Bad wood burning

[DiLeon]

Warning bad way to wood burn videos the cheap way is on You Tube using your electrical currant. Please do not do it, this is very dangerous.


So this couple was trying to make art wood burning the cheap way. The couple is dead and their house is on fire. A Wisconsin couple was electrocuted attempting a popular, but dangerous wood-burning technique, law enforcement officials said.

The "fractal burning" technique creates lightning-like etchings by using jumper cables and disassembled microwave parts to run high-voltage electricity through a piece of wood soaked in a chemical solution. It yields patterns known as Lichtenberg figures, named after the physicist Georg Lichtenberg who discovered them in 1777 while experimenting with static electricity.

The technique is gaining popularity through viral videos on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, but woodworking experts caution that it is extremely dangerous and can be deadly. Get a real burner they are safe and they do not kill you and the house!!!!

[Dark Lightning]

I've seen where people have done this. I worked with high power tubes like this in the past, but there are serious safety protocols that have to be followed. I could do this, knowing the dangers. But would I? Absolutely not.

[Glenn Jennings]

There is no way I'm ever going near that practice not with any tool or method. Is a disaster waiting to happen.

[DiLeon]

There is no way I'm ever going near that practice not with any tool or method. Is a disaster waiting to happen.

The fact it is on Youtube, Facebook and other sites is scary and it is gain popular comments on how cool it is for wood burning. Lots of videos on YOU Tube should be labeled how to kill yourself. I saw this and it was one of the moments you can note if you do not do full research on these kinds of things it could get you easily killed.
Moreover, this is not the first casualty of this technique, According to the American Association of Woodturners, as many as 33 people have lost their lives while trying this fractal burning technique. But get this Oxford has a book...625 Death Due to Fractal Wood Burning: An Emerging Public Health Problem.


It is now high time to ensure these dangerous trends on social media are checked before they claim more lives.

[Eddy-Smiles]

Di!... As the popular saying goes...."You can't teach stupid!" Your tale of woe reminds me of the couple of deadbeats that were renting a house across the street from us. They didn't pay their power bill so the power company came and pulled their meter. That didn't stop them though, they just used a set of car jumpers to jerry-rig a connection to the house wiring. Fortunately the power company came back out, saw what they had done, and removed the power connection all the way back to the pole. The poor landlord who was in the process of trying to get them evicted ended up footing the bill to have the service reinstalled.

[JBright11]

It is difficult to protect folks from their own stupidity.
I've stopped being surprised at the idiocy posted on you tube.

[Glenn Jennings]

Hi Eddy
You just can't cure stupid. It is what it is I'm afraid. Scary thing is THEY BREED!!!!!!

[joepaulbutler]

Well, just call me stupid. I built myself a setup with three different transformers in it to get different burning effects. Can you get hurt/killed sure, but has anyone ever heard of someone bleeding to death from a knife cut? Some friends of ours got killed in a car wreck, Pam is still driving.

The point is, you have to be careful and pay attention to what you are doing. It is unpleasant to hear of the things that happen to the couple, but people if you are unassured of yourself don't try it. it is actually a kick to do. Right or wrong that is my 2¢ worth∙∙∙∙∙

[Randy]

I have a two friends that use this system to create a different look on this wood work. Both took the time to learn the do’s and don’t of the process and practice all the safety protocols. I do not see it being any different than dangers in table saws and nail guns or other power tools. It is always about safety practice’s.

[Glenn Jennings]

Hi joe,
Not having a dig at you mate I think you are plenty smart enough to do the homework to get it right . Thing is there are plenty that arn't. I think you are pretty brave and you make a good point. I wouldn't trust myself not to forget to do something that I should have and end up frying myself. Mistakes are so easily made. I don't think any of us could say we haven't made a few.

Hi Randy
Good point I pinged the end of a finger on bench saw blade not so long ago. Power tool might hurt if you stick a nail through a leg or something But high volyage electricity ?? No second chances if that goes bad I would think. I like the effect it makes but there are plenty of much less dangerous ways to create nice effects so I will stick with that. .

[JBright11]

Well, just call me stupid. I built myself a setup with three different transformers in it to get different burning effects. Can you get hurt/killed sure, but has anyone ever heard of someone bleeding to death from a knife cut? Some friends of ours got killed in a car wreck, Pam is still driving.

The point is, you have to be careful and pay attention to what you are doing. It is unpleasant to hear of the things that happen to the couple, but people if you are unassured of yourself don't try it. it is actually a kick to do. Right or wrong that is my 2¢ worth∙∙∙∙∙

Knowing your limitations is the key.

Simply having the ability to build your own set-up with multiple transformers indicates to me a higher than average ability and knowledge in this area. Maybe, if you saw something in a you tube video that just wasn't right, you would know that and not try it.....others, not so much.

I grew up around power equipment, was taught appropriate safety precautions, and am comfortable working with them. I have enough experience to adapt when things don't go by the book, and to recognize and avoid unsafe acts when I see them. I have no such knowledge base with electricity.....thus I won't be giving this a try.

Some folks see shiny new cool things and just grab them....never wondering if they may be hot.

[DiLeon]

Knowing your limitations is the key.

Simply having the ability to build your own set-up with multiple transformers indicates to me a higher than average ability and knowledge in this area. Maybe, if you saw something in a you tube video that just wasn't right, you would know that and not try it.....others, not so much.

I grew up around power equipment, was taught appropriate safety precautions, and am comfortable working with them. I have enough experience to adapt when things don't go by the book, and to recognize and avoid unsafe acts when I see them. I have no such knowledge base with electricity.....thus I won't be giving this a try.

Some folks see shiny new cool things and just grab them....never wondering if they may be hot.

Agree,....thing is Youtube is a how-to-do-it for most people who do not know how to do it. If it is on Youtube the videos it does not say you need advanced electrical experience only. Although I had seen an article reporting this method should be made illegal by OSHA standards. My dad could have built something like this, his how to do it skills were pure talent that he was hired in different countries to come to fix their machines that had no how to do it skills. But clearly, this is not what I am not talking about.

For example... Like we had this guy fall off the peak of the mountain, no advanced climbing experience, experience in trail climbing but zero experience with climbing mountains that have very loose rock surfaces. Meaning you grab a rock it may not hold you like some mountains. Why was he on the mountain??? a tourist video on Youtube told him how to climb the mountain and how cool it was. Looks easy when you see the video but the video did not explain the dangers of the mountain like you grab a tree to hold on to, roots are at the very surface, and if you fall you may pull the whole bush or tree down the mountain with you. that mountain you need very advance skills and mountain climb equipment. He is Dead at twenty, he fell about 400 feet what happened, his hat fell off and fell on a nearby tree and he went after it. If it was not for the video he would be alive today, that is the point that is what I am talking about. I used to climb I know the dangers of these mountains nobody without major experience should be climbing those mountains and noted it is not a cool fun thing for someone on vacation to be doing for just a day as for a tourist something to do.

Nail guns and saws cause tons of accidents each year that need hospital attention, ...but deaths do not equal this number. Nail gun deaths, ones that I read were more often used in suicide and homicide deaths. Also in major construction companies... which does not equal the very point I do not know how to do it but rather a freak accident.

Oh, yea I reported to youtube again about showing in what I call how to kill off people videos to people with no experience. Youtube did not reply but the owner of one video did. Interesting the guy was from Russia, his video was clearly English speaking person and I received an email from him in Russian. Reported people do not die from his video. I often wonder? Why this country is such a mess. Of course, we all have our own opinions including the Russians.... but I question everything these days. Of course, I am one person that thinks people driving should see dead people after accidents for real,... before they get a driver's license sort of wakes the brain up to facts that we do not live in a fantasy world.

Great conversation everyone,....just another something to think about from all perspectives...

[DiLeon]

Note this is a reply to someone who just posted another safe method link on this subject...which was deleted after I post my last two replies...warning this is very graphic.

Since writing this we continue to have people falling off the mountains, dying, or needing massive rescue dangerous ones....because of the welcome to Hawaii how to climb this mountain, let's have fun videos. I will add you do not do surgery because you watched a video. Experience, education, and being a smart cookie are a must. But a video and added part you can not fix stupid....has Massive meaning. I stand by my quote, a dangerous how-to-do video must be made illegal, because if you have the education to build one and experience you do not need a video like this and in the wrong hands could kill/massive injury... if you do it wrong.

Do videos kill people or major cause injuries, ...yes they do. Why because they are not safe often they are wrong information. How inexperienced person know which one is the right way and the wrong way? They must learn beginner information, advanced information, and experience with electricity to know what is and is not ok. That takes a big learning education curve.

We had a new guy at work, they did not train him on the dangers of acid thinking he would know. Of course, he did not know all his other jobs were not in this field. The manager was rather stupid about the whole deal himself and did not even know proper medical treatment for acid accidents. This guy got the acid on his lower arm and did not note it until it was burning his flesh. What they did was run him to the sink and had him run water over it and return him to work. This is not the proper treatment the acid was in the skin already and continues to burn him. It turn into third-degree burns which the manager told him to wrap in a bandage to stop the burning he did not see nor look at his arm. The acid was in the flesh and continued to slowly eat the flesh. I hit the ceiling when I found out the story. I looked at this guy's arm, his skin was black and you could see the muscle. When I asked the guy why he did not go get medical, he report being new on the job, he was afraid of losing his new job. I asked the manager why he was not sent to the hospital and got that stupid look and stupid quotes. Me, I knew it was against the law to not train your men on the dangers and safety laws. OSHA has a reason for everything. One of those jobs I walked out of with my middle finger up in the air, and never return to the workforce again after that one which turn into a nightmare another story. Needless to say, this man's lower arm has severe permanent burns and surgery to get the acid out.

This goes back to the conversation.....By passing the A B and Cs in basic knowledge and putting out videos that can injure or even kill....is the same thing. Again you can not fix stupid, but knowing, seeing, being capable, and educating are key to success in handling dangerous situations. This thread is very interesting in that it shows what people are willing to do to make Youtube money even when they do not know what in the heck they are doing and are righteous about it....without care for the safety of other people.

[DiLeon]

Can you get hurt/killed sure, but has anyone ever heard of someone bleeding to death from a knife cut? Some friends of ours got killed in a car wreck, Pam is still driving.

The point is, you have to be careful and pay attention to what you are doing∙

You are carving in your lap, you slip, and the knife goes into your leg. Yes, you can kill yourself with a knife while carving or other. The main artery in your leg is the common femoral artery. I would give an estimation of six minutes until most blood is drained. Makes a great position of having a lapboard to carve on, as safety knowledge matters. You slip you cut a main vein and artery... extremely bad news. Does it happen yes, often used in war. And add that to ER list of things you never want to see. There are other ways a knife can be considered more dangerous than a gun.

But you learn and not kill yourself, from being stupid??? I cut my thumb off with a pair of scissors and consider not sharp ones at that....pulling out stapes from a gun with a pair of scissors that slipped right into the thumb. Cut off blood flow, and knowing I could pass out ran to the neighbor to haul my rear end to ER...I did not know he was scared of the sight of blood. But he made it.... There are tools for the trade without having to experience this. By the way, the thumb was saved and the nerves were sewn back on half working...want to talk about feeling like your hand exploded, that was a great example of my being stupid. But point to the fact...Would I make a video of how to pull out stapes using a pair of scissors because the sharp edges make it easy and really fast....no I would not.

[Claude]

...
Would I make a video of how to pull out stapes using a pair of scissors because the sharp edges make it easy and really fast....no I would not.

Early on in my aerospace engineer work, I was using my teeth to help pull a staple out of a document - chipped the tooth. After that, I bought a small cheap pair of needle-nose pliers to keep in my desk drawer. Easy to straighten out the sharp ends of the staple, then pull out from the other side. I have a pair sitting 3 feet away from me at my desk right now (no drawer on my desk, so it's on a shelf).

I also took several electrical engineering classes at university before I switched to mathematics as a major, so I know a little bit about electricity - there is no way I'd ever attempt fractal burning. I've had 110v AC run through parts of me several times; finger to wrist or elbow. Learned from electronic techs in the Navy - only put one hand inside the equipment, other behind your back. Running some voltage from finger to wrist or elbow hurts and may burn, but won't kill you. Going from one hand through the torso to the other hand can easily kill you. Right now, I have a pacemaker/defibrillator installed - I don't ever put my phone or my garage door opener in my shirt pocket, which is maybe 6 inches away from the device. Too much chance of hurting myself.

Claude