Learning Welding...

[crystal ball]

I remember working with one of the top welders in the shipyard, his work was worthy of display in a gallery

 

[fillyboy]

In my last proper job one of the sparks duty was to keep the batteries on the genny charged, I went to switch off the charger but nudged the croc clip with my knee , battery exploded and showered me with acid, I wear glasses so lucky escape

I got a few splashes up the arms but luckily there was a sink nearby. Never realised till then how explosive hydrogen is but dozens of times I've seen people create a spark with croc clips and nothing's ever happened.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I got a few splashes up the arms but luckily there was a sink nearby. Never realised till then how explosive hydrogen is but dozens of times I've seen people create a spark with croc clips and nothing's ever happened.

Any opened vented lead acid battery, on charge, or recently off charge - will generate and turn water into a perfect mix of oxygen and hydrogen, which is highly flammable

 

[fillyboy]

Any opened vented lead acid battery, on charge, or recently off charge - will generate and turn water into a perfect mix of oxygen and hydrogen, which is highly flammable

I know.

 

[Mottie]

And stay clear of car batteries, they give off hydrogen. Admittedly the one I blew up with a stray spark had just been driven so was probably pushing out a little more gas than one that's been lying dormant.
It were a hell of a bang.

Many years ago, I connected jump leads to a battery the wrong way. I had an old Austin J4 van with the battery behind the passengers seat. It occasionally overcharged so had a fair bit of gas around the battery area. As I made the final connection to the good battery......Bang! The gas exploded and all 6 caps blew off the battery and were ricocheting around the cab like champagne corks. How I didn’t get a face full of battery acid I’ll never know. It definately does happen.