Since then he's always done the eyes-closed bit when he has to arcweld
sans helmet. (Ie, prepare, close eyes, strike arc, weld by feel and
sound, break arc, and ONLY THEN open eyes to see how you did!)

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Received on Fri Feb 20 2004 - 20:13:16 GMT